The Story “The Luncheon” As A Comic Satire:
A Comedy:
"The Luncheon” is a comedy of character and situation. It is a comic satire on gluttony. It also presents a mild satire on youthful vanity and social hypocrisy.
Theme:
The story deals with the psychology of society girls and ladies who befool the young men and extract money from them. Society girls write letters of appreciation to young men. They tempt them and have costly luncheon at their cost. The story gives a warning to all those who easily fall victims to such clever and talkative ladies.
Satire on the Vanity of the Author:
The young author was flattered by his praise and was ready to give luncheon to the lady under the impression that the lady would be young and beautiful. His vanity is ridiculed by his fate. The lady turned just contrary to what he imagined. She was a woman of forty. She was more imposing than impressive. However, the author did not want to insult her. He was prepared to spend fifteen Francs on her. He wanted to save sixty five Francs for the rest of the month. The irony of his fate was that he had to spend the entire amount on her. But the irony is not bitter but comic.
The Behaviour of the Lady:
The second source of humour and satire in the story is the behaviour of the lady. She assured the author in the beginning that she ate only one thing. We smile when we find the lady eating things one after the other, and telling the author "I have eat more than one thing." She ate salmon and cavaire. She drank costly champagne. She tasted peaches, sipped coffee and enjoyed ice-cream. At her departure she advised the author: "Follow my example, and never eat more than one thing for luncheon." In fact, she is a glutton. Her gluttony is rightly punished, too. In course of time she weighed twenty-one stone.
Thus, “The Luncheon” is a very interesting story because of its satire, irony and humour. The author has a sufficient sense of humour. He makes fun of himself and makes his readers laugh. The story is a successful comic satire on youthful vanity and social hypocrisy.
Summary of the Story “The Luncheon”:
A Lady's Demand for Lunch:
It was twenty years ago. The author had become famous of his work. He had several admirers, one of whom was a lady. That lady wrote a letter to the author in praise of his work. The author replied thanking her. She wrote another letter in which she told that she was passing through Paris and wanted to take lunch with him of Foyat's Restaurant. At that time the author's economic condition was not good and he had never thought of taking lunch in such a costly restaurant as Foyat's. Even then he could not refuse a lady. He had eighty Francs at that time. He thought that he would spend fifteen Francs over the lunch and the rest would do for his monthly expenditure. He accepted the lady's demand.
Meeting at the Restaurant:
The author met the lady at the restaurant in time. The author was disappointed when he saw the lady for she was not young and charming as he had imagined. She was a lady of forty. She was also charmless and talkative.
Demand of Salmon Fish:
The lady told him that she took only one dish at a time and said that she desired to take salmon fish. The author thought that there was no chance of getting it because its name was not on the list and there the season was also not favourable. However, it was available and the waiter was ordered for the fish.
Demand of Cavaire:
The waiter asked if they would take something while salmon was being cooked. The lady again said that she took only one thing at a time and she would take nothing except cavaire. The author's heart sank a little at the demand of such a costly dish but he ordered it and demanded and cheapest dish, mutton chop, for himself. At this the lady criticized him for taking heavy food.
Demand of Champagne:
When the time came for drinking the lady named the most costly wine, champagne. He turned a little pale. But he ordered half a bottle for her and a glass of water for himself.
Demand of Asparagus:
When the lady ate salmon and cavaire the author had been thinking of the bill he would have to pay. The lady then demanded asparagus saying that she would take only that in addition. Now the author was left thinking for saving money. The only worry he had was that he should have enough money to pay the bill. He decided that in case it ran short he would pretend that his pocket had been picked. He would leave his watch in security and would take it back when he paid the money the next day. Thus, consoling himself he ordered for asparagus.
Demand of Ice-Cream and Coffee:
Out of formality he asked his guest if she would like to take coffee after the lunch. But the lady wanted not only coffee but also ice-cream. Both were brought. The author took only coffee.
Demand, of Peaches:
At the moment the waiter came near them carrying a basket full of peaches. The lady picked one saying that because she had taken light lunch she would enjoy one. The author only thought about the cost of the peach.
Departure of the Lady:
The author paid the bill for seventy-seven Francs and only three Francs for the waiter's tip. Before departing the lady asked the author to follow her example and take only one thing at a time. The author replied that he agreed with her and would eat nothing for diner that night. At this the lady called him a humorist and departed.
The Author's Revenge:
Twenty years after this incident, when the author was viewing a play he was called by a fat lady. She was the same lady. But the author had forgotten everything about her. He went to her in the interval without recognizing her. Then the lady reminded him that they had met before and had taken a lunch together. Now the author recollected everything. He had got his revenge after all for the lady now weighed twenty one stone for being a glutton.
Critical Appreciation of the Story “The Luncheon”:
A Comedy:
The Luncheon is a comic satire on gluttony. It also presents a mild satire on social hypocrisy, especially the false pretensions and affected manners of ladies. It is a comedy of situation and character both. It is the result of the author's unromantic attitude towards life.
Theme:
The story deals with the psychology of society girls and ladies who easily befool the young men and extract money from them. Such girls and ladies usually write letters of appreciation to young men. They tempt them and have costly luncheon at the cost of their friends. This story gives a warning to all those who easily fall victims to clever and talkative ladies.
Plot:
Since the action, with which the story deals, is not of great importance, the plot is very thin and simple. The story has no suspense and surprise. Nothing unexpected happens in the story. The story has no complication. The plot is compact.
Characterization:
The story has only two characters, the author and the lady. The lady's love of eating and the author's helplessness are well portrayed. The main charm of the story comes as much from the humorous characterization as from the funny situation. Both the characters are interesting and life-like.
Dialogue:
The dialogue between the lady and the author has the key to the success of the story. It is this dialogue that reveals their character and supplies humour in the story.
Humour:
The story is a pure comedy. We laugh at the behaviour of the lady. We wonder at her sharp wit. We pity the poor author who has fallen a victim to a sharp lady. The lady tempts and entraps the author. We smile when she goes on eating things one after another, though she has assured the author: "I have eaten more than one thing. I think people eat for too much now-a-days." Thus, humour is produced by the opposition between what the lady says and what she does.
Satire:
The story is a good satire on gluttony. The lady of the story pretends to have a light lunch and to eat one thing only. But she is a glutton. She makes a wonderful ironic remark when the author pays the bill with a heavy heart. She advises him "Follow my example, and never eat more than one thing for luncheon." The story is also a satire on the authors who are easily flattered by praise of their work.
Style:
The style of the story is very simple yet charming. It is clear, lucid and conversational
Though the story. is weak in plot, and characterization is superficial, it has got a special charm of its own. The interest of the reader is sustained throughout.
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