Class 11 English Notes Chapter 8 (Short Stories –The Luncheon) – Woven Words Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Chapter 8 from your 'Woven Words' book, the short story 'The Luncheon' by W. Somerset Maugham. This is a popular text, and understanding it well is crucial, not just for your regular exams but also for various government competitive exams where English comprehension is tested.

'The Luncheon' by W. Somerset Maugham: Detailed Notes for Exam Preparation

1. Author and Context:

• Author: William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), a renowned British playwright, novelist, and short story writer. Known for his clear prose, keen understanding of human nature, and often cynical or ironic perspective.
• Context: The story is set primarily in Paris, likely in the early 20th century. It reflects the social interactions and pretensions of that era. The narrator recounts an experience from his younger, less prosperous days as a writer.

2. Central Theme:

• Appearance vs. Reality: The woman presents herself as someone who eats very little ("I never eat anything for luncheon," "I never eat more than one thing"), but her actual choices are extravagant and expensive.
• Irony: The story is rich in situational and dramatic irony. The narrator expects a modest luncheon but ends up paying a fortune. The woman's repeated claims of moderation are ironic given her expensive tastes. The final "revenge" is also ironic.
• Naivety and Exploitation: The young narrator is naive and easily manipulated due to his desire to appear sophisticated and his inability to refuse his guest's expensive demands. The woman subtly exploits his financial vulnerability and social awkwardness.
• Humour: The humour arises from the narrator's increasing panic and internal monologue contrasted with his polite external behaviour, and the sheer audacity of the woman.
• Revenge/Poetic Justice: The ending provides a sense of delayed, ironic revenge when the narrator sees the woman years later and notes her excessive weight.

3. Characters:

• The Narrator (Young Maugham):
  • A struggling writer living in Paris.
  • Flattered by the attention of a female admirer of his work.
  • Naive, easily embarrassed, and lacks the assertiveness to control the situation.
  • Anxious about money and the cost of the luncheon.
  • Relates the story retrospectively, with the wisdom and detachment of age.
• The Woman:
  • An admirer of the narrator's writings.
  • Older than the narrator (described as "not so young as I expected," later "forty").
  • Talkative, imposing, and seemingly oblivious to the narrator's financial discomfort.
  • Hypocritical: Claims modesty in eating habits while ordering the most expensive items (salmon, caviar, asparagus, champagne, peaches, coffee, ice cream).
  • Manipulative and self-absorbed.
  • Her physical appearance later in life (weighing "twenty-one stone" or 133 kg) serves as the story's final ironic twist.

4. Plot Summary:

• The story is narrated in the first person, looking back 20 years.
• The narrator, then a young writer in Paris, receives a letter from a woman who admires his work and wishes to meet him.
• She suggests meeting at Foyot's, a very expensive restaurant, for luncheon. The narrator, flattered but poor, agrees, hoping a modest meal won't cost too much. He has only 80 gold francs, intended to last the rest of the month.
• At Foyot's, the woman reassures him she "never eats anything for luncheon" and suggests just "one thing."
• However, she proceeds to order a series of the most expensive items available: salmon, caviar (while waiting for the salmon), giant asparagus, champagne (instead of water), and large peaches. She dismisses cheaper options suggested by the narrator.
• With each order, the narrator's anxiety about the bill escalates. He calculates frantically whether he will have enough money. He orders the cheapest item for himself – a mutton chop.
• She talks incessantly about art, literature, and music, while consuming the lavish meal. She advises the narrator to follow her example and eat lightly.
• The bill arrives, costing far more than the narrator anticipated. He pays, leaving himself with barely enough money for a meager tip and absolutely nothing for the rest of the month.
• The narrator concludes the flashback by mentioning he saw the woman again many years later at the theatre. He observes that she now weighs 21 stone (a very large size). He feels he has finally had his "revenge," implying her current weight is a consequence of her indulgent eating habits, which he unwillingly funded on that fateful day.

5. Literary Devices and Techniques:

• First-Person Narration: Allows direct access to the narrator's thoughts, anxieties, and humorous internal monologue. Creates empathy for his plight.
• Irony: Pervasive throughout the story (situational, verbal, dramatic). The core of the story's humour and theme. Example: "I never eat anything for luncheon" followed by ordering expensive dishes. The final "revenge."
• Humour: Generated through the contrast between the narrator's internal panic and outward politeness, the woman's oblivious greed, and the overall ironic situation.
• Foreshadowing: The choice of Foyot's, an expensive restaurant, hints at the financial trouble to come.
• Characterisation: Done through dialogue, actions, and the narrator's observations. The woman's character is revealed through her words and her expensive choices. The narrator's character is shown through his internal thoughts and his inability to act decisively.

6. Points for Exam Focus:

• Understanding Irony: Be prepared to identify and explain different instances of irony in the story.
• Character Analysis: Understand the motivations and traits of both the narrator (naive, financially constrained, easily flattered) and the woman (manipulative, greedy, hypocritical).
• Theme Identification: Recognize the central themes like appearance vs. reality, exploitation, and poetic justice.
• Narrative Perspective: Understand how the first-person, retrospective narration shapes the story and its humour.
• Vocabulary: Pay attention to words related to food, money, and social interaction used in the story.
• Setting: The significance of the setting (Foyot's, Paris) as a symbol of expense and sophistication.

7. Key Vocabulary:

• Luncheon: Lunch, especially a formal one.
• Foyot's: An expensive, real Parisian restaurant known for senators dining there.
• Francs: Currency of France at the time.
• Modest: Not large or expensive.
• Imposing: Impressive in appearance or manner.
• Complacent: Self-satisfied, often without awareness of potential danger or defect.
• Caviar: Expensive food consisting of fish eggs.
• Asparagus: A vegetable, often considered a delicacy, especially large ones.
• Appalled: Horrified, shocked.
• Sinking heart: A feeling of despair or disappointment.
• Bill of fare: Menu.
• Retaliate: To get revenge.
• Inadequate: Not enough.
• Mortgaged: Committed (his finances were committed/stretched).
• Genial: Friendly and cheerful.
• Abominably: Horribly, terribly.
• Pretext: A false reason used to justify an action.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. Where did the woman suggest meeting the narrator for luncheon?
   a) A cheap cafe near the Latin Quarter
   b) The narrator's apartment
   c) Foyot's restaurant
   d) A public park

2. What was the narrator's primary concern before the luncheon?
   a) That the woman wouldn't like his writing
   b) That he wouldn't have enough money to pay the bill
   c) That the restaurant wouldn't have good food
   d) That he wouldn't know what to talk about

3. Which phrase did the woman repeatedly use despite ordering expensive food?
   a) "I'm absolutely starving!"
   b) "I only eat the best."
   c) "I never eat anything for luncheon."
   d) "Money is no object."

4. Which of the following items did the narrator order for himself?
   a) Salmon
   b) Caviar
   c) A mutton chop
   d) Giant asparagus

5. What did the woman drink during the luncheon?
   a) Water
   b) Champagne
   c) White wine
   d) Coffee only

6. How much money did the narrator have for the rest of the month before the luncheon?
   a) Eighty francs
   b) One hundred francs
   c) Just enough for the luncheon
   d) An unspecified large amount

7. What is the primary literary device used by Maugham throughout the story for humorous effect?
   a) Metaphor
   b) Simile
   c) Irony
   d) Alliteration

8. What "revenge" did the narrator feel he eventually had on the woman?
   a) He wrote a critical article about her.
   b) He refused to meet her again.
   c) He saw her years later, and she was extremely overweight.
   d) He became much more famous than she expected.

9. The woman's character can be best described as:
   a) Shy and considerate
   b) Generous and kind
   c) Manipulative and self-indulgent
   d) Intelligent and witty

10. What does the story primarily satirize?
    a) The struggles of young writers
    b) French cuisine
    c) Social pretensions and hypocrisy
    d) The relationship between authors and readers

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. c) Foyot's restaurant
2. b) That he wouldn't have enough money to pay the bill
3. c) "I never eat anything for luncheon."
4. c) A mutton chop
5. b) Champagne
6. a) Eighty francs
7. c) Irony
8. c) He saw her years later, and she was extremely overweight.
9. c) Manipulative and self-indulgent
10. c) Social pretensions and hypocrisy

Study these notes carefully. Understanding the interplay between the characters, the escalating situation, and the pervasive irony is key to mastering this story for any exam. Good luck!