Bridget Ruffing
11/14/2012
Excellence in Literature unit one
Novel or Story Title: 'The Necklace”
Author: Guy de Maupassant
Theme
“The
Necklace” is a brilliant short story that reveals a lot about human
nature, showing what can happen when you ask for too much, are too
careless, and, ultimately, the benefits, and trials, of doing the
right thing. It has a hilariously ironic ending that leaves the
reader full of imaginings, wondering, “What if it had gone
differently?” and that thought leading into an endless chain of
questions.
Characterization
Mathilde Loisle
lives under a great burden, one that she cannot see, lift, or take
hold of, but is always there. Her birth. Though she possesses great
taste, admirable beauty and refined manners, she has been born into a
family of low-income clerks and has married a clerk at the Ministry
of Public Instruction. She sits in her house all day long wishing to
have better drapes, a larger house, fancier food, elegant dresses,
and so on. She is filled with so much self-pity that she cannot even
bare to be with her rich friend, Mme. Forestier, who always tempts
Mathilde with her fine things.
Plot
The story begins
when Mathilde and her hsband receive an invitation to a party for the
Ministry of Public Instruction. But, instead of being delighted as
her husband had hoped, Mathilde becomes all the more depressed,
complaining that she had nothing to wear to such a gathering. But her
husband gives her money to make herself a dress, and when the issue
of jewelry arises, he suggests that she borrow some of Mme.
Forestier's. The story then spirals towards it's ironic ending after
Mathilde loses the diamond necklace she has borrowed, and creates
more and more debt as she tries to pay for the necklace she buys to
replace the lost one.
Setting
“The
Necklace” takes place in France, in the 1900's.
Style
Guy
de Maupassant wrote this story with much narrative and little dialog,
with spare, to-the-point sentences used by the characters. He is very
good at giving a life to his characters. The reader has a very good
idea of the nature of them, which is quite a feat to be accomplished
in a such a short tale.
