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This blog on NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 8: The Luncheon provides simple and clear answers to the questions of this chapter. This helps students to understand the themes of financial strain and subtle humour in this short story. These solutions will help students with revisions and exam preparation. You can also download the free PDF for the effective revision of these solutions.
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NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 8: The Luncheon
Here are the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 8: The Luncheon, designed to enhance understanding of the story’s themes, characters, and humorous nuances for effective revision.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
1. Although the author was not a vindictive man, he was very happy to see the twenty-one stone lady who had impoverished him twenty years ago, and says he had finally had his revenge. What makes him say this?
Solution: The narrator, not naturally vindictive, feels a sense of satisfaction when he sees the woman, who impoverished him twenty years ago, now weighing twenty-one stone. He considers this his “revenge” because her significant weight gain, likely a result of her indulgent eating habits as seen during the luncheon, serves as poetic justice. Her extravagant orders of caviar, salmon, asparagus, Champagne, ice cream, and peaches at Foyot’s left him penniless for the month, highlighting her hypocrisy in claiming to eat lightly. The narrator’s pleasure in her transformation reflects a subtle triumph, as her physical change aligns with the consequences of her past gluttony, giving him a sense of closure without direct retaliation.
2. There are quite a few places where the author uses the expressions ‘my heart sank’, ‘panic seized’ etc. What was the reason for this?
Solution: The expressions “my heart sank” and “panic seized” reflect the narrator’s growing anxiety over his dwindling finances as the woman orders increasingly expensive dishes at Foyot’s. With only eighty francs to last the month, he had budgeted for a modest lunch costing no more than fifteen francs. His heart sinks when she requests caviar and later giant asparagus, both costly items, and panic seizes him when he fears the bill might exceed his funds, potentially leaving him unable to pay or forcing him to borrow from his guest. These phrases capture his escalating dread of financial embarrassment and the pressure to maintain polite hospitality despite his precarious situation.
3. Locate instances of irony in the story.
Solution: The story is rich with irony, enhancing its humour and thematic depth:
- Situational Irony: The woman repeatedly claims she “never eats more than one thing” for lunch to avoid overeating, yet she orders multiple expensive dishes, caviar, salmon, asparagus, ice cream, coffee, and a peach, contradicting her stated frugality and leaving the narrator financially strained.
- Verbal Irony: The woman criticises the narrator’s mutton chop as “heavy” and unhealthy, while she indulges in lavish, costly foods, oblivious to the contradiction between her words and actions.
- Dramatic Irony: The narrator’s final revelation that the woman now weighs twenty-one stone is ironic, as her indulgence during the luncheon, which she dismissed as a mere “snack,” has led to her significant weight gain, unknown to her but satisfying to the narrator. These instances of irony highlight the woman’s hypocrisy and the narrator’s quiet triumph, adding layers to the story’s humour.
TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
Discuss in pairs or in small groups:
1. People with foibles are often not conscious of them.
Solution: The woman’s foible, her hypocritical claim of eating lightly while ordering extravagant dishes, demonstrates her lack of self-awareness. She insists she “never eats more than one thing” and criticises the narrator’s mutton chop, yet orders caviar, salmon, asparagus, Champagne, ice-cream, and a peach, oblivious to the contradiction. This unawareness underscores her self-absorbed nature and adds humour to the narrative. In pairs, students can discuss how such foibles, like pretending to be frugal or health-conscious, are common in social settings and how they affect interactions, drawing examples from the story or real life.
2. The author’s attempts at keeping up his pretence of friendliness while he was mentally preoccupied with the expense of the luncheon.
Solution: The narrator maintains a facade of friendliness and hospitality despite his growing anxiety over the luncheon’s cost. He politely agrees to the woman’s expensive orders, engages in conversation about art, literature, and drama, and even discourses on the Balkans while panicking internally about the bill. His courteous demeanour masks his fear of financial ruin, as he imagines drastic scenarios like claiming his pocket was picked. In pairs, students can discuss how social pressures force people to hide their true feelings, exploring how the narrator’s pretence reflects broader themes of maintaining appearances and the challenges of balancing politeness with personal distress.
APPRECIATION
1. The author is a humorist
a. How does the story reflect his sense of humour?
Solution: Maugham’s sense of humour shines through the story’s subtle wit and ironic situations. The contrast between the woman’s claim of eating “just a bite” and her lavish orders, caviar, salmon, asparagus, and more, creates gentle humour, exposing her hypocrisy. The narrator’s exaggerated panic, such as imagining his pocket being picked to avoid paying, adds a comedic touch to his plight. The final revelation of the woman’s weight gain, delivered with understated satisfaction, reflects Maugham’s knack for quiet, ironic humour, making the story both amusing and poignant.
b. What makes his lady friend remark, ‘you are quite a humorist’?
Solution: The woman calls the narrator a “humorist” when he retorts, “I’ll eat nothing for dinner tonight,” after she advises him to eat only one thing for lunch. His sarcastic response, born of frustration from her costly orders and his depleted funds, is mistaken by her as a playful jest. Her obliviousness to his genuine distress and her misinterpretation of his remark as humour highlight her self-absorbed nature and add to the story’s ironic tone.
c. Give instances of the author’s ability to laugh at himself.
Solution: The narrator displays self-deprecating humour in several instances:
- He admits his youthful naivety in agreeing to lunch at Foyot’s, a restaurant beyond his means, because he was too flattered and inexperienced to say no to a woman.
- He humorously describes his panic over the bill, imagining absurd scenarios like claiming his pocket was picked or leaving his watch as payment, poking fun at his own desperation.
- His wry reflection on leaving only three francs as a tip, which the woman notices with disdain, shows his ability to laugh at his own embarrassment and financial ruin. These moments reveal Maugham’s skill in portraying the narrator’s vulnerabilities with light-hearted self-mockery, enhancing the story’s relatability.
2. How does the first person narrative help in heightening the literary effects of the story?
Solution: The first-person narrative immerses readers in the narrator’s perspective, intensifying the story’s humour, irony, and emotional depth. By sharing his inner thoughts, flattery at the woman’s invitation, panic over the bill, and satisfaction at her weight gain, readers empathise with his financial strain and quiet triumph. The direct access to his anxiety, as seen in phrases like “my heart sank” and “panic seized me,” heightens the tension of the luncheon. His witty, self-deprecating tone, especially in reflecting on his youthful folly and the final twist, enhances the comedic effect. The first-person perspective also underscores the irony of the woman’s hypocrisy, as readers see her actions through the narrator’s critical yet polite lens, making the story more engaging and emotionally resonant.
Also Read: NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1: The Portrait of a Lady (Free PDF)
Download NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 8: The Luncheon
You can download the free PDF of NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 8: The Luncheon for effective revision.
Download more NCERT Solutions of Class 11 English ‘Woven Words’ here!
| Chapter 1: The Lament Solution |
| Chapter 2: A Pair of Mustachios Solutions |
| Chapter 3: The Rocking-horse Winner Solution |
| Chapter 4: The Adventure of the Three Garridebs Solution |
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