“The Luncheon”

Study Guide
Comprehension Questions
1. Twenty years before the story, how much money had the
narrator been making?
His financial condition was not very good. He was earning barely
enough money to keep body and soul together.
Twenty years ago, the narrator was living in Paris. He had a small
apartment in the Latin quarters overlooking a cemetery. His financial
condition was not very good. He was earning barely enough money to
keep body and soul together.
2. What was the name of the restaurant where they met? What
type of restaurant was it?
The name of the restaurant was Foyot’s
3. What did the woman have for lunch? What did the narrator
have? What was the difference in the lunches?
 She ate for lunch: caviar, salmon, asparagus, white
champagne, an ice-cream, coffee, and a peach.
 The narrator was worried because he did not know if he
could pay the bill, and he chooses a mutton chop.
 The difference between these two lunches was that she
chose different expensive food dishes. On the contrary, he
ate the cheapest dish.

4. How much of a tip did the narrator leave? Why did he leave
this amount?
He left three francs because he did not have enough money, he
only had enough money to pay the bill.
5. How much does the woman weigh now? How does the
narrator feel about it?
Today she weighs twenty-one stones!
 He feels like he finally got revenge at her. ( The narrator had his
revenge at last when he came to know that she now weighs twenty-one
stones which means she had grown very fat.)
6. How does the narrator feel about the woman?
The narrator describes her as: the woman was not as young as he
expected. She was imposing in her appearance more than attractive.
She was a forty-year-old woman, and she gave him the impression of
having more teeth, whiter and larger, and even larger than necessary
for any practical purpose. She talked a lot and seemed inclined to talk
about him. In fact, he was prepared to be an attentive listener.
He was flattered by her because she had read one of his books.

Additional questions:
Write the moral and themeof the chapter the luncheon
The luncheon is all about how the poet manage a moth without money (some
money). The moral of the story was that we should never lose hope in any
situation.

1.Though it was long since the narrator had seen his friend how did he
recognize his fri end?
By her name, when someone mentioned her.

2.Where was the narrator living twenty years ago?

In Paris, in a tiny apartment in the Latin quarter which overlooked a cemetery.

3.How did the author of the story make his money twenty years ago?
the author of the story made his money twenty years ago By writing books.

4. Why did he decide to invite the lady for luncheon?

He was flattered and he was far too young to have learned to say ‘No’ to a
woman.

5.Where did the lady want to have luncheon?

At Foyot’s

6.What kind of a restaurant was Foyot?

It was an expensive restaurant which the narrator couldn’t afford. A restaurant
where the French senators dined.

7.How did the narrator convince himself that he could afford to take his friend
for luncheon at the Foyot’s?
He had 80 francs with him and a modest lunch would not cost him more than
fifteen francs. If he cut out the coffee for two more weeks, he could manage
well.

8.What all did the lady order for her luncheon?

Salmon, caviar, champagne, asparagus

9.What did the narrator order for himself?

Mutton chops

10.What did the lady talk gaily about?

She talked about art, literature and music.

11.Why did she criticize his eating habits?

As she felt that mutton chops were heavy for lunch.

12.Why did the narrator panic?

Not because he wondered whether he would have enough money to end till the
end
of the month but because he wondered whether he would have enough to pay
the bill.

13.What did the narrator plan to do if he didn’t have enough money to pay the
bill?
He would be obliged to borrow it from his guest. However he couldn’t get
himself to do that. So he would pretend that his wallet had got picked.
However it would be awkward if she too didn’t have enough money to pay the
bill.

14.What would be the final solution?

He would leave his watch and come back and pay later

15.Inspite of the hefty bill thoughts on the narrators mind, he orders a coffee
for himself and
a coffee with ice-cream for the lady. Why?
By this time he did not care anymore
16.Did the narrator have enough money to pay the bill?
He just about managed.

17.Why did the lady call him a ‘Humorist’?

As she tells the narrator that one should not eat more than one thing for
luncheon, he says that he will eat nothing for dinner that night.