Category: The Necklace

The Theme of The Necklace and Lessons for the Readers

The main theme of the story The Necklace is how appearance is deceiving. This is what the author expects the readers to learn from the story. Mathilde gets the opportunity to appear as someone she is not (Roberts 4). Her life is full of illusion where she keeps on picturing herself as belonging to a different class where she is the most beautiful and admirable woman and only mingling with other rich women. For the first time, her illusions appeared as true at the party.

She is generally admired by everyone but only for a few hours. However, deep inside her seemingly right appearance at the party is the reality about how she got to that state: borrowing a necklace that she perceives as expensive and making her husband uncomfortably buying her an expensive dress Very well. I will give you four hundred francs. But try and get a nice dress with the money (Maupassant 97).

The necklace is the second that brings out the deceptive nature of appearance (Antonya). When she first laid her eyes on the necklace, it appeared to her as a real diamond however at the end she comes to realize that it was only an imitation: costing much less than what she and her husband went through replacing the necklace with a real one.

There is no problem in trying to aspire for a greater station in life. It is such hope and aspiration that keeps people gradually progress from a step to another. But Mathilde failed to realize that she needed to appreciate her present state and work out her to her aspiration while considering the reality that surrounds her. She could as well try to get a cheap necklace to match her expensive dress and still look presentable for the ball.

From the story, it is apparent that in the French social system, fashion is something that is deeply valued by every woman, and from this perspective, it was really important for Mathilde to ensure that she does look special at the ball (Rudden 56).

French Social System as Depicted in the Short Story

The necklace is the main symbolic item used in the story to bring out various aspects of the characters and the main theme of the story. Mathilda, who is also the main character, lives in denial of the state of situations surrounding. Even though she is charming and beautiful she expected that she would be married to a wealthy handsome man, but she marries a simple clerk who earns very little.

She is constantly unhappy because she cannot attain an image that she has been longing for. Just as the diamond necklace was an imitation, so she did manage to create a deceiving image of herself at the party. She was the attraction for the night and all the men at the party admired her, but in reality that was just an acquired image for a short period.

The necklace also symbolized wealth. In addition to looking beautiful, Mathilda also wanted to look wealthy among her friends. She, therefore, picked the diamond necklace because she knew that it was the most expensive of all jewels. Even though the necklace was not entirely diamond, it appeared as a real and expensive diamond which would make her also seem rich and expensive amid her friends. Just the same way that the necklace deceived her that it is a real diamond, she also managed to deceive everyone at the party that she is wealthy and beautiful.

Lastly, in the society of the setting of the story, a diamond was a precious stone that symbolized the commitment between a wife and a husband. This commitment is evident in the relationship between Mathilde and her husband. The extent to which the husband sticks to her no matter what shows how committed he is to his wife. First, he goes out of his way so that he could get two tickets to the party. Then he unwillingly decides to buy her an expensive dress so that she could be happy. In the end, he sacrificed his all life, happiness, and inheritance to replace the necklace.

Works Cited

Antonaya, Maria Luisa. Maupassants Diamond Necklace. 2007. Web.

Maupassant, Guy De. The Necklace The Short Story: An Introduction To Short Fiction. Ed. J. Dennielle True. New York: Pearson, 2011. 98-105.

Roberts, Edgar. Writing Themes About Literature. New York: Prentice Hall, 1991.

Rudden, Liam. Mathilda Makes it to the stage Edinburgh Evening News. 2008: 56.

Introduction

It is important to note that culture and identity are critical elements of ones personality, which heavily shape an individual and the collective. Both The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant and An Unknown Girl by Moniza Alvi explore people dissatisfied with their cultures and identities with the respective emphasis on each. Both texts demonstrate individuals who built their personal and cultural identities on delusions and false understanding of the status and culture they seek, which is why one should seek objective truth and comprehension to be happy.

Cultures and Identities in The Necklace and An Unknown Girl

In the case of The Necklace, the story is centered around a woman whose identity does not match her aspirations and dreams of being a member of the wealthy class. The severe level of dissatisfaction and discontent is clearly demonstrated throughout the narrative. Madame Mathilde Loisel seeks to be an aristocrat, where it is stated that she was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as though fate had blundered over her, into a family of artisans (Maupassant, 1888, p. 1). In other words, she experiences a major identity crisis for not belonging to the upper class. In addition, the cultural pressure is also a facilitator of dissatisfaction with her life because such a social environment values people in accordance with their wealth rather than moral elements. In the end, her identity detached from reality and manifested in excessive pride, results in a refusal to admit the loss of the necklace, which wastes her and her husbands ten years in poverty.

When it comes to An Unknown Girl by Moniza Alvi, the narrator also experiences an identity crisis primarily rooted in her cultural belonging. She is completely torn apart by her desire to be a part of both East and West. The latter is the culture to which she belongs, whereas the former is the one to which she is fascinated and attracted, making her unhappy. She states that I am clinging to these firm peacock lines like people who cling to sides of a train (Alvi, 2022, para. 1). The peacock lines represent the Indian or Eastern culture as well as her brief experience and submersion into this environment. Considering the fact that the henna will eventually disappear, she realizes that her interaction with the given culture will also end. Therefore, she feels discontent with her cultural identity wanting to be a part of such a cultural framework with the unknown girl.

Both literary works explore the notions of identity and culture and how impactful these forces are in controlling human behavior and wellbeing. The key difference between these works is the fact that The Necklace is mostly focused on identity issues, whereas An Unknown Girl addresses the problems related to culture. However, it is impossible to talk about one without the other because identities are essentially tied to some cultures represented in the collective. For example, it is evident that the poet idealizes the Eastern culture over her Western one on the basis of a brief interaction with the unknown girl at the bazar. One can see how such a conclusion and the resulting dissatisfaction are mostly delusional since she is unaware of the social and cultural problems of Eastern culture. She only sees the overall beauty of the peacock and her surroundings without an objective lens of observation of the true reality of being an Indian.

Similarly, the delusional pattern of observation can be observed in the main character of The Necklace, where she is only preoccupied with superficial aspects of the aristocracy. It is evident that the upper class does not solely operate within a framework of accumulating expensive jewelry and outfits. The rich have their own internal and external struggles, which might not be comparable to the poor, but they still exist. However, Madame Mathilde Loisel builds her identity on her delusional observation, which makes her unhappy, dissatisfied, and blind to the positive aspects of her life. Her detachment from the reality of aristocracy costs her and her husband ten years of their comfortable existence and all of their savings. In other words, the necklace was practically worthless, and the wealthy women were wise enough not to waste their resources on such a superficial item.

Therefore, both stories taught a valuable lesson about being content and pleased with what they have and where they belong without forming their personal identities and cultural identities around delusional assumptions. The latter was the culprit of both Madame Mathildes and the narrators unhappiness and unnecessary suffering. One should base his or her evaluations of their own identities and cultures on an objective understanding of the truth in regards to these important forces.

Conclusion

In conclusion, The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant and An Unknown Girl by Moniza Alvi demonstrate individuals who built their personal and cultural identities on delusions and false understanding of the status and culture they seek. This leads to their discontent and dissatisfaction with their lives. Therefore, it is important to seek objective truth and comprehension in order to be happy, which also involves introspection by valuing what they already have.

References

Alvi, M. (2022). An unknown girl. Genius.

Maupassant, G. (1888). The necklace [PDF document].

Introduction

Literature is one of the most popular and sought-after types of art, and there are many good reasons. Hundreds of years ago, writers raised works themes that are essential for human life and the functioning of society. Thus, even in the works of ancient Greek writers, modern readers can find thoughts relevant in the 21st century. One of the striking examples of works that touch on a topic that is vital for modern people is The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant. This story was written in the 19th century, but it remains relevant to this day. The situation described in this work seems possible now, and the main character is similar to many modern women. The main themes of this story are wealth, the pursuit of social status, and the illusions that people use to achieve them. After reading this work, readers can conclude that often people strive to create the appearance of wealth and prosperity by all means. However, first, these illusions are often based on lies and are easily revealed, and second, such behavior can often lead to harmful consequences and even destroy ones life.

Storyline

The title of the work makes the reader understand that the main plot unfolds around one object: a necklace. The author describes the main character, Mathilde, and her husband. This family cannot be called rich, but Mathilde wants to feel her importance, so she lends her friend an expensive and beautiful necklace and goes to a secular meeting. There she feels successful and beautiful but later finds out that the jewelry is lost. She has to find a similar one and buy it for a vast amount of money to return it to her friend. These costs ruin the life of her family: most of their property goes to pay for the jewelry. Mathilde and her husband live in poverty, which affects not only external factors such as housing but also her character itself. Mathilde becomes dull and loses all her will to live. Having met her friend after many years, Mathilde finds out that the lost necklace was fake and cost much less than she put into it.

The main character of the story

Mathilde is a very bright character, endowed with clear and conspicuous features. Maupassant puts in her previously noted human vices: the desire for wealth and the will to show her social status. Undoubtedly, it is crucial for each person to feel significant in a group of people, but the main question is at what cost this goal is achieved. Mathilde herself seems to be a good person, a kind and decent wife, and a beautiful woman. However, realizing all her positive qualities, she feels that she should have applied them somewhere else and had a much higher social status. This torments her throughout her life, and a loving husband and a calm life do not bring her pleasure.

Undoubtedly, the ability to get at least some opportunity to get into high society and show off there excites Mathilde. She accepts an invitation that her husband got for her, although she is worried about her appearance. Her main desire in this situation was to show everyone how beautiful and rich she is. One of the possibilities to prove this is the jewelry she took from her friend. In addition, she buys a new dress for the money that her husband was going to spend on a gun. So, her image consists of things that she really should not have. The beautiful appearance of Mathilde at the party is just an illusion, under which, nevertheless, there is a lovely woman.

Feeling the taste of wealth, Mathilde can never become the same. Until the end of her days, she recalls that evening, when she shocked everyone with her appearance. She dreams of such events occurring as often as possible and suffers from the impossibility of this. So, due to following his illusions, Mathilde loses everything. However, was it worth paying with all her life for a few hours spent with high social status? After all, Mathilde and her husband had to sell everything they could and lead an even more miserable life than before. Ten years spent this way left an indelible mark on Mathildes character and appearance. This way, Maupassant shows readers how destructive greed can be. However, Shubham assumes that after ten years of hard work, she learned to be diligent and thrifty, learned to work hard, become down-to-earth and has a calm mind (p. 649). Thanks to this, readers can understand that the real nature of people is hidden not in what they own, but in what they are.

Main ideas of the story

One of the main ideas of the novel is the desire of people for high social status and wealth. Challenges and problems that Mathilde experiences exist across the globe; hence, people must identify what is available and appreciate it to gain adequate satisfaction (Irawan 3). Undoubtedly, some people were born rich or earned money with long and hard work. It can especially be noticed this now in the field of art and information technology. Owners of the largest technology companies and famous singers or actors are the wealthiest people on the planet. However, to achieve their social status, they had come a long way, so their status seems justified.

Modern people, like Mathilde, often only try to create an illusion of possessing a high social position. Now they are much helped by social networks to create a beautiful image of themselves that has little resemblance to reality. As a consequence, the perception of the world by people is largely based on fiction, which is not always a positive trend (Uche and Mbah, p. 86). This is the main problem of such people: if the status is deserved by hard work, then it remains with the person, but the status based on lies easily collapses. These illusions can be misleading even to those who create them. Such people eventually begin to believe in their wealth and status, which affects their characters. This makes them behave arrogantly and presumptuously, belittling the dignity of other people, although in reality, they did not deserve the opportunity to behave like that. Thus, thanks to The Necklace, readers have a chance to realize the need to distinguish real social status from illusory and strive to be honest.

Another important idea that Maupassant considers is human desires and the problems associated with them. Indeed, the human brain continually demands to achieve new goals and receive new rewards. Undoubtedly, this mechanism is useful in many fields, for example, work, study, or sports. However, often human desires can be chaotic and even partly destructive. Such desires include, for example, food, alcohol, or money. In moderation, this all has a neutral effect on people and can even be beneficial. However, excessive desire for these objects leads to disastrous consequences: obesity, alcoholism, or theft. Indeed, sometimes the outcome of following ones withes is a feeling of never being content (Levine, p. 517). Unfortunately, nowadays, people note this mood much more often than before.

Thus, in The Necklace, Mathilde had a strong desire, which did not correspond with her real life. To achieve her goal, she experienced a high level of stress, thinking about how she would look and where to get funds to create the illusion of status. In addition, the consequences of fulfilling Mathildes wish had obvious destructive effects. Showing this, Maupassant tells readers that what they want may not always be the truly correct goal to achieve. In order not to fall into such situations, people should have the strength to assess the possible consequences of their actions. Indeed, sometimes people have to sacrifice some of their desires and needs, but looking back, they can make sure that this is correct.

Conclusion

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant is a striking example of a literary work that has not lost its relevance for a century and a half. This suggests that fundamental human problems remain unchanged throughout the entire existence of humankind. Despite its small size, the story is serious and instructive. Sheikh argues that this simple story on the surface level illustrates the working of the complex psyche of an individual understanding and also highlights the tragedy created by humans over-ambition (p. 183). With careful reading and detailed analysis, readers can find there many vital ideas and make some positive changes in their worldview. This will allow them to avoid mistakes such as the one made by the main character, and concentrate on more critical and pressing issues.

Works Cited

1. Irawan, Bambang. Three Dimensional Aspect of a Main Character Mathilde in Guy De Maupassants the Necklace. Morphosis: Journal of Literature, vol. 1, no. 1, 2019, pp. 1-10.
2. Levine, William, et al. The Effect of Spoilers on the Enjoyment of Short Stories. Discourse Processes, vol. 53, no. 7, 2016, pp. 513-531.
3. Sheikh, Sana Mariyam. The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant: A Study of Women in 19^th Century France. The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, vol. 3, no. 4, 2015, pp. 183-185.
4. Uche, Nnyagu, and Victor C. Mbah. Maupassants The Necklace as a Fictional Means of Assuaging the Illusions of Life: The Womans Perspective. Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 6, no. 9, 2018, pp. 86-94.
5. Yadav, Shubham. Character Analysis of Mathilde Loiselin the Maupassants The Necklace. International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS), vol. 4, no. 3, 2019, pp. 647-649.

In The Necklace, De Maupassant raised several contemporary issues at once: the conflict of desires and opportunities, the discrepancy between the spiritual organization of a person and the social conditions of their existence. These problems remain actual today, especially in the light of the global crises. This research aims to discuss how the issues explored by De Maupassant find reflection in the modern society.

Bashkirova, Karina, and Gulnara Galeeva. Linguopsychological Analysis of the Characters of Guy De Maupassant on the Example of Short Story Pierrot.Ournal of Research in Applied Linguistics, Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Applied Linguistics Issues (ALI 2019), vol. 10, 2019, pp. 732739., Web.

Bniceru, Ana Cristina. Hysteria as Alternative Masculinity in the Gothic Discourse of the 19th Century: The Case of E.T.A. Hoffmann, Edgar Allan Poe and Guy De Maupassant.Gender Studies, vol. 19, no. 1, 2020, pp. 2950., Web.

In her study, Bniceru discusses how the Gothic literature attempted to change the concepts of normative masculinity accepted in the 19^th century. The author states that several writers adopted a more hysterical, feminine male image in their works. Supporting her claims, Bniceru explains how the male figure in the aforementioned writers works challenge masculine images of German, U.S., and French societies. This research provides relevant discussion on the socially accepted behavioral norms and how they were reflected through the lens of literary works.

Canavan, Brendan. Tourism-in-Literature: Existential Comfort, Confrontation and Catastrophe in Guy De Maupassants Short Stories.Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 78, 2019, p. 102750., Web.

Cogman, Peter. Guy De Maupassant.French History, vol. 35, no. 1, 2021, pp. 123124., Web.

De Oliveira, Cassio. Le Soleil De France: Warm Translations of Guy De Maupassant in Works by Isaak Babel and Ivan Bunin.Russian Literature, vol. 111-112, 2020, pp. 6189., Web.

Kumar, Vikas. Translating for Children: The Necklace As a Case.International Journal of Recent Advances in Multidisciplinary Topics, vol. 1, no. 1, 2020, pp. 29-32, Web.

Mambrol, Nasrullah. Analysis of Guy De Maupassants Stories.Literary Theory and Criticism, 2019, Web.

Mambrol offers a comprehensive review of various De Maupassants stories in relation to the authors personal life and experiences. The author claims that major motives in De Maupassants work came from his everyday life. According to Mambrol (2019), De Maupassants short stories dealt with such diverse themes as war, prostitution, marital infidelity, religion, madness, cultural misunderstanding between the French and the English (pp. 1). Thus, Mambrols essay offers a distinctive analysis on the relationship between De Maupassant and his contemporary society, and how it affected his literary work.

Nurhidayah, Sri, and Apsari Prihantini. Handcuffs of the Beauty Myth in Maupassants The Necklace.Proceedings of the Third International Seminar on Recent Language, Literature, and Local Culture Studies, BASA, Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia, 2020, Web.

Nurhidayah and Prihantini dissect the myth of beauty as portrayed in De Maupassants story The Necklace. The authors claim that womens representation in literature was deeply affected by the long story of female exploitation by the capitalist society. According to the authors, the myth of beauty supported the patriarchal views throughout the history, allowing society to shackle the women with it. This discourse presents a comprehensive analysis of women images in The Necklace and ties it to the historical and social tendencies of female imaging in literature.

Smriti, Richa, and Aroonima Sinha. Struggle of Social Classes in Maupassants Select Short Stories. Ars Artium: An International Peer Reviewed-Cum-Refereed Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 6, 2018, pp. 114119.

In their study, Smriti and Sinha discuss how the social struggle of classes was reflected in several of De Maupassant short stories. The authors claim that the writer was especially interested in this issue, and thus strived to accurately represent it in his works. According to Smriti and Sinha (2018), he deeply studied different aspects of life around him and reveals the same in his stories (114). The discussion provided in this research offers valuable analysis on De Maupassants views towards social struggle.

Syafrina, Rany. Feminine Stereotypes, Educating Women Trough Literature: An Analysis of Guy De Maupassant Short Stories. Jurnal Hawa: Studi Pengarus Utamaan Gender Dan Anak, vol. 2, no. 2, 2020, Web.

Introduction

It is important to note that culture and identity are critical elements of ones personality, which heavily shape an individual and the collective. Both The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant and An Unknown Girl by Moniza Alvi explore people dissatisfied with their cultures and identities with the respective emphasis on each. Both texts demonstrate individuals who built their personal and cultural identities on delusions and false understanding of the status and culture they seek, which is why one should seek objective truth and comprehension to be happy.

Cultures and Identities in The Necklace and An Unknown Girl

In the case of The Necklace, the story is centered around a woman whose identity does not match her aspirations and dreams of being a member of the wealthy class. The severe level of dissatisfaction and discontent is clearly demonstrated throughout the narrative. Madame Mathilde Loisel seeks to be an aristocrat, where it is stated that she was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as though fate had blundered over her, into a family of artisans (Maupassant, 1888, p. 1). In other words, she experiences a major identity crisis for not belonging to the upper class. In addition, the cultural pressure is also a facilitator of dissatisfaction with her life because such a social environment values people in accordance with their wealth rather than moral elements. In the end, her identity detached from reality and manifested in excessive pride, results in a refusal to admit the loss of the necklace, which wastes her and her husbands ten years in poverty.

When it comes to An Unknown Girl by Moniza Alvi, the narrator also experiences an identity crisis primarily rooted in her cultural belonging. She is completely torn apart by her desire to be a part of both East and West. The latter is the culture to which she belongs, whereas the former is the one to which she is fascinated and attracted, making her unhappy. She states that I am clinging to these firm peacock lines like people who cling to sides of a train (Alvi, 2022, para. 1). The peacock lines represent the Indian or Eastern culture as well as her brief experience and submersion into this environment. Considering the fact that the henna will eventually disappear, she realizes that her interaction with the given culture will also end. Therefore, she feels discontent with her cultural identity wanting to be a part of such a cultural framework with the unknown girl.

Both literary works explore the notions of identity and culture and how impactful these forces are in controlling human behavior and wellbeing. The key difference between these works is the fact that The Necklace is mostly focused on identity issues, whereas An Unknown Girl addresses the problems related to culture. However, it is impossible to talk about one without the other because identities are essentially tied to some cultures represented in the collective. For example, it is evident that the poet idealizes the Eastern culture over her Western one on the basis of a brief interaction with the unknown girl at the bazar. One can see how such a conclusion and the resulting dissatisfaction are mostly delusional since she is unaware of the social and cultural problems of Eastern culture. She only sees the overall beauty of the peacock and her surroundings without an objective lens of observation of the true reality of being an Indian.

Similarly, the delusional pattern of observation can be observed in the main character of The Necklace, where she is only preoccupied with superficial aspects of the aristocracy. It is evident that the upper class does not solely operate within a framework of accumulating expensive jewelry and outfits. The rich have their own internal and external struggles, which might not be comparable to the poor, but they still exist. However, Madame Mathilde Loisel builds her identity on her delusional observation, which makes her unhappy, dissatisfied, and blind to the positive aspects of her life. Her detachment from the reality of aristocracy costs her and her husband ten years of their comfortable existence and all of their savings. In other words, the necklace was practically worthless, and the wealthy women were wise enough not to waste their resources on such a superficial item.

Therefore, both stories taught a valuable lesson about being content and pleased with what they have and where they belong without forming their personal identities and cultural identities around delusional assumptions. The latter was the culprit of both Madame Mathildes and the narrators unhappiness and unnecessary suffering. One should base his or her evaluations of their own identities and cultures on an objective understanding of the truth in regards to these important forces.

Conclusion

In conclusion, The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant and An Unknown Girl by Moniza Alvi demonstrate individuals who built their personal and cultural identities on delusions and false understanding of the status and culture they seek. This leads to their discontent and dissatisfaction with their lives. Therefore, it is important to seek objective truth and comprehension in order to be happy, which also involves introspection by valuing what they already have.

References

Alvi, M. (2022). An unknown girl. Genius.

Maupassant, G. (1888). The necklace [PDF document].

In The Necklace, De Maupassant raised several contemporary issues at once: the conflict of desires and opportunities, the discrepancy between the spiritual organization of a person and the social conditions of their existence. These problems remain actual today, especially in the light of the global crises. This research aims to discuss how the issues explored by De Maupassant find reflection in the modern society.

Bashkirova, Karina, and Gulnara Galeeva. Linguopsychological Analysis of the Characters of Guy De Maupassant on the Example of Short Story Pierrot.Ournal of Research in Applied Linguistics, Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Applied Linguistics Issues (ALI 2019), vol. 10, 2019, pp. 732739., Web.

Bniceru, Ana Cristina. Hysteria as Alternative Masculinity in the Gothic Discourse of the 19th Century: The Case of E.T.A. Hoffmann, Edgar Allan Poe and Guy De Maupassant.Gender Studies, vol. 19, no. 1, 2020, pp. 2950., Web.

In her study, Bniceru discusses how the Gothic literature attempted to change the concepts of normative masculinity accepted in the 19^th century. The author states that several writers adopted a more hysterical, feminine male image in their works. Supporting her claims, Bniceru explains how the male figure in the aforementioned writers works challenge masculine images of German, U.S., and French societies. This research provides relevant discussion on the socially accepted behavioral norms and how they were reflected through the lens of literary works.

Canavan, Brendan. Tourism-in-Literature: Existential Comfort, Confrontation and Catastrophe in Guy De Maupassants Short Stories.Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 78, 2019, p. 102750., Web.

Cogman, Peter. Guy De Maupassant.French History, vol. 35, no. 1, 2021, pp. 123124., Web.

De Oliveira, Cassio. Le Soleil De France: Warm Translations of Guy De Maupassant in Works by Isaak Babel and Ivan Bunin.Russian Literature, vol. 111-112, 2020, pp. 6189., Web.

Kumar, Vikas. Translating for Children: The Necklace As a Case.International Journal of Recent Advances in Multidisciplinary Topics, vol. 1, no. 1, 2020, pp. 29-32, Web.

Mambrol, Nasrullah. Analysis of Guy De Maupassants Stories.Literary Theory and Criticism, 2019, Web.

Mambrol offers a comprehensive review of various De Maupassants stories in relation to the authors personal life and experiences. The author claims that major motives in De Maupassants work came from his everyday life. According to Mambrol (2019), De Maupassants short stories dealt with such diverse themes as war, prostitution, marital infidelity, religion, madness, cultural misunderstanding between the French and the English (pp. 1). Thus, Mambrols essay offers a distinctive analysis on the relationship between De Maupassant and his contemporary society, and how it affected his literary work.

Nurhidayah, Sri, and Apsari Prihantini. Handcuffs of the Beauty Myth in Maupassants The Necklace.Proceedings of the Third International Seminar on Recent Language, Literature, and Local Culture Studies, BASA, Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia, 2020, Web.

Nurhidayah and Prihantini dissect the myth of beauty as portrayed in De Maupassants story The Necklace. The authors claim that womens representation in literature was deeply affected by the long story of female exploitation by the capitalist society. According to the authors, the myth of beauty supported the patriarchal views throughout the history, allowing society to shackle the women with it. This discourse presents a comprehensive analysis of women images in The Necklace and ties it to the historical and social tendencies of female imaging in literature.

Smriti, Richa, and Aroonima Sinha. Struggle of Social Classes in Maupassants Select Short Stories. Ars Artium: An International Peer Reviewed-Cum-Refereed Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 6, 2018, pp. 114119.

In their study, Smriti and Sinha discuss how the social struggle of classes was reflected in several of De Maupassant short stories. The authors claim that the writer was especially interested in this issue, and thus strived to accurately represent it in his works. According to Smriti and Sinha (2018), he deeply studied different aspects of life around him and reveals the same in his stories (114). The discussion provided in this research offers valuable analysis on De Maupassants views towards social struggle.

Syafrina, Rany. Feminine Stereotypes, Educating Women Trough Literature: An Analysis of Guy De Maupassant Short Stories. Jurnal Hawa: Studi Pengarus Utamaan Gender Dan Anak, vol. 2, no. 2, 2020, Web.

The Diamond Necklace, by Guy de Maupassant, is one of the best short stories ever written. Taking an inanimate object, the necklace, Maupassant weaves around it human dreams and desires and then contrasts them too hard realities. He takes a beautiful woman as the central character of his story to exhibit female vanities by using the necklace as the symbol. The necklace represents her greed and desires. The story is also packed with irony. Mans inability to know what can give him peace and happiness is also a serious message which emerges from the story. By going after petty things how one invites ones own miseries is the central focus of the story. The story is a serious warning to all those who fail to bring happiness in life by accepting what is given. This paper is a critical examination of the story to highlight how Maupassant uses lifeless things to evoke wisdom in the readers.

Mathilde is a woman of exceptional beauty. She is set against the background of extreme poverty and ugliness. She lives in a poor house, as her husband is only a clerk. The settings in the story, particularly at the beginning, are significant. The woman is the only beautiful object. Walls are barren, curtains are ugly, and everything in the house stands opposite to the characters physical beauty. Against the material poverty in the house stands the abundant desire of the protagonist. She is filled with rich instincts for an aristocratic life. The narrator says, She thought of silent antechambers hung with Oriental tapestry, illumined by tall bronze candelabra, and of two great footmen in knee breeches who sleep in the big armchairs (Maupassant). She wants gaudy dresses like beautiful gowns and plenty of jewels. She dreams of a life in which she walks in beauty, dressed like a rich woman, pleased by everyone, and becomes the much sought-after woman. She thought of long reception halls hung with ancient silk, of the dainty cabinets &, with men famous and sought after, whom all women envy and whose attention they all desire (Maupassant). The fate is, however, different. With a poor husband, she is doomed to live in a poor house and eat ordinary food. The first part of the story is thus filled with Mathildes strong dreams and desires against the background of a poor house.

Her husband, an ordinary clerk, is content with his job and with his wife. He is a disciplined man, having control over his purse and his mind. One day he comes home gladly to announce that he has been lucky to get an invitation for his wife and himself for a party in his office. He tells her that Everyone wants to go; it is very select, and they are not giving many invitations to clerks. The whole official world will be there (Maupassant). This is the crucial event in the story. Loisel is conscious of his duty as a husband. He always wants to make his wife happy. Unfortunately, the only way to make her happy is by providing her with material glory. His wife disappoints him as she tells him that she can attend the party only if she is supplied with jewels and a costly dress. His attempt to convince her fails: You might wear natural flowers. Theyre very stylish at this time of year. For ten francs you can get two or three magnificent roses (Maupassant). He uses the money he saved for buying a gun to buy her costly dress, and the problem of possessing ornaments is overcome by deciding to borrow them from a friend. At last her friend, Madame Forestier lends her a diamond necklace. The title becomes significant as the story here takes a turn from the moment she momentarily fulfills her desire.

Mathilde, at last, finds herself in the world of her dreams. She is the center of attraction at the party. She is sought after, envied, and dances with pride. In other words, she is at the height of her vanity. Precisely at this juncture, the tragedy occurs. She comes back home to realize that the necklace has been lost on the way. The couple now struggles to pay back the money they spent for buying a new necklace to replace the lost one. The woman has changed now. She lives a hard life. She can wash now, can do her shopping, and can manage without a servant. She had thought before the loss of the necklace that theres nothing more humiliating than to look poor among other women who are rich (Maupassant). She has now learned the real humiliation in her life. The change in her is the essence of the story. It is with the help of lifeless objects that the writer achieves the task of displaying her old greed and the new hardships. Mathilde has learned the value of love too. Love has replaced her despair. She realizes that the real beauty in life is in sacrifices and devotion to some duty and commitments. In her present life, it is the determination that That dreadful debt must be paid (Maupassant). The inanimate object, necklace, has thus opened her eyes. She could realize the difference between reality and appearance. It also represents the changing emotions in Mathildes life.

The story takes place in the nineteenth century. The place is Paris. Both the time and place are important to understand the greatness of the story. It was a time when the middle class, particularly the urban middle-class women, developed a craze for comforts and luxury, by imitating the aristocratic class. The city of Paris was one of the main centers of this unpleasant change. Therefore, Maupassant thought of taking the readers to a middle-class family in Paris, then through the busy streets, and finally to various rich jewelry shops. What finally dawns on them is that vanity without wisdom leads to ones own fall.

Almost all lifeless things in the story, therefore, stand as metaphors or symbols. The necklace in the story stands for both true and false. It is false, appearing as true, which causes misery. Like the shining objects, the shining persons create confusion. A party is a place where snobbery is openly paraded. Mathilde is too innocent to distinguish between the real and the false. In fact, no one can sympathize with her. It is her husband who takes away the readers sympathy. However, a close reading of the story can reveal that Mathilde is too innocent to understand the sophistication of society. Madame Forestier did not tell her that the necklace was only an imitation and not an original diamond. The wisdom dawns on her only at the end, after a long tortured life. The writer must be trying to tell the readers that only experience can teach one. Society is filled with Forestiers and so long craze for material comforts last innocent Mathildes will be victimized.

With beautiful settings, with selected words carrying rich meanings, with some lifeless objects as symbols, Maupassant exposes vanity, false appearances, and the greed for insatiable material comforts. He is also successful in pinpointing where happiness is, how it can be obtained, and what one has to pay for not using ones wisdom. Society becomes very sophisticated as the days pass. It becomes very difficult to differentiate between appearance and reality. Maupassant skillfully chose to make a woman, a beautiful woman, his central character. It is the fair sex which is always conscious of the external makeup. Therefore; the story also helps as a piece of feministic study.

Reference

Maupassant, Guy de. The Diamond Necklace. Web.

Introduction

The Necklace is a short story written by French writer Guy de Maupassant at the end of the 19th century. In the story, the main character Mathilde Loisel lives a humble life of a middle-class housewife believing that she is meant to be rich. She borrows a diamond necklace from a rich woman, Madame Forestier, to wear for a ball. She loses the necklace forcing her family to go into debt for ten years to pay for a replacement. The story ends with a twist, as Mathilde finds out after paying off all debts that the necklace was an imitation and hardly cost 400 francs. The present paper is an attempt to analyze Mathildes dualistic character describing the morals a reader can receive from her story.

Mathildes Character Development

Mathilde Loisel is described as a young woman suffering from the idea that she was born to live a rich life. Even though she has a faithful husband who does everything he can to make her wife happy, she fails to acknowledge the matter. Madame Loisel spends most of her free time daydreaming of things that most women of her class do not know. As Kuhn (2016) points out, Mathilde becomes a princess in her mind leading to her further downfall.

While paying off the debts for the lost necklace she goes through even more suffering and becomes like all the other strong, hard, coarse women of poor households (Maupassant, n.d., p. 5). One would think that losing money, social status, and a comfortable lifestyle would make a person grow more mature; however, that does not seem to be the case with Mathilde.

Even after living ten years in poverty, the protagonist of The Necklace continues escaping reality dreaming about the life of a rich woman. This fact represents the characters duality, as even though Mathilde develops on the outside, inside she is still delusional and lives her fantasies. Her failure to learn and acknowledge the reality makes Mathilde a serious and ridiculous woman at the same time. Maupassants protagonist may seem a dynamic character, as she grows more mature and can bear with more trouble than at the beginning of the story. However, she is flat and static, as she does not learn from lifes lessons and continues to be an envious and shallow woman wasting her time daydreaming.

Morals of the Story

The morals a reader can receive from the short story are numerous and deep. According to Nurmalasari and Samanik (2018), envy is the driving force of the story, and we need to be happy with what we have and be grateful with our life (p. 449). Indeed, if Mathilde did not try to be what she was not, there would be no further complications. However, the story also discusses the problem of pride, as Mathilde and her husband do not try to explain the situation to Madame Forestier.

They are too proud to admit their deed and jump to the conclusion that ruins their lives. Even though this may seem to be Mathildes misjudgment, it is a problem of her husband as he failed to analyze the matter and come to a sensible solution. In short, the story teaches the audience to value what they have and not to let their pride take over common sense.

Conclusion

In The Necklace, Maupassant creates realistic characters that face real-world problems. The protagonist is filled with envy and pride while dreaming of a life that she cannot have. Her story teaches the reader to live within their means and learning from lifes lessons.

References

Kuhn, G. (2016). Exploring French short stories: Guy de Maupassants writing style and social justice. Web.

Nurmalasari, U.,& Samanik. (2018). A study of social stratification in France in 19^th century as portrayed in the necklace La Parure short story by Guy de Maupassant. In 2nd English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Proceedings (pp. 445-449). Web.

Maupassant, G. (n.d.). The Necklace. 

Introduction

Published in 1884, Guy de Maupassants short story with the ambiguous title The Necklace is an excellent example of a work with an unexpected ending that forces the reader to rethink the artistic narrative. Along with the psychological issues of the conflict of desires and opportunities, the instability of human spiritual organization, and the profound misery caused by unfulfilled dreams, the writer also raised the problem of social inequality. Thus, the textual analysis of The Necklace clarifies that the development of the plot and the novels central message is tied to Marxisms ideas, which divide societies into isolated classes. This essay aims to define and conceptualize Marxist views in this literary work.

Status Predetermined

Without seeking to evaluate Karl Marxs multivolume work qualitatively, it is essential to filter out a few central ideas that can generally describe the economic development model quite qualitatively. In the first place, the researcher stated that the economic system ultimately determines an individuals way of life and the environment in which they are raised (Brock). In The Necklace, this pattern provides the foundation for character development: the protagonist Mathilde dressed plainly because she could not afford fine clothes (Maupassant 1). No matter how much she would like to, she cannot go beyond the environment in which she lives because the eras economic stage predetermines her to do so.

The Desire for Change

Another distinctive feature of Marxism is the desire for classes to interact, expressed in the class struggle. The Necklace did not describe acts of revolution or open conflict between members of different strata of society, but it illustrated Mathildes inner passion for shifting formations. The woman had nothing that could be seen as of value to her, and she wanted it. While Mathilde grieved over the shabbiness of her apartment, she dreamed madly of silent chambers, draped with Oriental tapestries and lighted by tall bronze floor lamps (Maupassant 1). These quotations unambiguously reflect the working classs desire for wealth and survival tools, which are probably not even a necessity. Through her husbands efforts, fate offered Mathilde a powerful social elevator that could help her realize a lifelong dream. Furthermore, according to Marx, the woman needed a resource that distinguished the proletariat from the aristocrats for such a transition.

The Symbolism of the Necklace

Such a resource was the necklace after which Novella was named. As the jewel that attracted Mathildes attention, the necklace gave the woman inner strength and confidence and seemed to have made the protagonist happier than ever. The irony is that the necklace turned out to be cheap fiction, for the return of which the ignorant Mathilde gave up ten years of her young life, living in poverty and destitution. Guy de Maupassant deliberately placed the character in such frustrating conditions to see how the woman full of inner conflicts would behave if given the opportunity. In this sense, the necklace is more than just a piece of jewelry. The necklace symbolizes the money, power, and resources that elevate aristocrats above the working class. Furthermore, the hard work and tenacity with which Mathilde worked to repay her debt  heavy housework, hateful duties, scouring the grease, and scrubbed dirty linen  define the destiny of the proletarians (Maupassant 5). As Marx argued, such people have only to work and toil to enrich the already rich.

Conclusion

To summarize, it must be recognized that a literary analysis of Guy de Maupassants short story The Necklace shows signs of Marxs theory that divides society into economically unequal classes. The existence of the protagonist of the story, Mathilde, is predetermined by the framework of the working class. At the same time, she experiences a permanent personal experience concerning her desire to move into the rich and powerful class. The necklace, symbolizing resources, power, and finances, became the tools in the womans hands for the transition. Nevertheless, the novel does not have a happy ending, as Maupassant sneers at the proletarian, placing him in a Marxist frame of being from which there is no escape.

References

Brock, Thomas. Marxism. Investopedia, 2021. Web.

de Maupassant, Guy. The Necklace. Susannah Fullerton Foundation, 2019. Web.

Despite Guy de Maupassants The Necklace being written in the late XIXth century, this story successfully transports its moral lessons to modern life. The author engages symbolism around the main object of the story, the diamond necklace, and the deep character portrayal of two heroines to reveal the common deceptiveness of human appearance. Situations of Mathilde and Madame Forestier described in the story demonstrate two psychologically different origins of deception. By analyzing motivation, attitudes, and consequences of deceit in this story, it becomes evident that the difference between clever dishonesty and open hypocrisy affects public perception and grows into major social stratification even nowadays.

Condemned by de Maupassant, Mathilda, the protagonist, represents a hypocritical origin of deception for which she receives the punishment of living in poverty. Irawan characterized her as full of envious resentment, having materialistic obsession and unappreciative and selfish tendencies (6). Thus, heroine strives to obtain a luxurious look deceitfully with the intention to lie and brag about her social status. Matildas greed and vanity is punished with deprivation her of both her wealth and recognition. During the ball All the men were watching her, asking her name, trying to get introduced while ten years later Madame Forestier replies to her You must be mistaken! (de Maupassant 15-19). Two situations of Matilda being around people depict, that earlier multiple men would wish to talk to her, but then even a former friend does not recognize her. This strong contrast indicates the authors disapproval of her behavior and states the moral: vain deception is improper and socially unacceptable.

On the contrary, in the storys ending, it is exposed that Madame Forestier has resorted to dishonesty regarding her possessions. Of course, the initial motive for buying a fake diamond necklace was similar to Mathildas  to get beauty and attention, but Madame Forestiers image allows to state that her intention was not to imitate a higher social class. De Maupassant gives a description of her feelings in the end as deeply moved that shows her sincerity (20). Moreover, she admits the necklace being an imitation with notable ease which indicates that Madame is not ashamed of this act. Equally important to notice is the implications of her attitude after ten years: she is still young, still beautiful, still attractive (de Maupassant, 19). Unlike Mathilda, she had not lost any of her charm and pride, which leads to a conclusion that small deceit can be harmless and comply with the rules of morality.

Although the characters experiences may be controversial, the premises of their actions can be reasoned within their cultural background. As de Maupassant lived in the XIXth century France, for modern people most of his stories retain an exotic allure and characters and settings are strangely unfamiliar as those in any traditional folk tale (Lloyd, 83). However, the social and psychological aspects of events convey reality, in this case, The high standard of life which brought the self-destruction of woman in French (Nurmalasari and Samanik 3). The society of that time would require women to have a certain grade of outer beauty, unattainable without either wealth or its forgery. Interestingly, similar trends can be noticed these days with media promoting life standards beyond reach for most people. As a result, ladies continue to engage in deception commonly, which is considered both immoral and respective at the same time.

To sum up, The Necklace is a demonstration of different approaches to deceit. A greedy, selfish motive is inappropriate and punishable; a minor, open and not conceited intention is not shameful. However, both of them are accepted by society and, therefore, inevitable throughout history and until the present day. The supposed lesson for the reader to learn is to be happy with things they have and not pursue goals they cannot reach.

Works !ited

Irawan, Bambang. Three Dimensional Aspect of a Main Character Mathilde in Guy De Maupassants The Necklace. Morphosis: Journal of literature. vol 1, no 1, 2019, pp. 1-7. openjournal.unpam.ac.id/index.php/MPS/article/view/3193

Lloyd, Christopher. Guy de Maupassant. Reaktion Books, 2020, pp. 81-107

De Maupassant, Guy. The Necklace and Other Stories: Maupassant for Modern Times.   Translated by Sandra Smith, WW Norton & Company, 2015.

Nurmalasari, Uning, and Samanik Samanik. A Study of Social Stratification in France in 19th Century as Portrayed in The Necklace La Parure Short Story by Guy De Maupassant. English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Proceedings. vol 2, 2018, pp. 445-449.