The Dinner Party

The Dinner Party
by Mona Gardner

A short story with a conflict, a challenge, and a really big snake.

7. Veranda:
8. Rafters:
9. Arresting:
10. Rupees:
11. Sobers:

1. Spacious:
2. Impulse:
3. Forfeit:
4. Emerge:
5. Attache:
6. Naturalist:

What do you think these words mean?

The Dinner Party by Mona Gardner

The country is India. A colonial official and his wife are giving a large dinner party. They are seated with their guests—army officers and government attachés and their wives, and a visiting American naturalist—in their spacious dining room, which has a bare marble floor, open rafters and wide glass doors opening onto a veranda.

Multiple Choice

attachés

• A large comfortable area

• A sudden, involuntary action

• To give up

• To come forward

• Military officers assigned in foreign countries in order to gather information

Multiple Choice

naturalist

• a person who studies nature, like types of animals and plants

• a large, open porch on the side of a house

• pieces of wood used to support the roof of a house

• attracting attention or interest

• the name of the money used in India

Multiple Choice

spacious

• A large comfortable area

• A sudden, involuntary action

• To give up

• To come forward

• Military officers assigned in foreign countries in order to gather information

Multiple Choice

rafters

• a person who studies nature, like types of animals and plants

• a large, open porch on the side of a house

• pieces of wood used to support the roof of a house

• attracting attention or interest

• the name of the money used in India

Multiple Choice

veranda

• a person who studies nature, like types of animals and plants

• a large, open porch on the side of a house

• pieces of wood used to support the roof of a house

• attracting attention or interest

• the name of the money used in India

The Dinner Party by Mona Gardner

A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl who insists that women have outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouse era and a colonel who says that they haven’t.

“A woman’s unfailing reaction in any crisis,” the colonel says, “is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, he has that ounce more of nerve control than a woman has. And that last

ounce is what counts.”

Multiple Choice

spirited

• becomes serious, quiet, or calm

• a type of deadly, venomous snake

• lively, energetic

• something used to attract and catch something else

• a woman who entertains guests

Multiple Choice

colonel

• to call someone over and tell them to do something

• an army officer of higher rank

• lively, energetic

• something used to attract and catch something else

• a woman who entertains guests

The Dinner Party by Mona Gardner

The American does not join in the argument but watches the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She is staring straight ahead, her

muscles contracting slightly.
With a slight gesture she summons the native boy standing behind her chair and whispers to him. The boy’s eyes widen: he quickly leaves the room.
Of the guests, none except the American notices this or sees the boy place a bowl of milk on the veranda just outside the open doors.

Multiple Choice

hostess

• becomes serious, quiet, or calm

• a type of deadly, venomous snake

• lively, energetic

• something used to attract and catch something else

• a woman who entertains guests

Multiple Choice

summons

• to call someone over and tell them to do something

• noisy disturbance

• lively, energetic

• something used to attract and catch something else

• a woman who entertains guests

The Dinner Party by Mona Gardner

The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing—bait for a snake. He realizes there must be a cobra in the room. He looks up at the rafters—the likeliest

place—but they are bare. Three corners of the room are empty, and in the fourth, the servants are waiting to serve the next course. There is only one place left—under the table.
His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others, but he knows the commotion would frighten the cobra into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so arresting that it sobers everyone.

Multiple Choice

bait

• becomes serious, quiet, or calm

• a type of deadly, venomous snake

• lively, energetic

• something used to attract and catch something else

• a woman who entertains guests

Multiple Choice

impulse

• A large comfortable area

• A sudden, involuntary action

• To give up

• To come forward

• Military officers assigned in foreign countries in order to gather information

Multiple Choice

commotion

• to call someone over and tell them to do something

• noisy disturbance

• lively, energetic

• something used to attract and catch something else

• a woman who entertains guests

Multiple Choice

arresting

• a person who studies nature, like types of animals and plants

• a large, open porch on the side of a house

• pieces of wood used to support the roof of a house

• attracting attention or interest

• the name of the money used in India

Multiple Choice

sobers

• becomes serious, quiet, or calm

• a type of deadly, venomous snake

• lively, energetic

• something used to attract and catch something else

• a woman who entertains guests

The Dinner Party by Mona Gardner

“I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count to three hundred—that’s five minutes—and not one of you is to move a muscle. Those who move will forfeit fifty rupees. Ready!”

The twenty people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying “. . . two hundred and eighty. . .” when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of

milk. Screams ring out as he jumps to slam the veranda doors safely shut.

Multiple Choice

rupees

• a person who studies nature, like types of animals and plants

• a large, open porch on the side of a house

• pieces of wood used to support the roof of a house

• attracting attention or interest

• the name of the money used in India

Multiple Choice

forfeit

• A large comfortable area

• A sudden, involuntary action

• To give up

• To come forward

• Military officers assigned in foreign countries in order to gather information

Multiple Choice

cobra

• becomes serious, quiet, or calm

• a type of deadly, venomous snake

• lively, energetic

• something used to attract and catch something else

• a woman who entertains guests

Multiple Choice

emerge

• A large comfortable area

• A sudden, involuntary action

• To give up

• To come forward

• Military officers assigned in foreign countries in order to gather information

The Dinner Party by Mona Gardner

“You were right, Colonel!” the host exclaims. “A man has just shown us an example of perfect control.”

“Just a minute,” the American says, turning to his hostess. “Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know that cobra was in the room?”

A faint smile lights up the woman’s face as she replies: “Because it was crawling across my foot.”

Match

Match the following

• Exposition

  (background information)

• Rising Action and Conflict

  (the first event that gets the action going and the problem)

• Climax/Turning Point

  (the high point of the story)

• Resolution/Conclusion (the problem is solved)

• Theme

  (the Main Idea of the story, aka, the Author’s Purpose)

a dinner party in India; 1940’s

debate about women's self-control

the snake goes for the milk

how Mrs. Wynnes knew about the cobra

self-control is not determined by gender

• a dinner party in India; 1940’s

• debate about women's self-control

• the snake goes for the milk

• how Mrs. Wynnes knew about the cobra

• self-control is not determined by gender

Multiple Choice

Probably, a “strange expression” came over the face of the hostess because she...

• Saw the cobra in the corner of the room

• Was unhappy that two of her guests were arguing

• Realized there was a cobra under the table

Multiple Choice

We may infer that the American decided to count to three hundred because he...

• Wanted to find out which guest had the most control

• Thought it would make an amusing party game

• Realized it might take five minutes for the cobra to come out

Multiple Choice

Which statement is true of both the American and Mrs. Wynnes?

• They were guests at a dinner party

• They were attacked by a cobra

• They were quick-thinking

Open Ended

How does the colonel from India believe women act in the face of a crisis?

Multiple Choice

In “The Dinner Party,” a young girl had a difference of opinion with the colonel. The conclusion of the story suggests that...

• The colonel was right

• The young girl was right

• There is no evidence to support either argument

Open Ended

During the dinner party, why did the hostess, Mrs. Wynnes, tell the young servant to put a bowl of milk on the veranda?

Open Ended

How does the American challenge the guests at the dinner party?

Why doesn’t the American just warn the other guests about the cobra?

What can we infer (conclude; deduce; gather) about his character?

Open Ended

Why do people scream as the American slams the door safely shut?

How does this prove the American’s theory about the guests was accurate?

Open Ended

What is the American’s true motivation for asking Mrs. Wynnes how she knew about the snake?

Open Ended

How does Mrs. Wynnes’ reaction to the snake and the way she handled the situation disprove the colonel’s argument?

Open Ended

How would you have responded if you were the hostess and had a cobra slide across your foot during a dinner party?