Describe the use of irony and humor in "The Luncheon" by Somerset Maugham.
In his story "The Luncheon" Maugham focuses on
depicting a single character, as he does so often in his short stories. The
woman the narrator takes to luncheon at one of the most expensive restaurants
in Paris is exploiting him mercilessly by pretending an interest in his writing
which she probably doesn't really feel. At the same time, Maugham, who was
twenty years younger at the time of the luncheon he is describing, is
pretending to be urbane, gallant, and sophisticated. He has to keep up a
smiling, insouciant facade while inwardly he is suffering agonies when his
guest, who claims she never eats anything for luncheon, orders some of the most
expensive things Foyot's has to offer, including salmon, caviare, and
champagne. The fact that she orders everything a la carte probably makes her
feel she is just nibbling tidbits.
Part
of the irony derives from the fact that the narrator has never dared to go to
Foyot's by himself because he is living on a very small income; and further, he
has to watch his voracious guest devouring gourmet comestibles while he has to
pretend he only wants a mutton chop and a glass of water.
No
doubt Maugham is writing about a real-life incident that occurred many years
earlier when he was a struggling writer. As he says in his story:
I
had a tiny apartment in the Latin Quarter overlooking a cemetery and I was
earning barely enough money to keep body and soul together. She had read a book
of mine and had written to me about it.
He
must have realized, after the fact, that he had been "taken" by this
greedy woman who completely understood his financial circumstances. He
concludes his tale by saying:
But
I have had my revenge at last. I do not believe that I am a vindictive man, but
when the immortal gods take a hand in the matter it is pardonable to observe
the result with complacency. Today she weighs twenty-one stone.
A
"stone" is fourteen pounds, so the woman would weigh 294
pounds--which is not surprising, considering her appetite and what she regarded
as "never eating anything for luncheon."
Maugham
actually did become a man of the world. He traveled all over the globe looking
for interesting characters and picturesque settings. In his day he was the
world's most successful writer. His fans enjoyed his writings because he shares
his curiosity about human nature and his love for far-away places. In "The
Luncheon," the reader has the feeling of having visited one of the best
Parisian restaurants and perhaps even having sampled some of the best French
cuisine.
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