What were the tribulations of the young writer in entertaining his lady admirer at Foyot's?
Or, How was the young writer exploited by his lady admirer at Foyot's?
Ans. "The Luncheon", a short story of William Somerset Maugham deals with the tribulations of a young and inexperienced writer in entertaining his lady admirer at Foyot's, one of the most expensive restaurants in Paris. Through a retrospective narration the protagonist, who is the writer himself, goes back to a past incident when he fell an easy prey to the exploitation of a lady who appreciated one of his books.
Twenty years ago the writer was living in a small apartment in Paris with his scanty income. Once he got a letter of appreciation from a woman who wanted to meet him and have a chat with him at a restaurant namely Foyot's. Although the writer was in financial hardship, he complied with her request to arrange a little lunch at Foyot's. But practically the whole luncheon was a bitter experience for him, a serious exploitation of the pretentious lady.
The first impression of the writer about his lady admirer was disgusting. He expected her to be a young woman but he guessed, she was a woman of forty with an imposing appearance.
When the writer was startled to see the high prices on the bill of fare, the lady assured him saying, "I never eat anything for luncheon". The generous writer requested her to have something. and she said tactfully that she never ate more than one thing and that might be a little fish such as salmon. While salmon was being cooked for her she expressed her fancy for a caviare saying, "I never mind caviare". When she saw the writer choosing a mutton chop, she criticized him for overloading his stomach with a heavy meal. On the question of drink, she chose champagne, the costly French white wine, on the excuse that her doctor prescribed it for her for its digestive power. Her insincere discourse and hypocritical behaviour angered the writer, no doubt, but he was still hospitable.
The writer was upset to see the lady being tempted to the asparagus as they were presented by the waiter to be large, splendid and tender. The lady's tactful discourse compelled him to order for asparagus. The writer was panic-stricken on the possibility of any embarrassing situation in case the bill exceeded the amount of money in his pocket. After this the voracious woman had ice-cream and coffee. At last she snatched a peach absent-mindedly from the waiter's basket during her conversation and began to chew it. This rude behaviour of the lady was beyond all etiquette and it shocked the writer greatly. The writer became penniless and he would have to starve for the rest of the month.
Thus the young writer underwent a terrible mental torture while he was entertaining his lady admirer at Foyot's.
Describe the lunch at Foyot's in Maugham's story "The Luncheon."
Ans. The writer was young and inexperienced when a lady read one of his books and wrote to him a letter appreciating it. He thanked her and presently got from her another letter asking him to give her a little lunch at Foyot's so that she might see him and chat with him. The writer was easily flattered and deceived by her pretentious appreciation, and complied with her request.
The writer received the lady at Foyot's, the most expensive restaurant in Paris at the appointed hour, but his first impression about her was not a happy one. She was not so young and beautiful as he expected and in appearance she was imposing rather than attractive.
When the writer was startled to see the high prices on the bill of fare, the lady assured him saying, "I never eat anything for luncheon." The generous writer requested her to have something and she said tactfully. I wonder if they have any salmon." While salmon was being cooked for her, she expressed her liking for a caviare saying, "I never mind caviare". She took the writer seriously to task for choosing a mutton chop which, according to her, was a heavy meal. The writer actually wanted to avoid drink but the lady compelled him to order for champagne on the excuse that her doctor had prescribed only champagne for her because of its digestive power. As champagne was a costly drink, the writer turned pale, ordered half a bottle for the lady and casually mentioned that his doctor had entirely forbidden him to drink such a type of liquor, and so he was going to drink plain water.
The lady was talking all the time about art, literature and music, eating one item of food after another, and in the same breath advising the writer on eating and drinking. The writer was upset to see the lady being tempted to the costly asparagus as they were presented by the waiter to be wonderfully tasty. The lady's tactful discourse "I should be sorry to leave Paris without having some of them compelled the writer to order for asparagus. He was at that moment panic-stricken on the possibility of any embarrassing situation in case the bill exceeded the amount of money in his pocket. However, he ordered for asparagus and when they were brought, he saw the lady eating them greedily. After this the voracious woman had ice-cream and coffee. At last she snatched away a peach on the pretention of her absent-mindedness, while the waiter was passing by her with a basket full of huge peaches, and she began to chew it noisily. This rude behaviour of the lady shocked the writer greatly. She compelled him to order for more than six items of foods and drinks. When he paid the bill, he had only three francs left to be offered to the waiter as an inadequate tip.
Thus "The luncheon" at Foyot's was a bitter experience for the young writer, because in entertaining his lady admirer he became penniless for the rest of the month.
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