The Luncheon

CENTRAL MESSAGE - APPEARANCE VS. REALITY

While “The Luncheon” is certainly a light and amusing story the narrator tells of a past experience, a message can also be found in the story and it is called APPEARANCE VS. REALITY

The speaker, in 'Luncheon', wishes from the beginning that his date would be a beautiful woman. He imagines a portrayal of a graceful lady in his mind. But, when he goes to have a lunch with her, she appears as a surprising blast, a total opposite to his imagination. Not only her appearance but also her dialogues express that she is an extremely fat, food-loving and ravenous woman who does not even think a bit about the costs the speaker would have to pay for the lunch. She has a very good appetite and gobbles a lot of money also. The most interesting part is the verbal irony hidden in the lines she utters to the speaker like she does not eat too much etc. The irony concealed in her speeches helps to develop the main theme. These ironies make 'Luncheon' a comic story in the true sense.

The lesson that can be found in the humorous short story is that flattery and pride hamper the young man’s ability to be truthful with his guest. Instead of explaining his financial situation, he allows her to continue to order expensive items from the menu. The narrator expresses his pleasure in seeing the woman after twenty years and realizing she has gained a substantial amount of weight