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. |
- Refer to paragraph 1
Quote ONE word to show that the narrator has not enjoyed his meal. (1) - 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) - Refer to paragraph
Why does the narrator become even more anxious when his guest takes a peach, in particular? State TWO points. (2) - Why does the narrator feel the tip he leaves for the waiter is “inadequate”? (1)
- Refer to line 9 (“Follow my example …”).
Explain why it would not be good to follow the guest’s example.
State TWO points. (2) - Refer to line 11 (“I’ll eat nothing for dinner tonight ”).
Using your own words, explain the following: - How the guest understands these words (1)
- What the narrator means (1)
- Refer to the last paragraph (lines 15-18).
- Write down ONE word to describe how the narrator feels (1)
- Explain why the narrator’s desire for revenge is “pardonable”. (2)
- From your knowledge of the story as a whole, do you think the narrator is a “mean” person? Explain your answer (2)
- The narrator is to blame for what happens at the restaurant
Do you agree? Discuss your view. (2) - Explain why the title The Luncheon is suitable (1) [18]
Answers - “miserable” ✓ (1)
- She orders salmon, caviar, giant asparagus, champagne, a peach, ice cream and coffee, amounting to a full meal. ✓✓ (2)
- Peaches are not in season and, therefore, very expensive ✓✓ (2)
- It is only three francs✓/The amount is very small. ✓ /She glances at it suggesting that it is inadequate. ✓ (1)
- 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)
- 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) - 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) - 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) - 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) - 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]
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