Study for Everyone

Ans. "The Luncheon" is an interesting and humorous short story by William Somerset Maugham. The writer develops the story by using irony and humour. Irony is a figur of speech in which the writer or the speaker says one thing when he means something different or opposite of his meaning. Humour and ony in this story are found in the fact that the narrator is trying io appear sophisticated, urban and gallant, where as he really cannot afford to entertain the lady guest in such an expensive restaurant as Foyot's. The author feels relived initially because the lady tells him hat she never eats anything for luncheon, but then he is appalled when the lady orders some of the most expensive items of the restaurant. In fact she exploits the author mercilessly by pretending an interest in his writing which she probably does not really feel. At the same time, the author describes the situation in just a few words. "Foyot's is a restaurant at which the French senators eat a...

Answer: The author William Somerset Maugham of The Luncheon, relates a lady who is an admirer of his stories. She wins the author's favour and expresses her wish to meet him aí a high class restaurant. The writer exposes the false motives of modest eating habits of the middle classes with a touch of humour. It was twenty years ago, when the writer was young and inexperienced. He was exploited by one of his lady admirers who wrote a letter to the writer appreciating one of his books. An enother letter she requested to give a luncheon at Foyot's. The lady was a shameless flatterer. She had a design in her mind when she wrote a letter to the writer praising one of his books. The design was to exploit the writer. She was so cunning that the writer being young and inexperienced became easily prey to her. In her second letter she expressed her desire to meet him and she also requested him to give her a luncheon at Foyot's. On the appointed day they met at Foyot's. The poor wr...