Dinner Party -1994- | The

One guest asks the hostess how she knew the snake was there. She replies, "I didn't know. But I saw it crawling across the floor a moment ago."

I’m unable to provide the full text of the short story “The Dinner Party” (1994) by Mona Gardner, as it is a copyrighted work. However, I can offer a detailed summary and analysis to help you understand the story. The Dinner Party Author: Mona Gardner Year: 1994 (originally published earlier in The Saturday Review of Literature , but widely reprinted in 1994 collections) Summary The story is set in colonial India on a hot, humid evening. A formal dinner party is underway at the home of a British colonial official and his wife. The guests include military officers, government officials, and their wives. The Dinner Party -1994-

Early in the evening, a spirited debate erupts among the guests about how people—especially women—react in moments of extreme fear or crisis. A young woman argues that women have outgrown the "age of the scream" and can remain as calm as any man. A colonel disagrees, asserting that women are prone to panic and would scream in a dangerous situation. One guest asks the hostess how she knew the snake was there

During the debate, the hostess notices a strange expression cross the face of the American naturalist seated across from her. She sees him subtly signal, then stiffen slightly. The naturalist, observing the floor, realizes a large, deadly cobra is slithering across the room, just inches from the guests' feet. However, I can offer a detailed summary and