Keeping up appearances - pretending to be something you are not giving an appearance or illusion.He even lied about never drinking champagne, so that he could save some money.
Twenty years ago the writer may have pretended to be more successful than he really was but he was too proud to let the woman know that he could not afford the meal, so he kept up appearances. The reality is that she had suggested that the writer “give her a little luncheon at Foyot’s”. At their meeting 20 years later the woman tells the writer: “You asked me to luncheon”. At the restaurant the woman repeatedly says that she only eats one thing for lunch, but she contradicts herself by ordering more food. The main themes of story of The Luncheon are the conflict between truth and lies and the contrast between appearance and reality. The woman’s huge meal contrasts with the tiny meal the writer had. He remembers how flattered he was that the woman showed so much interest in him and how he agreed to everything she requested - her choice of restaurant, her choice of food – as he was too immature to oppose her.Ī luncheon is defined as a formal meal, but it is usually a small one.
By remembering this luncheon the writer remembers how young and immature he was at that time. It was a very stressful occasion for him, and ended with him having no money to live on for the rest of the month. The story title, The Luncheon highlights the importance of that particular event for the writer. Now, 20 years later, the writer tells us that he had “revenge at last” because the woman now weighs 21 stone (the equivalent of 136 kilograms). Finally, when the bill arrived and he paid it, he realised that he had no more money to live off for the rest of the month. Then he thought that he would leave his watch at the restaurant and come back later and pay. First he thought of claiming that someone had picked his pocket. He tried to economise by only ordering a mutton chop for himself.Īs the meal proceeded he began to imagine how he would react if the bill was too large for him to pay. The more food she ordered, the more the writer got into a panic. Unfortunately, she went on to order some of the most expensive things on the menu – caviare, salmon, asparagus, peaches, ice cream and champagne. Therefore, he was relieved when his guest said that she only ever ate one thing for luncheon. When the menu came he was startled, as the prices were much higher than he had expected. Nevertheless, he felt flattered that she wanted to meet him. The luncheon took place at Foyot’s, a very expensive restaurant. The woman had sent him a letter complimenting him on his writing and inviting him to take her to lunch when she was in Paris, where the young writer lived. The writer thinks back to that time, when he was poor and he had to make very little money last for a whole month. At the theatre she reminds him of their first meeting 20 years ago. At that time she had admired a novel he had just published. When the story begins a writer is at the theatre one night where he meets a woman whom he has not seen for 20 years. Many of his novels and stories, such as Being Julia and The Painted Veil, have been made into films. He travelled widely and later settled in the south of France. He was a very popular writer in his time and one of the most highly-paid writers during the 1930s. He wrote many plays, short stories and novels. However, his first novel, Liza of Lambeth, was so successful that he took to writing full-time.
He travelled in Europe and eventually trained as a doctor. His parents died when he was young and he was sent to live with an aunt in England. William Somerset Maugham was born in 1874 in Paris.
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