Question 1

In “The portrait of a Lady” the author talks about his

Accepted Answer

Grandmother

Question 2

Although the author was not a vindictive man he was very happy to see the twenty one stone lady who had impoverished him twenty years ago, and says he had finally had his revenge. What makes him says this?
2. There are quite a few places where the author uses the expressions ‘my heart sank’, ‘panic seized’ etc. What was the reason for this?
3. Locate instances of irony in the story.

Accepted Answer

1. The author says he had his revenge because the lady who had caused him financial distress by ordering an expensive luncheon without caring about the cost has now become very overweight, weighing twenty-one stone. This is a form of poetic justice or irony that gives the author a sense of satisfaction.

2. The expressions ‘my heart sank’, ‘panic seized’ reflect the author's anxiety and fear about whether he would have enough money to pay the bill for the expensive luncheon. He was worried about being short of money and the embarrassment it would cause.

3. Instances of irony include:
- The lady insists on ordering expensive food though she is not hungry and does not pay attention to the cost, while the author is worried about the bill.
- The author pretends to be friendly but is internally anxious about money.
- The lady advises the author to eat only one thing for luncheon, while she herself indulges in multiple expensive items.
- The final irony is that the lady who caused the author financial trouble is now very overweight, which the author considers his 'revenge'. — The answers are derived from the text's narrative and themes. The author's feelings of revenge are linked to the lady's weight gain, which contrasts with her earlier gluttony. The anxiety expressions show his financial worries. Irony is a literary device used throughout the story to highlight contrasts between appearance and reality.

Question 3

People with foibles are often not conscious of them.
2. The author's attempts at keeping up his pretence of friendliness while he was mentally preoccupied with the expense of the luncheon.

Accepted Answer

1. People with foibles (minor weaknesses or eccentricities) often do not realize their own faults or shortcomings. In the story, the lady is unaware of her selfishness and extravagance.

2. The author tries to maintain a polite and friendly demeanor throughout the luncheon despite being anxious about the cost. He discusses neutral topics like the drama in the Balkans to mask his inner turmoil and maintain social decorum. — These answers explore character traits and narrative techniques. The lady's obliviousness to her faults is a key theme, and the author's polite facade contrasts with his internal anxiety, highlighting social manners.

Question 4

The author is a humorist
a. How does the story reflect his sense of humour?
b. What makes his lady friend remark—‘you are quite a humorist’?
c. Give instances of the author's ability to laugh at himself.
2. How does the first person narrative help in heightening the literary effects of the story?

Accepted Answer

1a. The story reflects the author's sense of humour through witty observations, irony, and self-deprecating remarks. The humorous contrast between the lady's gluttony and the author's financial worries adds to the comedic effect.

1b. The lady calls the author 'quite a humorist' when he jokes about eating nothing for dinner after the expensive luncheon, showing his attempt to cope with the situation with humour.

1c. The author laughs at himself by admitting his anxiety, his plan to pretend the bill was picked up, and his final remark about having his revenge through the lady's weight gain.

2. The first person narrative allows readers to see the author's personal feelings, thoughts, and anxieties directly, making the story more engaging and the humour more effective. It creates intimacy and immediacy. — The answers analyze the literary style and narrative voice. The humour arises from irony and self-awareness, and the first person point of view deepens the reader's connection with the narrator's experience.

Question 5

Pick out the words and phrases in the text that indicate that the author was not financially well off.

Accepted Answer

Words and phrases indicating the author's financial condition include:
- 'horribly expensive'
- 'Panic seized me'
- 'whether I had enough to pay the bill'
- 'It would be mortifying to find myself ten francs short'
- 'I knew exactly how much I had'
- 'I had only enough for a quite inadequate tip'
- 'not a penny in my pocket'
These expressions show the author's concern about money and his limited financial resources. — These phrases from the text reveal the author's financial anxiety and limited means, which is a key theme in the story.

Question 6

The following table lists six expressions: devastating passion, caviare, complacency, vindictive, mortifying, and ingratiating. Which of these expressions means 'a desire for revenge'?

Accepted Answer

vindictive — The term 'vindictive' means having or showing a strong desire for revenge. This is distinct from 'devastating passion' (intense emotion), 'complacency' (self-satisfied contentment), and 'ingratiating' (intended to gain favor).

Question 7

In the story, the narrator describes the woman as having 'more teeth, white and large and even, than were necessary for any practical purpose.' What literary device is being used here?

Accepted Answer

Hyperbole — The description exaggerates the number and appearance of the woman's teeth beyond what is realistic, which is a typical example of hyperbole used to emphasize a characteristic humorously.

Question 8

Why was the narrator startled when the bill of fare was brought during the luncheon at Foyot's restaurant?

Accepted Answer

The narrator was startled because the prices on the bill of fare were much higher than he had anticipated, making him anxious about affording the meal. For example, he had only eighty francs left for the month and had planned a modest luncheon costing about fifteen francs. — The narrator, being financially constrained, was shocked at the expensive menu prices at Foyot's, a restaurant beyond his means. This caused him anxiety about how he would pay for the meal while maintaining politeness.

Question 9

Fill in the blank: The narrator chose the cheapest dish on the menu, which was a _____, while his guest ordered expensive items like caviare and salmon.

Accepted Answer

mutton chop — The narrator, to keep costs low, ordered the cheapest dish available, a mutton chop, contrasting with the guest's expensive choices such as caviare and salmon.

Question 10

What reason did the woman give for only drinking Champagne during luncheon?

Accepted Answer

The woman said that her doctor would not let her drink anything except Champagne. For example, she insisted on having half a bottle of Champagne despite the narrator's doctor forbidding him from drinking it. — The woman claimed medical advice restricted her to Champagne only, which justified her order of an expensive drink, adding to the narrator's financial worry.

Question 11

Analyze the irony in the woman's statement: 'I never eat more than one thing for luncheon,' considering her actual orders during the meal.

Accepted Answer

The irony lies in the contrast between the woman's claim that she only eats one thing for luncheon and the fact that she orders multiple expensive dishes including caviare, salmon, giant asparagus, ice-cream, and peaches. This shows a discrepancy between her words and actions, highlighting social pretense. — The woman verbally minimizes her eating to appear modest, but her actual orders are lavish and numerous, creating situational irony that emphasizes themes of social hypocrisy and the narrator's financial distress.

Question 12

What measures did the narrator consider to avoid embarrassment if he could not pay the bill at the luncheon?

Accepted Answer

The narrator considered pretending his money had been stolen with a dramatic cry or leaving his watch as collateral and promising to pay later. For example, he thought about these desperate steps because he was worried about being ten francs short. — The narrator's financial anxiety leads him to imagine extreme but polite ways to handle a potential inability to pay, reflecting his social manners and personal pride.

Question 13

Identify the literary technique used when the narrator says, 'The smell of the melted butter tickled my nostrils as the nostrils of Jehovah were tickled by the burned offerings of the virtuous Semites.'

Accepted Answer

Simile — The narrator uses a simile by comparing the sensation of the smell tickling his nostrils to the nostrils of Jehovah being tickled, using 'as' to make the comparison explicit.

Question 14

What does the narrator mean by saying he will 'eat nothing for dinner tonight' after the luncheon?

Accepted Answer

The narrator humorously means that because he spent all his money on the expensive luncheon, he cannot afford dinner. For example, this is a witty retort to the woman's advice to eat only one thing for luncheon. — This statement reflects the narrator's resigned humor about his financial situation after the costly meal, highlighting his self-deprecating tone.

Question 15

Fill in the blank: At the end of the story, the narrator reveals that the woman who had invited him to luncheon now weighs _____ stone, implying a form of poetic justice.

Accepted Answer

twenty-one — The narrator states that the woman now weighs twenty-one stone, which is ironic considering her earlier claims of eating lightly and his financial suffering during the luncheon.

The Luncheon

The Luncheon — Study Notes

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

Description of the Woman and Beginning of the Luncheon

Discussion on Drinks and Further Orders

Practice Questions — The Luncheon

All 27 Chapters in Woven Words