Tuesday, 18 January 2022 13:11

“But I have had my revenge at last. I do not believe that I am a vindictive man.” Where is it taken from?

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The Luncheon Short Story.

[The narrator and his guest are finishing their meal.]

“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.”
The bill came and when I paid it I found that I had only enough for a quite inadequate tip. Her eyes rested for an instant on the three francs I left for the waiter and I knew that she thought me mean.
But when I walked out of the restaurant I had the whole month before me and not a penny in my pocket.
“Follow my example,” she said as we shook hands, “and never eat more than one thing for luncheon.”
“I’ll do better than that,” I retorted. “I’ll eat nothing for dinner tonight.”
“Humorist!” she cried gaily, jumping into a cab. “You’re quite a humorist!”
But I have had my revenge at last. I do not believe that I am a vindictive man, but when the immortal gods take a hand in the matter it is pardonable to observe the result with complacency.
Today she weighs twenty-one stone. 

  1. Refer to paragraph 1
    Quote ONE word to show that the narrator has not enjoyed his meal.         (1)
  2. Consider the story as a whole.
    Is the guest telling the truth when she says, “But I’ve just had a snack…”? Explain your answer.      (2)
  3. Refer to paragraph
    Why does the narrator become even more anxious when his guest takes a peach, in particular? State TWO points.  (2)
  4. Why does the narrator feel the tip he leaves for the waiter is “inadequate”? (1)
  5. Refer to line 9 (“Follow my example …”).
    Explain why it would not be good to follow the guest’s example.
    State TWO points.                                                                                                       (2)
  6. Refer to line 11 (“I’ll eat nothing for dinner tonight ”).
    Using your own words, explain the following:
    1. How the guest understands these words (1)
    2. What the narrator means (1)
  7. Refer to the last paragraph (lines 15-18).
    1. Write down ONE word to describe how the narrator feels (1)
    2. Explain why the narrator’s desire for revenge is “pardonable”. (2)
  8. From your knowledge of the story as a whole, do you think the narrator is a “mean” person? Explain your answer (2)
  9. The narrator is to blame for what happens at the restaurant
    Do you agree? Discuss your view.                                                  (2)
  10. Explain why the title The Luncheon is suitable (1) [18]

Answers 

  1. “miserable” ✓ (1)
  2. She orders salmon, caviar, giant asparagus, champagne, a peach, ice cream and coffee, amounting to a full meal. ✓✓                   (2)
  3. Peaches are not in season and, therefore, very expensive ✓✓ (2)
  4. It is only three francs✓/The amount is very small. ✓ /She glances at it suggesting that it is inadequate. ✓                   (1)
  5. The guest contradicts herself. ✓ She goes against what she says ✓ She becomes fat. ✓ She suffers from obesity because she followed her own example. ✓Her example is not worthy of being followed. ✓                                       (2)
  6. a) She thinks he is being funny/joking. ✓ (1)
    b). He has no money left/cannot afford food/he hasspent all his money on her. ✓                                                (1)
  7. a) Smug/satisfied/complacent/triumphant/victorious. ✓ (1)
    b). He was not responsible for her weight gain/for what happened to her ✓
    She brought it upon herself/the immortal gods had a hand in it/it was fate. ✓                                                        (2)
  8. yes. He should not punish the waiter for his guest’s behaviour, he should have returned with a better tip.
    OR
    No. He really did not have enough money to give the waiter a better tip. ✓✓                                (2)
  9. yes. He is trying to impress his guest by pretending to be rich. ✓✓
    OR
    No. He was trying to be polite to his guest by not stopping her from ordering all the expensive dishes. ✓✓                                      (2)
  10. The title is suitable because the entire story is about the luncheon. /It is suitable because the word “luncheon” refers to a formal lunch and this is what the story is about. ✓                       (1)[18]