Women

Women can be portrayed in many different ways in literature depending on the authors view of women. In "The Necklace" and "A Worn Path" women are portrayed differently by placing them in different situations and circumstances. The women's characteristics differ in the motive behind their actions, their feelings about how they, as people, have become what they are, and their outlook on life after all of their experiences. These things are all very important in the character's development as the storyline progresses.

In "The Necklace" the lead character, Matilda, is a woman who is struggling with her sense of identity and believes that she deserves a higher social status then what she has. She is unhappy with her husband and essentially, her life. She constantly dreams about being the woman that every man wants and every woman would like to be. Her husband would like nothing more then to please her and she sees nothing good in what he has done for her. Even when she is presented with a taste of the one thing that she desires, she insults the invitations that her husband worked so hard to obtain. This is not the same in "A Worn Path".

The main character, Phoenix, in "A Worn Path" has no complaints about the life that has been given to her. She is a strong woman and is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure a good life for her grandson (her only living relative). She understands that if she doesn't go the extra mile for him then his life will be lost. It is a very long journey for a woman of her age to travel but there is no other way so she does it selflessly. Unlike anything Matilda does.

Matilda is a very selfish, materialistic woman. She wanted to be rich and to be looked at as a high class figure. She puts her and her husband in debt by buying a dress for the special event. She borrows jewels from her friend only to lose them and this is when her problems are just beginning. She puts them in further debt by replacing the jewels that she had lost instead of telling her friend that she had lost them and offering to pay for them. Her proudness wasn't without price. She lost her beauty and youthfulness because of pride. If only she hadn't been so proud.

Phoenix is the total opposite in the reasons behind her actions. The entire reasoning behind her journey to the town is solely for her grandson's well-being. She leaves him alone in a house, far from any neighbors, to travel to town to obtain medicine for him. She goes though so much on her journey and no one realizes her great need. Although, she still is a little prideful, she seldom asks for help on her journey because when she does people are not very supportive of her. She is an old lady with many years behind her.

Matilda is an older lady also by the end of the story. She is worn out and her beauty has faded. She blames all of this on her friend that she borrowed the jewels from, although it was her pride that made her the way she became. If she hadn't been as proud, then she would have found out how much the jewels cost in the first place and none