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Question
Go through the story again and find out various instances which create humor in ‘The Luncheon’. Complete the table by picking up various humorous instances and the particular line from the story. One is done for you.
| Humorous Instance | Line from the story |
| l The woman is a voracious eater | ‘‘ Follow my example, and never eat more than one thing for luncheon.’’ |
Solution
| Humorous instance |
Line from the passage |
|
The woman had huge teeth. |
She gave me the impression of more teeth, white and large, and having than even, were necessary for any practical purpose. |
|
The author ordered a single mutton chop. |
(i) "I see you're in the habit of eating a heavy luncheon." |
|
The woman wanted to eat asparagus. |
(i) "I couldn't possibly eat anything more unless they had some of those giant asparagus. I should be sorry to leave Paris without eating some of them." |
|
The writer was afraid that he would not have enough money to pay the bill |
I would put my hand in my pocket and with a dramatic cry, start-up, and say that it had been picked. |
|
She ate the asparagus greedily. |
I watched her thrust them down her throat in large mouthfuls. |
|
She had eaten heartily |
(i) One should always get up from a meal feeling one could eat a little more. |
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
B. Read the following passage and do the given activities:
B1. Choose the correct options from the bracket and fill in the blanks:
(younger, eighty, twenty, interval)
i. I went over during the _______ and sat down beside her.
ii. None of us are getting any _______.
iii. It was _______ years ago.
iv. I had _______ francs to last me the rest of the month.
I caught sight of her at the play and in answer to her call. I went over during the interval and sat down beside her. It was long since I had last seen her and, if someone had not mentioned her name, I hardly think I would have recognized her. She addressed me brightly.
“Well, it’s many years since we first met. How time does fly! We’re none of us getting any younger. Do you remember the first time I saw you? You asked me to luncheon.”
Did I remember?
It was twenty years ago and I was living in Paris. I had a tiny apartment and I was earning barely enough money. She had read a book of mine and had written to me about it. I answered, thanking her, and presently, I received from her another letter saying she was passing through Paris and would like to have a chat with me. But her time was limited and the only free moment she had was on the following Thursday and would I give her a little luncheon at Foyot’s afterward? Foyot’s is a restaurant and it was so far beyond my means that I had never even thought of going there. I had eighty francs (gold francs) to last me the rest of the month and a modest luncheon should not cost more than fifteen. If I cut out coffee for the next two weeks, I could manage well enough.
B2. Where and when did they decide to have luncheon?
B3. Find out the ‘Synonyms’ from the passage for the following words:
i. A set of rooms
ii. Acknowledged
iii. Handle
iv. Directed.
B4. Do as directed:
i. I hardly think about it.
(Begin the sentence with ‘How_______!)
ii. She had read a book of mine.
(Begin the sentence with ‘Hadn’t _______?)
B5. Personal Response:
If you were in the place of the narrator, how would you have reacted in the given situation?
Discuss in pairs:
People with foibles are often not conscious of them. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
As you know, every country has its own currency. Find out the currency of at least 6 countries along with their current exchange rate in India, with the help of the internet. One is done for you.
For example, Switzerland: franc; 1 franc = 66.73 INR
Choose the correct option from the bracket and fill in the blank given below.
(addressed, luncheon, generously, unwise, insist)
The chief guest____________ the students.
Choose the correct option from the bracket and fill in the blank given below.
(addressed, luncheon, generously, unwise, insist)
The crow was____________ to sing.
Choose the correct option from the bracket and fill in the blanks given below.
(addressed, luncheon, generously, unwise, insist)
Parents always____________ on children to be allrounders.
Choose the correct option from the bracket and fill in the blank given below.
(addressed, luncheon, generously, unwise, insist)
The king decided to donate his wealth among his subjects____________.
Who said these words/sentences? Under what circumstances?
| Words/Sentences | Who said? | Under what circumstances? |
| I never eat anything for luncheon. | ||
| It’s many years since we first met. | ||
| Are you still hungry? | ||
| I don’t believe in overloading my stomach. | ||
| I’ll eat nothing for dinner tonight |
After reading the story, but the following events into the correct order :
(a) She gave me her last kind of advice on how to improve my eating habits.
(b) I met her in the theatre after many years and I could hardly recognize her.
(c) Twenty years ago, I lived in Paris and earned just enough money to get by.
(d) I was really scared what could happen when I would pay the bill.
(e) “I never eat anything for luncheon.”
(f) I ordered a mutton chop for myself.
(g) She had read a book of mine. (h) She ordered asparagus.
(i) She suggested him to invite her to a famous and expensive restaurant.
(j) I didn’t have dinner for the rest of the month.
Irony is the expression of meaning through the use of language signifying the opposite. Describe the use of irony in ‘The Luncheon’. Pick the sentences from the story that are examples of irony. Fill in the table ‘A’ the general direct meaning while in table ‘B’ its hidden meaning or the opposite meaning intended by the speaker. One is done for you.
| Sentence | Direct meaning | Hidden meaning |
| If I cut out coffee for the next two days, | to stop drinking coffee | to stop spending money in order to save money for some purpose. |
