The Necklace

1) What sort of person is Mathilde? What does her life revolve around? Does this explain her constant unhappiness? What is Maupassant saying about materialism and its affects on people and society?

пÑ" Mathilde is an insatiable person, who never gets satisfied. Although from a middle-class family, she craves for the wealth, privileges, and fashions of highborn young ladies. Matilda is a round character; she is weak, because she cannot accept herself for what she is and for what they have. She also had a jealous type of nature, “She had a friend, a former schoolmate at the convent, who was rich, and whom she did not like to go to see any more because she felt so sad when she came home.” Her life revolved around dreams of having a rich and lavish life like wealthy people, which explained her constant unhappiness displayed in the story. “Mathilde suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born to enjoy all delicacies and all luxuries.” Maupassant is trying to display how materialism can have a negative impact on people’s lives, when they expect beyond their boundaries. Self centered ness affects people and society in a very depressing way, causing a lot of emotional and physical harm.

2) Describe her husband and his character traits? How much blame should he shoulder for their problems? What is Maupassant’s point about human nature?

пÑ" Mr. Loisel is more accepting of his social place in life than Mathilda. He was compassionate and content and he really loved Mathilda. This was evident when he worked hard to get an invitation, “…I had great trouble to get it. Every one wants to go; it is very select, and they are not giving many invitations to clerks….” In my opinion, he should not be blamed for their problems because all he did was care for the person he loved and he tried to fulfill her wife’s desires. However, he should have restricted her wife from being so demanding. Maupassant’s point about human nature was that humans tend to fulfill almost all of their loved one’s desires, just to make them joyful. He expressed this point of view though Mr. Loisel, when he tried to satisfy all her wife’s needs to make her content.

3) What does the necklace symbolize to Mathilde? What is the irony of this symbolism?

пÑ" The necklace symbolizes luxury, self-esteem, contentment, and prosperity to Mathilde. The greatest irony is that Mathilde thinks that it is a real diamond necklace, which is worth a fortune. However, little she knew that the necklace was not made of real diamonds and its worth is no where close to a real diamond one. "Oh, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste! It was worth at most only five hundred francs!" You chose my quote :@

4) Compare Mathilde’s attitude to life before the ball, and her attitude to life at the ball, and her attitude to life after the ball. Has she learned from her mistakes? What is Maupassant’s point about responsibility in modern society?

пÑ" Mathilde was not happy with her middle-class life and kept thinking and desired about living a luxurious life like rich women. Further more, she used to disgust almost everything she possessed, “She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at the bareness of the walls, at the shabby chairs, the ugliness of the curtains. All those things, of which another woman of her rank would never even have been conscious, tortured her and made her angry.” AGAIN She had an incredibly distinguishing attitude, always complained and was displeased with her life. She believed that by showing off wealth and attractiveness she will achieve good status in society. However, her attitude completely changed at the ball; because of all the praising from the people, she thought that her life was at its best times. She loved everyone gazing at and admiring her. After the ball, Mathilde’s attitude towards life started changing; she started realizing that her greed gave her nothing but suffering.