What makes the story The Luncheon humorous in Class 11 English?

The humour comes from the irony that the woman claims she never eats more than one thing for lunch, yet she repeatedly orders expensive dishes like salmon, caviare, asparagus and ice-cream.

Why does the narrator say he finally had his revenge in The Luncheon?

The narrator feels satisfied because the woman who once claimed she ate very little has become extremely overweight after many years, which he sees as an ironic form of revenge.

Why was the narrator worried during the lunch in Class 11 English The Luncheon?

The narrator was worried because he had only eighty francs for the entire month and feared he would not have enough money to pay the expensive restaurant bill.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Chapter 8 The Luncheon

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Chapter The Luncheon

This worksheet provides complete NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Chapter The Luncheon from the Woven Words textbook. The chapter presents a humorous short story in which the narrator recalls an incident from many years earlier when he invited a woman to lunch at an expensive restaurant. Through this experience, the story highlights the narrator’s financial worries and the woman’s contradictory behaviour. This worksheet helps students understand the story’s humour, irony, and narrative style while answering the questions exactly according to the NCERT format. The worksheet offers clear and accurate NCERT Solutions that support students in understanding the chapter and preparing for school assessments.

Chapter summary: stories, poems & themes

This chapter contains a short story titled The Luncheon. The story describes a memorable lunch meeting between the narrator and a woman who claims that she never eats more than one thing for lunch. During the meal, however, she repeatedly orders several expensive dishes such as salmon, caviare, asparagus, ice-cream and peaches. While the narrator tries to remain polite, he becomes increasingly anxious because he has very little money. The story uses humour and irony to show the contrast between what the woman says and what she actually does. Through this situation, the chapter explores themes such as social behaviour, self-awareness, and the humorous side of human weaknesses.

What this NCERT chapter covers?

• Understanding humour and irony in a short story
• Reading comprehension and interpretation of narrative situations
• Learning vocabulary and expressions from the story context
• Discussing character behaviour and human weaknesses
• Appreciating narrative style and first-person storytelling

How to use these NCERT solutions?

Students should first read the chapter carefully and attempt the worksheet questions on their own. After completing the questions, they can use these NCERT Solutions to check their answers and understand the explanations. Parents and teachers can also use these solutions to guide students through the chapter discussion and comprehension exercises. The answers follow the same order and structure as the NCERT questions in this worksheet, which makes it easier for students to revise the chapter and prepare for exams.

Student tips & learning tricks

• Read the story carefully to understand the narrator’s thoughts and feelings.
• Pay attention to the humorous and ironic situations in the story.
• Look at how the narrator’s inner thoughts are different from his polite behaviour.
• Notice the examples that show the narrator’s financial difficulties.
• When answering questions, explain the ideas clearly using details from the story.

Why NCERT solutions are important?

NCERT Solutions help students understand textbook chapters in a clear and structured way. Since school exams and assessments are based on NCERT content, practising with accurate solutions helps students build a strong understanding of the subject. These solutions also improve reading comprehension, analytical thinking, and confidence while preparing for tests.

Complete answer key – NCERT solutions

Understanding the text

Give reasons for the following

1. Twenty years ago, the woman made the author spend all his money at an expensive restaurant while pretending that she ate very little. He had to suffer the whole month without money. Now, after many years, he sees that the same woman has become extremely fat (twenty-one stone). He feels that this is his “revenge” because she had once claimed she never ate more than one thing for lunch. The irony that she is now so overweight makes him secretly happy.

2. The author was very poor at that time and had only eighty francs for the whole month. When the woman ordered expensive dishes like salmon, caviare, champagne, asparagus and peaches, he became worried about the bill. He feared he would not have enough money to pay. That is why he says “my heart sank” and “panic seized” — it shows his anxiety and fear about the rising cost of the meal.

Look for these expressions in the story and guess the meaning from the context

devastating passion- A very strong and overwhelming feeling of love or attraction.

caviare-An expensive food made from fish eggs, considered a luxury dish.

complacency- A feeling of self-satisfaction or smug pride.

vindictive-Wanting to take revenge or harm someone in return.

mortifying-Very embarrassing or humiliating.

ingratiating-Trying to please someone in order to gain favour or approval.

Talking about the text

Discuss in pairs

1. Yes, the woman in the story is a good example. She says she never eats more than one thing for lunch, but she keeps ordering expensive dishes like salmon, caviare, asparagus, ice-cream and even a peach. She advises the author not to eat heavy food, yet she herself eats a lot. She is not aware of her greed and hypocrisy. This shows that people often do not realize their own weaknesses or faults.

2. During the luncheon, the author remains polite and friendly. He smiles, agrees to her orders and talks about art and literature. However, inside he is very worried about the bill. He repeatedly thinks about how much money he has left and even imagines pretending that his pocket has been picked. Though he is anxious and almost panicked, he does not show it. This contrast between his outer politeness and inner tension creates humour in the story.

3. There are many ironic moments in the story:

• The woman says she never eats more than one thing, but she orders many expensive dishes.
• She advises the author not to eat heavy food, while she herself eats heavily.
• She says one should get up from the table feeling one could eat more, yet she keeps ordering more food.
• At the end, she is very fat despite claiming she eats very little.

These ironic situations make the story humorous and interesting.

Appreciation

1. (a) The story is full of gentle humour and irony. The woman keeps saying she never eats more than one thing, but she orders many expensive dishes. The author describes his fear about the bill in a funny way. His exaggeration and sarcastic comments make the situation humorous. The ending, where he says he has taken revenge because she now weighs twenty-one stone, also shows his comic style.

(b) At the end, the author says he will eat nothing for dinner that night because he has no money left. The woman thinks he is joking and calls him a humorist. She does not realize that he is serious and actually has no money for food. This misunderstanding adds to the humour of the story.

(c) The author openly admits that he was too young to say no to a woman. He describes how worried and frightened he was about the bill. He even imagines pretending that his pocket was picked. By sharing his embarrassment and weakness in a funny way, he shows that he can laugh at himself.

2. The story is told in the first person, so we know the author’s thoughts and feelings directly. We understand his fear, embarrassment and frustration clearly. This makes the story more personal and humorous. The first-person narration increases the comic effect because we see the situation through his eyes.

Language works

The following words and phrases from the text indicate that the author was not financially well off:

1. “I was earning barely enough money to keep body and soul together.”
2. “I had a tiny apartment in the Latin Quarter overlooking a cemetery.”
3. “Foyot’s… was so far beyond my means that I had never even thought of going there.”
4. “I had eighty francs to last me the rest of the month.”
5. “If I cut out coffee for the next two weeks I could manage well enough.”
6. “My heart sank.”
7. “Panic seized me.”
8. “It would be mortifying to find myself ten francs short.”
9. “When I paid it I found that I had only enough for a quite inadequate tip.”
10. “When I walked out of the restaurant I had the whole month before me and not a penny in my pocket.”