The Necklace Essay

Submitted By Amanley1993
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Pages: 2
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Short Story Analysis

“The Necklace”

There are many themes intertwined in the telling of the short story “The Necklace”, by Guy de Maupassant. Two that must be considered particularly revealing are ones of envy and deceit. The main character, Mathilde Loisel, is extremely envious of other women who are wealthy. She believes that she deserves to live with worldly possessions and to be highly respected by others. She feels like she doesn’t belong with her husband, a poor clerk, who was chosen by her family, and that the life she is living is beneath her. The envy leads to unhappiness in all aspects of her life. When she looked at “the worn walls, the abraded chairs, the ugliness of the stuffs” (Maupassant 9) she “suffered” (ibid). She is jealous of other women who are sought after by rich men, wishing that she too could have that life. Because she is so unhappy and jealous, she was less than excited to receive the invitation to the ball. Instead, Mathilde “threw the invitation on the table with annoyance” (10), despite her husband going to great lengths to secure the sought after tickets in hopes to make her happy. She doesn’t want to be humiliated by looking “poor among a lot of rich women” (10). The thought of going to the ball in her inferior theatre dress made her weep. Her husband gives up his gun money for Mathilde to buy a fitting ball gown. But she still is not happy. She feels she needs appropriate jewelry to complete her outfit. She borrows a diamond necklace from Madam Forester for the prestigious event.
The night
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