summary of the luncheon
Answers
Answer:
The narrator, perhaps Maugham himself, describes seeing a woman at the theater who he'd met twenty years prior. He says he would not have recognized her if someone had not said her name. When she asks if he remembers her, he begins to recount the story of their first meeting. Back then, he had a tiny apartment in Paris, and she'd written to him about his book.
When she came through Paris the next week, she hoped he would take her to lunch at an expensive restaurant. Though he had little money for the month, he agreed, expecting to have a modest lunch. However, once he saw the menu, he realized the prices were much higher than he'd anticipated, but she assures him that he "never eat[s] anything for luncheon." She claims to only eat one thing at lunch, and she asks about some salmon, which is not in season (making it more expensive). Next, she orders caviar to nibble at while she waits for her salmon. For himself, the narrator chooses the cheapest item on the menu, a mutton chop, because he fears the inevitable bill.
Next, she orders some champagne, claiming that her doctor has forbidden her to drink anything but that. The narrator drinks water due to the expense. Next, she asks for some giant asparagus—an expensive specialty. When the narrator refuses some, she scolds him for ruining his palate with the red meat. Finally, she asks for some coffee and ice cream—and she accepts an Italian peach as well. She goes on and on, saying she's had only a "'snack'" and berating him for eating something so heavy as a chop. However, the narrator is miserable, thinking about the lean month he will have as a result of her luncheon. In the end, he feels he's had his revenge, as she now weighs nearly three hundred pounds; this is likely why he does not recognize her at the theater when he sees her!
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles
MWESTWOOD, M.A.
CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
A most delightfully humorous narrative, "The Luncheon" is a slice of life story about Maugham's luncheon date proposed to him by a woman whom he hopes is a supporter of his art. Having only communicated with her through the mail, the author is rather surprised to meet a woman of forty who gives him "the impression of having more teeth, white and large and even, than were necessary for any practical purpose."
Since the author has only eighty francs to last him the rest of the month, he is anxious about eating at the restaurant where French senators dine that she suggests. However, his lady friend reassures him, "I never eat anything for luncheon," adding that she never eats more than one thing. What she should have said is that she never eats more than one thing at a time because she orders several things, but each one individually, and sometimes they are not even à la carte: salmon, caviar, champagne, giant asparagus that has just arrived, a peach from Italy, and coffee and ice-cream. All the time that she is consuming such rich foods and drink, she scolds Maugham for eating red meat, as he has ordered mutton:
"You see, you've filled your stomach with a lot of meat"—my one miserable little chop—"and you can't eat any more. But I've just had a snack and I shall enjoy a peach."
When the bill for the "light lunch" comes, Maugham has only three francs left to leave a meager tip for the "false-faced" waiter. Now, Maugham has the rest of the month ahead of him and he is penurious. The supporter offers him nothing; instead she jumps into a cab and calls happily to him.
At the end, the author explains that he is not a vindictive man, but "when the immortal gods take a hand in the matter, it is pardonable to observe the result with complacency," he remarks. Now this woman, who only eats light lunches and only one thing at a time, "weighs twenty-one stones"