Category: The Necklace

Looking for The Necklace analysis? The critique paper below focuses on the characters and themes in the story by Guy de Maupassant. The Necklace literary analysis on this page will inspire you!

Introduction

There are several characters in the story that the author, Maupassant, uses to build up ideas and contribute to the meaningful flow of the story. The life of the protagonist in the story, Mathilde, is used by the author, Maupassant, to contribute significantly to the overall meaning of the story.

Her character, ambitions in life and her general point of view about various issues in life are used to bring out different themes and also help in the development of the story (Maupassant, pg. 16). Mathilde is also used to help build up suspense in the story.

In this literary analysis, this main character Mathilde will be discussed and her contribution to the overall meaning of the short story ‘the necklace’.

The Necklace Character Analysis: Matilda

At the beginning of the story, Maupassant introduces the protagonist Mathilde as a young and beautiful lady who comes from a not so well up family and there seems to be very little change that is going to take place in her life in terms of moving to a higher social class (pg 1).

This is because she is married by a clerk who can not adequately cater for the expensive things she desires to live a satisfying life. Mathilde is introduced as a character that has a great desire for a life that she and her husband Loisel can not afford. This contributes significantly to the development of the plot because it is her behavior that eventually leads to their downfall.

She is not content with the current state of things in her life. The author tells us that the state of their house torments her. The walls, the old chairs and the curtains which are not so beautiful all cause her to be mentally troubled. She strongly believes that she ought to be living a better and more expensive life. She yearns for things that would make her to be admired by many people.

She is so obsessed with the thoughts of a better and more expensive lifestyle that she wastes a lot of time and energy thinking about this. She thinks of how her house would be with expensive furniture and of herself with many clothes and jewelry. We learn that she is very uncomfortable visiting her rich friend, Madame Forestier, because every time she does that, her life is filled with moments of suffering and intense pain (Bloom pg59).

This is because she compares her poor life with that of her rich friend and she is filled with envy and jealousy because she can not afford to live like her friend and yet that is the kind of life she dreams of. Mathilde is completely out of touch with reality and lives a life full of fantasy. This kind of thoughts as expressed by this young lady help in the building up of the plot of the story because eventually, she learns how futile it is to covet what one can not afford.

It is very ironical that Mathilde loves what she does not have (Maupassant, pg. 23). She says that she loves jewels and clothes but she does not actually have any of them. The motive for her yearning to have these things so badly is an evil one. She says that she would love to have these things so that she can be envied by many people. The fact that Mathilde and her husband belong to the middle class shows that they are not very poor and that they are able to get the very basic necessities in life.

Her desire and obsession with more wealth just shows how materialistic she is and her insatiable desire for more wealth which she can not get. The author shows us that they are even to be envied by other people like her servant who is belongs to a lower social class than her but Mathilde is only interested in attaining her selfish ambition in life. Her desire to have more and especially what she can not afford brings problems even to her innocent husband.

Matilda as the Protagonist in The Necklace

Trouble starts the evening when her husband comes home with news that she has been invited to accompany him to a rare occasion organized by the ministry of education. Her reaction to the news is one that her husband did not expect. She is very sad because she does not have a new and expensive dress to wear to the occasion.

Efforts by the husband to persuade her to wear an old but nice dress that she has bear no fruit. He ends up sacrificing the money he had saved to buy a gun to meet his wife’s demand for a new dress. The husband is portrayed as a person who blindly follows the wife’s demands without looking at the long term implications of such decisions.

He fails to act as a guide to the wife who is already too blinded by her strong desire to acquire more than she can afford. The emotional response of the wife when she is told to wear the dress she normally wears to the theatre shows how obsessed she is with living a high class life. The husband is persuaded to give up something very important to please his wife who seems impossible to satisfy because thereafter she still asks for a necklace.

Mathilde cares very little about her husband. She is very selfish and is concerned about her own interests being fulfilled even at the expense of her husband’s little savings. She is not very careful not hurt others as she pursues her desire for more wealth. Instead of being grateful to her husband about what he has already provided to her, she complains about what the husband is unable to do to make her happy.

She therefore lives a very unhappy life full of struggles which can be avoided if only she is content with her current status and works towards improving her life. Moreover, she only says that she deserves to have all the things she spends a lot of time dreaming of but ironically, she does nothing to get them.

After the husband offers to buy her the dress she demands for in order to attend the ball, she again complains that she does not have a necklace and threatens not to accompany her husband if she does not get one. Because the husband cannot afford to buy her a necklace at that moment, he suggests that she borrows it from her rich friend which she agrees. Given a variety to choose from, she settles for one that looks like diamond which she is later to discover that it was not genuine diamond.

She is very happy that she is going to impress people during the ball because she has both the dress and the necklace which are the most important things in her life. Although she ends up achieving what she has always longed for that night, what she loses is of greater magnitude than that short lived achievement.

The necklace ends up getting lost on their way back home despite efforts by the husband to try and recover it. When they realize that the necklace is lost forever, they settle for another option which is replacing the necklace with another that looks exactly like the one they lost.

They incur a lot of debts as they try to raise the amount required to purchase a genuine diamond necklace. The husband sacrifices so much for the sake of his selfish wife who seems to care very little about his interests. Mathilde’s weak point of coveting more wealth is the greatest mistake she makes. The outcome of her actions and desires are disastrous not only to her but to the husband too. She ends up losing everything because of just a night of pleasure.

She wastes most of her youthful life and beauty toiling and laboring to repay the debts they incur when they decide to buy a new expensive necklace for Madame Forestier instead of just telling her that she lost the original necklace. Fusco (pg 28), notes that this incident helps to expose her proud nature. She finds it very hard to just confess and maybe apologize to the rich friend who would have probably heard her and would not have subjected her to the kind of hard labor she and her husband had to go through.

The wasted years that the couple has to go through are because of Mathilde’s assumption that her rich friend could not have possibly bought a cheap necklace and so they have to replace the fake diamond necklace with an original one. She has all along erroneously believed that for anything to be valuable, it has to be expensive.

When Mathilde and Madame Forestier eventually meet after a long period of time, precisely ten years, Madame Forestier fails to recognize her old friend Mathilde. She has grown old and her initial beauty is no longer there. She has lost almost everything that made her beautiful due to ten years of labor. Madame Forestier is still elegant and youthful and pities her old friend Mathilde.

Maupassant uses the necklace that Mathilde is so much impressed by symbolically to show her totally wrong belief. She has all along thought that for anything to be of value, it has to be expensive. She sadly discovers that the necklace that she thought was very expensive and of great value is not worthy. In fact, if she had confronted her friend and explained her case, the couple could have reimbursed her for the necklace without mush strain because they had enough money to pay Madame Forestier.

The Necklace: Analysis of the Story’s Ending

By using Mathilde as the protagonist in the story, Maupassant is able to create an ironic ending that the readers do not expect. Several moral lessons can also be learnt when one reads of the calamity that befalls Mathilde and the husband. The character of Mathilde has changed drastically at the end of the story compared with the first time the reader encounters her in the beginning of the story. She no longer complains about life and wanting more wealth as she did in the beginning.

She has learnt to live within her means despite the fact that she is even poorer than in the beginning when she was whining about everything in her life and yet she had enough to sustain her. The troubles she has gone through seem to have taught her a very valuable lesson in life and she even appears to be stronger than she was before. She learns how easy it is to loose what one has because of greed and not being content.

Conclusion

At the end of the story, the question that arises is, ‘who is to blame for the misery that this couple finds itself in?’ the blame seems to be solely on Mathilde because of her irrationality in thought and action. If only she is keener about what she desires and takes time before acting on her wishes, maybe her life and that of the husband would have turned out to be better. She ruins her entire life and that of her husband because of just a single night of pleasure.

She feels good when everybody in the ball envies her and does not even care about her husband when they are at the occasion. The author tells us that the husband had been sitting with three other men for several hours since midnight because their wives had abandoned them and went away to enjoy themselves alone. In the long run, Mathilde’s life becomes worse off than initially when they could afford to live a decent life.

After they borrow money to replace the necklace, they are no longer able to hire a house help, hence she has to do all the work alone. This hard labor is what robs her of her strength and beauty. Mathilde and her husband Loisel may not deserve the kind of life that they find themselves in were it not for her greed and envy.

The husband is also unable to foresee the danger that lies ahead before they resolve to take any action. We are told in the story that when he is borrowing money for the necklace he puts his signature without even caring what he is signing. Although Mathilde is seen as the cause of all their misfortunes, the husband also contributes to it. This family is entirely to blame for the misery that befalls it.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold. Guy de Maupassant: Bloom’s major short story writers. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2004.

Fusco, Richard. Maupassant and the American Short Story: the Influence of Form at the Turn of the Century. Pennsylvania: Penn State Press, 1994.

Maupassant, Guy de. The Necklace. Washington: Dramatic Publishing, 1969.

“The Jewelry” by Guy de Maupassant Summary

In “The Jewelry”, Guy de Maupassant attempts to develop irony using the lives of urban people, especially due to the decline of morals in the society (Bloom 22). Set in Paris, Maupassant’s story revolves around the life of Mr. Latin, a chief clerk at the French Ministry of Interior and his wife, a Mrs. Latin.

However, the actual name of the wife remains unknown to the reader throughout the story. At the beginning, the reader is introduced to the first meeting between Mr. Latin and his wife, which took place at the house of a superintendent. Latin immediately falls in love with the young and innocent women. This short story focuses more on Character and irony than it does to other literary techniques.

The quote: According to Maupassant, the girl first appears “…very ideal of a pure and good woman to whom every young man can entrust” (Maupassant The Jewelry 634). This quote is one of the most important indications of the wife’s character, and is actually an irony because the woman was not pure but a prostitute in disguise.

After the marriage, the couple’s first six years are full of happiness and mutual understanding. However, the wife has a passion for “fake” jewelry and “fake” theatres. Despite this, the wife is a good housekeeper, neat and decent. These characteristics provide Mr. Latin with a luxurious life.

In their sixth year of marriage, the wife went out to the opera one cold night, but later came “back home freezing” (Maupassant The Jewelry 635). She got a bad cough and within one week, she died from pneumonia. Mr. Latin’s was unable to touch or change anything owned by his late wife because they reminded him of her and her love for him.

Due to inability to meet the domestic, Mr. Latin decides to sell his wife’s jewels, but he is surprised to realize that they were genuine and worth thousands of Francs. The reader concludes that she must have been an immoral woman who was ready to betray his husband to get a decent lifestyle. Mr. Latin decides to sell every jewel owned by the late wife, quits his job and uses the money to fund his life.

“The Jewelry” by Guy de Maupassant Literary Elements and Character Analysis

From this story, it is clear that Maupassant focuses on character and irony. First, the character of Mrs. Latin is questionable. While she presents as a decent and loving wife, the author provides the reader with a clue that she must have been cheating on the husband. She is possessed with the love for jewelry, decent lifestyle and entertainment.

After her death, the husband realizes that his little salary could not support such a life, which prompts him to sell the jewelries. In the jeweler’s store, Mr. Latin realizes that the wife must have had another source of income, yet she was not open to him. He realizes that she must have been practicing prostitution, something that could have made her love going out at night.

The character of Mr. Latin is also questionable. For instance, despite spending six years with his wife, he had completely failed to realize or even suspect the other side of his wife. He had not even thought how much the wife was spending to keep the house and purchase her jewelries. In fact, he is presented as a very insensitive but humble person. It would be unrealistic of him to put much trust on his wife.

Apart from character, the story emphasizes more on irony. It is ironic that the wife is first presented as a decent and innocent young woman, whose looks would attract any young man. This is ironic because Maupassant later exposes the other side of her life, which makes the reader suspect that she must have been a prostitute.

Secondly, it is ironic that she lives with a low-income earner, yet she has a high income she keeps as a secret. It is also ironic for the young woman to have massive sources of income, yet she looks simple and innocent, and even uses the benefits of her immorality to please his husband. Finally, it is ironic for Mr. Latin to live with her for six years and fail to note her other side of life.

Comparisons between “The Jewelry” and “The necklace”

Although these two stories are quite different, they are both revolving around the lives of women who are possessed with the love for material things and specifically jewels.

The theme of possession of characters, especially women, is quite similar. The two stories further provide an insight into the ability of women to influence their husbands in an urban setting (Jackson 61). While Mrs. Latin is able to cheat on her husband for more than six years just to obtain jewels and live a decent life, Madame Loisel influences her husband to spend almost every cent on her makeup (Roberts 53).

Finally, the two stories revolve around how women in an urban setting take any risk to find happiness in their lives. Madame Loisel goes out borrowing large sums of money to spend on her necklace and makeup (Maupassant The Necklace 47). In her part, Mrs. Latin takes the risk of cheating on his husband to obtain a decent life and jewels.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold. Guy De Maupassant. New York, NY: Infobase publishing, 2001. Print.

Jackson, Stanley. Guy De Maupassant. London: Duckworth publishers, 1998. Print.

Maupassant, Guy De. The Necklace. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing, 2005. Print.

—. The Jewelry. Edinburg, UK: Edinburg University Press, 2007. Print.

Roberts, Edgar. Writing Themes About Literature. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.

Introduction

‘The Necklace’ and ‘The Prodigal Son’ are both depictions of how materialism can lead to one’s demise. The narratives indicate that covetousness leads to deceit, strained relationships, and misery.

Analysis

In ‘The Necklace’, the author starts by describing Mathilde Loisel’s social standing. She seems disempowered by the social structures around her. The author notes that Mathilde would never get a chance at meeting a man of a high social standing because she did not belong to an elite family. This reveals that Mathilde had limited control of her life, as a woman in the late nineteenth century.

However, after learning about her goals in life, one immediately realizes that Madame Loisel was still responsible for her circumstances. Although her husband was not extremely wealthy, he was also not poor. He tried his best to provide for his family, and his wife could have chosen to be happy with their modest things.

However, her materialism prevented her from appreciating what she already had. Mathilde and her husband had a comfortable, middle-class status. Her husband earned enough to feed his family and even to save something for his gun (De Maupassant 39). Besides that, the two had a maid and had gone to school. Madame Loisel did not bother about these great qualities in her home.

When she presents dinner to her husband, he seems delighted by the Scotch broth (soup- tureen). However, all Mathilde can think about are the delicate meals, marvelous dishes and the asparagus chicken. She sought after luxurious items such as jewels and fancy clothes, yet they could not afford such items.

Madame Loisel coveted her former schoolmate’s lifestyle, and even avoided visiting her because of this. All she could notice inside her house was “the ugliness of the curtains and the worn out looks of the chairs” (De Maupassant 38).

Similarly, in the story of the prodigal son, the younger son did not appreciate the life that his father provided him. His father had plenty of servants and wealth, and when this young man was mature enough, he would have inherited the wealth.

However, his quest for materialism caused him to ask for the inheritance prematurely. Instead of appreciating the life that his father gave him, he started longing for the things that money can buy (Luke 15:13). If these two characters had looked at all the positive things that were working for them, they would have lived a fulfilled life, rather than one filled with despair and misery.

Mathilde’s relationship with her husband further highlights her obsession with superficial things (Seyler 22). When her husband asks her to go to the ball, she immediately acts unappreciatively. She manipulates her husband into using all the money that he had saved up for his trip. Mathilde did not care that this was a significant event in her husband’s life.

She also did not care that she was taking everything that he had. Furthermore, when her husband bought her the beautiful gown, Mathilde does not even say one word of appreciation; instead, she asked for more. Madame Loisel started fussing and frowning about the fact that she had no jewelry to accompany her dress. Her selfish materialism prevents her from treating her husband in a better way.

It also causes her to think that the world revolves around her. It is almost as if nothing can ever fulfill her longings because should would always find something else to fancy. Likewise, the prodigal son had a poor relationship with his friends and family members. Instead of helping his father out with the estate, and thus expanding it, he chose to take property away from his father.

The inheritance would have been quite useful if he took it for the right reasons. However, he wanted to use the inheritance to accomplish his selfish aims. He wanted to have a fantastic time and impress everyone. Never, at one moment, does he think about the effect of these actions have on his father. He did not appreciate what his father did for him because he would have behaved in a responsible way.

One realizes the fleeting nature of materialism as one reads ‘The Necklace’. This woman would never satisfy her desires no matter what. In one instance, she talks about how she would have loved “To be sought after and to be envied” (De Maupassant 38). In the party, she partially fulfills her wishes when she dances with passion and charms everyone in the room.

However, this condition is never sustainable; no single woman remains young forever. She wanted unrealistic things that could only last for a few hours. Her triumph after the party is superficial and vain. In fact, the author emphasizes this futility by making her excitement quite short-lived. This occurs when Madame Loisel realizes that she had lost her friend’s diamond necklace.

The same thing happened to the prodigal son. Materialism is always so futile because human resources can barely satisfy one’s desires. The young son went to squander his father’s property in a distant land (Luke 15: 14). He had an exciting experience for a short time before the money ran out. The prostitutes and the fake friends abandoned him when his resources dwindled.

This young man was alone in a strange land because he valued temporary things. He did not understand what real wealth was, and this made it quite difficult for him to find happiness. Essentially, the prodigal son illustrates to audiences what can happen to an individual when one holds on to superficial values.

It is crucial to understand why Mathilde was a materialist in the story. When the author wrote the novel, women had limited economic control. Society defined their value on the basis of uncontrollable things, such as beauty, elegance and charm (De Maupassant 38).

However, this does not imply that women could not counter these inequalities in their own way. Other women, in the same position, managed to live within their means. They coped with the limited resources and avoided excesses that they could not afford.

The other valuable thing about these women was that lived in wisdom. They also learnt from their mistakes; sadly, Mathilde was not one of them. She often fantasized about that fateful night when she was the star of the evening. Even after ten years of suffering, poverty and despair, she still thought that there was something valuable about the evening. This woman had learnt nothing from those ten years.

In the prodigal son, materialism probably emanates from the sense of entitlement that the young son developed in his childhood (Linemann & Anderson 55). Older siblings tend to be more responsible than younger ones because they understand what it at stake when they do not behave appropriately. However, young siblings tend to take things for granted because so many relations can take care of them.

The prodigal son’s older brother tended his father’s fields. He was wise enough to know that asking for his inheritance when his father was still alive would only result in poverty and desperation. He understood that one must earn one’s rewards.

The young son had not learnt these lessons yet; he thought that he had the right to own everything he wanted, and no one would deny him this. It was this misconception that brought him all his tragedies. If he had known what his older brother knew, then it is likely that he might have been less materialistic or superficial.

The story of the ‘The Necklace’ also illustrates the fruitlessness of materialism. In other words, it proves that fate will often catch up with people who focus all the energy and attention to these superficial things.

Madame Loisel thinks that by buying an expensive gown and wearing a diamond necklace, she will get a taste of the high- end life. Instead of satisfying this longing, the necklace only dooms Mathilde to a life of poverty and desperation. The necklace only satisfied her for a night but caused her immense suffering for ten years.

When her husband made promises to all sorts of money lenders, he knew that their lives would change from that point onward. In fact, even audiences can forebode the events that will follow later in Mathilde’s life. It is quite tragic when one realizes that Mathilde and her husband had wasted ten years of their life on a fake diamond. The narrative proves that only misery can emanate from an obsession with materialism.

The same thing occurred to the prodigal son; fate conspired against him. When his resources dwindled, a massive famine came upon the distant land that he had visited, and he could not find work anywhere. Furthermore, he lived so desperately that he envied the pigs in his employer’s barn. These assertions depict the fact that materialism has its consequences.

These two narratives serve as valuable lessons today; society still has many Madame Loisels or prodigal sons (Fowler & Aaron 15). In fact, one may argue that there is a small Mathilde in most Americans. People obsess about making money or chasing the American Dream, yet few of them even understand what the American dream truly means. The day of reckoning came in the 2007 economic depression that has persisted to date.

People created this scenario by focusing on fast money and living luxurious lifestyles that they did not earn. Just like the prodigal son, many individuals bought homes and luxuries. They enjoyed this for a while until the economy came tumbling down like a house of cards. One can also liken the problems in the recent recession to Madame Loisel’s situation.

She wanted to live a life that she did not deserve by borrowing things and manipulating her husband. Her experience changed when the same things she wanted, were the same things that trapped her. People who took shaky loans to finance the acquisition of houses did not enjoy their new-found status because the economy plunged.

In ‘The Necklace’, the author also illustrates that materialism and deceit often come hand in hand. Mathilde lied to herself and her friends, and this eventually created an unfulfilled life. When Mathilde realizes that she has lost her friend’s diamond necklace, she does not tell her friend about it. Instead, she chooses to replace it secretly by spending thirty six thousand francs on a real diamond necklace.

Everything goes downhill form there because Lady Loisel could not be honest about her predicament. Since she obsessed about appearing capable to her friend, she was willing to sacrifice anything in order to achieve this. Her suffering emanated from the deceit that accompanied her quest for superficial things.

Similarly, the prodigal son lived in his own version of deceit. He lied to his new-found friends and female companions that he was a wealthy man. This young man lied to himself by thinking that he could buy friends who would stick by him through thick and thin. However, that deceit led him to live an undesirable life because no one wanted to stick by him when they realized that he had nothing.

It should be noted that wanting luxurious things is not necessarily an unwelcome thing. When greed occurs at moderate levels, it can inspire and motivate people to improve themselves. However, when it becomes an obsession, then that is where the problem begins (Anderson 103). Mathilde is willing to do anything to look and feel glamorous. She jeopardizes her whole marriage and life owing to these desires.

The dress her husband bought for her would have been enough had it not been for such an intense longing. The prodigal son also took his obsessions with material things to the extreme by abandoning his family and friends for the high-class life. The two protagonists mirror what goes on in modern societies today.

When individuals become too obsessed with material things, then they might end up committing crimes and shortchanging their values in order to achieve this.

Conclusion

The Necklace and the Prodigal son illustrate how destructive materialism can be. First, Madame Loisel fails to appreciate the life that she already possesses. This means that she created her own misery. Similarly, the prodigal son did not value the extraordinary life that his father provided him because of his obsession with luxurious things.

Materialism ruined the protagonists’ relationships with others. It reduced Mathilde’s relationship with her husband to one of manipulation and dissatisfaction. The same thing happened to the relationship between the prodigal son and his father.

Materialism also caused both characters to live in deceit; it also led to massive harm and misery. Mathilde and the prodigal son still exist today as witnessed through the 2007 economic crash. People obsessed about acquiring material things without working for them, and this led to their demise.

Works Cited

Anderson, Daniel. Writing about literature in the media age. NY: Pearson, 2005. Print.

De Maupassant, Guy. The necklace and other short stories. NY: Dover publications, 1992. Print.

Fowler, Ramsey & Aaron, Jane. Little, Brown Handbook. NY: Longman, 2011. Print.

Linemann, Erika & Anderson, Daniel. A rhetoric of writing teachers. Oxford: OUP, 2001. Print.

New International Version Bible. [Colorado Springs]: Biblica, 2011. Web.

Seyler, Dorothy. Introduction to Literature: reading, analyzing and writing. NY: Prentice Hall, 1990. Print.

Introduction

The story is about a woman called Mathilde Loisel who attaches immense significance to material things. Her misery arises from vanity, which is deeply rooted in her behavioral tendencies. It is remarkable to note that her sorrowful nature arises from poverty. Furthermore, she is always complaining that her husband lacks the material wealth that would make her live luxuriously. The story poses a clear message, which exemplifies how people fail to notice valuable aspects. This is by focusing on possessions only to realize that they have lost important aspects such as love. The vehicle utilized in delivering the message is the “necklace.” Evidently, the writer uses it symbolically to represent material wealth. Mathilde loses a beautiful necklace, which she borrowed with the intention of impressing people at the ball. This forces her to alter her lifestyle in order to pay the debt. As a result, she leads a miserable life while struggling to look for finances to resolve the debt. In as much as people yearn to live a quality lifestyle, they ought to be aware of the repercussions emanating from vanity thus the need to appreciate their position.

Description of Mathilde

This paper examines the life of a woman experiencing many challenges, which may appear imaginary. Evidently, she is not contented with her social class. It is true that, she constantly laments about her inability to live luxuriously. Loisel regrets because she cannot enjoy certain luxuries. She lacks understanding on the valuables present in her life. She squanders valuable time by fantasizing on the things lacking in her life. Evidently, she fails to note that the husband loves her. She dreams of expensive things that are not readily achievable. In addition, she is ignorant that since she fails to acknowledge that such livelihoods could result in regrets in the future. She is a woman, who is rarely satisfied by her current achievements. Her previous achievements results in complains and the desire for possessions. Therefore, it is plausible that, her greediness for material possessions would never stop.

Her materialistic lifestyle

The husband already understands her attitude, needs, and works hard to provide for her. On one-day, he presents to her an invitation card for a formal party hosted by the minister of education. He decides this hoping that it would partly satisfy her desire for material things. Contrary to his expectations, she denounces the offer with the excuse that she lacks exquisite clothes for the occasion. The husband understands her position thus responds by giving her some cash to procure the dress. The wife blindly, takes the money without considering the effects it might have on their family. As indicated before in this paper, Loisel is implausible to get satisfied. After buying the dress, she complains that she lacks jewels, which could match the dress.

The necklace

Finally, she decides to borrow a necklace from Forestier, a highly placed woman residing in the neighborhood. She is doing this to avoid appearing tattered in the middle of other rich women expected to be present at the upscale ball. During the ball, she was outstandingly beautiful thus receiving attention from most of the people present at the ball. She was highly admired by distinguished people, therefore, resulting to deep satisfaction. She saw herself as having attained a higher stature. She failed to comprehend that the current feeling would result into misery in future. The current sensation attributable to belonging further gives her confidence at the dance floor thus dancing madly. Forestier, rarely valued the beauty in her since she considered the dress and the necklace as the major contributing factors to the appealing appearance. This portrays her greed for material possessions. She fails to value, how the husband treasures her. He sacrificed to buy her an elegant dress regardless of its costly nature. She highly desires to belong to the upper class to afford classy things in life. Afterwards, she recognizes that the necklace is lost. We expect her to be shocked, but this is not the case. Consequently, she fully relies on the husband to reimburse the necklace. Through her actions, it is apparent that she does not exude care towards her husband.

The effects of vanity

The pride and vanity in her result to a life full of miseries. Her inflated vanity, pride, and dissatisfaction result to their bankruptcy, since they use all their funds to settle the debt. She fails to realize that, it is good to treasure what you posses instead of fighting for the unavailable. She did not recognize that it could land her in more miseries and regrets. Mathilde fails to confess what happens to the necklace and chooses to substitute it with a different one. She cannot withstand the fear of what could happen if her friend notices the difference in the necklace. The ten years full of struggle and hard labor proves to her what life holds. Therefore, she flashes back on how her life has greatly changed and never believes it. Apart from the point that people should hold what they already have instead of craving for unachievable materials, it is also true that challenges in a way help people to acquire good character. In fact, she is said to have changed in to a person with a “golden heart.” The life challenges, makes her let go the arrogance thus becoming an important person in the society. We learn that, people enduring life challenges attain strength and courage of continuing living. This consequently enables them benefit from their hardships.

There is a high probability that Mathilde would have continued to crave for greater things even if the necklace never got lost. Her soaring greed for luxurious lifestyle would eventually culminate into spiritual poverty. Her desire for classiness results to a future full of regrets and pain. Under normal conditions, a necklace is inexpensive. In this case, the necklace is utilized symbolically to represent the classy and lavish materials. In France, her people greatly worshipped material wealth that later had adverse effects in their lives.

Conclusion

Mathilde portrays the typical defects of human character. She further depicts how people fail to accept the reality thus experiencing problems. Additionally, she fails to understand that youthfulness, beauty, and dignity are equally important. She chooses dignity and forgoes the rest. After awaking from the circumstances that defines her livelihood, she does not lament. As evident in Mathilde’s story, people clearly understand the evil effects of vanity. It is therefore true that people should work tirelessly to gain the honor and glory, which is attributable to them rather than using vanity to pursue the false glory.

The story of Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace” revolves around the eponymous item of jewelry, which the heroine obtains but then loses and has to return. Dissatisfied with her position in life, Mathilde dreams of more luxurious circumstances where she would be able to afford more than one servant and mingle with high society regularly. For one night, she is able to live her dream but is put in heavy debt when she loses a diamond necklace and has to buy an expensive replacement. After ten years of hard work, which ruins Mathilde’s beauty, the family pays off the debt, and Mathilde is happy that the struggle is over. However, upon meeting the necklace’s owner, Mathilde learns that the original one was a fake all along, not worth anything near the replacement.

Mathilde’s desire for an imaginary life is the cause of all her woes, as it leads to the party invitation and the ensuing ruin. She has a reliable husband who can afford a house with a servant and saves money away on top of it. With her low-class birth, logically, she should be satisfied with the fact that she does not have to work. However, instead, she thinks that her beauty entitles her to more and is proven correct when she manages to enjoy herself immensely at the party. Then, she comes to know the cost of living such a life after losing the necklace and having to pay it off.

With that said, the point of the story is also that, in large part, luxury is simply a pretense with little to no intrinsic value. The necklace ultimately turns out to be a convincing fake that manages to fool everyone at the party. Even its owner does not notice that the replacement is a necklace with real diamonds instead of replacement stones. For the sake of this imaginary luxury, Mathilde has to go through the shame of returning to her dreary life, which then declines further. Ultimately, Maupassant’s meaning is that the pursuit of the high life is not worthwhile compared to the simpler happiness that can be found in life.

The Last Sentence in “The Story of an Hour”

Louise, the protagonist of the story, is known to suffer from heart disease, which can lead her to have a stroke due to a sudden shock. Despite the best efforts of her family, this very fate befalls her at the end. However, it does not come from the source they expect, the death of her husband, as that is related to her slowly and carefully. Instead, the source of the shock is the reveal that he was alive and unharmed all along. Chopin asserts that she died of “the joy that kills,” which caused a heart attack. In my opinion, this interpretation is only partially correct, as joy was not the sole reason for her death.

The emotion was responsible for putting Louise in a state of affectation that made her highly excitable and prone to having a heart attack. She hated her overbearing husband, who would dominate her for her own good without understanding how it affected her. The prospect of freedom that she could now enjoy while still young and fair filled Louise with elation, and her imagination ran wild. Normally, she would have calmed down over time and proceeded to live with a newborn sense of freedom and strength. However, the events played out differently due to the sudden return of her husband, who turned out not to have been involved in the accident.

Unlike the lead-up, the actual death can be ascribed to both joy and terror. The return of the husband signifies the end of Louise’s newly-hatched dream, which would have brought her down immensely, potentially killing her with dread. However, Chopin also confirms that the emotion Louise felt for her husband was not entirely hatred and that, at times, she loved him. As a result, she was prepared to grieve for him even as she felt joyful in his absence. His return might have made her happy despite herself, truly killing her with joy, as Chopin claims. However, ultimately, the cause was likely a mix of the two contradictory emotions suddenly overwhelming her.

“It’s not Right”

The characters referred to in the quote are Gurov and Anna Sergeyevna, the two protagonists of Chekhov’s short story “The Lady with the Pet Dog.” They have just slept together for the first time despite both of them being married. Anna Sergeyevna views the act of adultery as demeaning to herself despite being unable to resist the impulse. As such, she feels that she has sinned and lost her purity, which is central to her self-image. Having been tarnished in this manner, she expects Gurov to lose his interest in her, as well. He, however, does not know how to react, waiting for Anna Sergeyevna to calm down while he thinks.

The moment serves to demonstrate Gurov’s attitude toward the affair and his double life. Initially, he is bored of Moscow society and looks for excitement elsewhere, preferring to engage in affairs with new and interesting women. Anna Sergeyevna is one such woman, but, while originally Gurov is interested in her, over time, he learns about her character and decides that she is “pathetic.” This perception changes after the act of sex, as her response to it is unusual and fills him with confusion and the desire to know more. Gurov expects gratitude, coldness, or fake affection but instead receives naïve self-reflection and the desire for forgiveness.

While initially, the protagonist responds to this new development with irritation and boredom, over time, his attitude changes. After concluding the affair, he returns to Moscow but cannot forget about Anna Sergeyevna despite his expectations to the contrary. Unable to express himself, he comes to hate Moscow with its low and base happenings compared to the high flights of his soul. In the end, Gurov seeks Anna Sergeyevna out again and confesses his desire for her, which she returns. The affair continues, taking place once every two or three months, when she would invent an excuse to come to Moscow. The story ends with Gurov having found true love despite starting out simply to enjoy himself while visiting another city.

The Protagonist of “The Tell-Tale Heart”

The speaker in the line given is the protagonist and narrator of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” He has murdered his benefactor and given himself over to the police, claiming that he is not mad. However, his story would suggest otherwise, as he seems to have hallucinated or otherwise imagined an incomprehensible reason for the murder. The narrator’s claim hinges on the argument that he worked cautiously and with great foresight. However, it is not necessarily the case that mad people would act irrationally in the pursuit of their goal, however deranged it was. Still, the narrator can be described as mostly reliable despite his warped perspective influencing many of his actions and perceptions.

As the protagonist himself describes, he does not know how the idea of destroying the old man’s eye came upon him. However, he describes it as special because of the film covering it, which makes it look like a vulture’s to him. It is possible that the benefactor had some sort of eye condition, making the claim factually accurate. The narrator would then choose it as an object on which he would fixate. His description of the actions he took afterward also appears to give little reason for doubt, as the actions were simple and entirely possible. The hour that he spent without moving may be exaggerated, but otherwise, the actions until the opening of the lantern are probably relayed accurately.

Once the protagonist sees the eye, he starts hallucinating the sounds of the old man’s heart. At first, he may have heard the beating, assuming it was agitated and his senses were sharpened. However, it is also possible that he imagined it, especially considering the events that take place later. Regardless, once the beating stops, the narration returns to presumably reliable as the protagonist conceals the body and greets the officers. Finally, once he starts hearing the beating again, the narration becomes presumably not entirely reliable, but throughout the entire story, the protagonist is likely correct about the factual events and his feelings.

The Birthmark and the Present

The passage is taken from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birthmark.” It is the concluding line of the work, referring to the protagonist, Aylmer’s, ultimate success but also his failure. Aylmer sought perfection in his extremely beautiful wife, whose appearance was only marred by a birthmark on her face. Over time, he grows obsessed and disgusted with it, returning to his scientific pursuits after initially abandoning them to pursue love. As he treats Georgiana, his wife, it is revealed that Aylmer had pursued perfection in science for most of his life, trying to achieve many different things and achieving spectacular feats in the process but always proving inadequate to reach the ultimate goal.

Ultimately, Aylmer succeeds in eliminating the birthmark, achieving physical perfection in his view. The author implies that the removal was a detriment rather than a benefit, comparing the disappearance of the birthmark to the rainbow fading out of the sky. Regardless, the protagonist is ecstatic until Georgiana reveals that she is dying due to the birthmark’s removal. She claims that she is really an angel who cannot exist in the mortal world unless tied to it by some imperfection. With the lifeline gone, Georgiana returns to Heaven, leaving Aylmer behind to regret his actions. Regardless, she does not admonish him but rather congratulates him for triumphing at last as Aminadab laughs.

The point of the story is that, despite Aylmer’s obsession, Georgiana was already perfect as a partner, at least in Hawthorne’s view. She was loyal and supportive, willing to do anything for his sake, even drink poison, as she explained earlier in the story. However, instead of living happily with her, he became obsessed with the earthly phenomenon of the birthmark instead of recognizing Georgiana’s spiritual nobility. With her beauty, she was already as close to perfection as possible, but Aylmer failed to see that and focused on the unachievable. Overwhelmed by his obsession, he sacrificed his chance at lifelong happiness for a moment of triumph followed by regret, hence the concluding phrase.

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 one’s 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 Mathilde’s 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 one’s 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 Mathilde’s 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 human’s 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 Maupassant’s 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. “Maupassant’s The Necklace as a Fictional Means of Assuaging the Illusions of Life: The Woman’s Perspective.” Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 6, no. 9, 2018, pp. 86-94.
5. Yadav, Shubham. “Character Analysis of ‘Mathilde Loisel’in the Maupassant’s “The Necklace”.” International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS), vol. 4, no. 3, 2019, pp. 647-649.

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. Maupassant’s 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 one’s 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 husband’s 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 Mathilde’s and the narrator’s 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].

“Boule de Suif” is a short story by Guy Maupassant. Translated, “Boule de Suif” means ‘Ball of Fat’ and it is used in reference to the title characters’ physical characteristics. This short story is often considered to be one of Maupassant’s best works.

The short story was published as part of Maupassant’s “Les Soirées de Medan” short story collection. “Boule de Suif” was published in 1880, the period after the French were defeated in the Franco-Prussian War. “Boule de Suif” is a story about the different classes of the French people at the time and Society’s hypocrisy.

The story is about Elizabeth Rousette, a prostitute who has the nick name of Boule De Suif. According to the narrator, Rousette is “Short and round, fat as a pig, with puffy fingers constricted at the joints, looking like rows of short sausages… much sought after, owing to her fresh and pleasing appearance” (Maupassant 10).

The story is about ten city residents who are fleeing from Le Havre. The group is made up of people from different classes including shop owners, factory owners, and nuns. The respected citizens of the city are not comfortable with the idea of travelling together with Boule de Suif the ‘lowly prostitute’.

However, when the other travelers learn that Boule has packed food, they all warm up to her. The coach is then stopped in a German-occupied village where the top soldier refuses to let it go unless he receives sexual favors from Boule.

Boule strongly refuses this arrangement but she finally agrees just to set her fellow travelers free. However, the rest of the travelers repay her by isolating her and refusing to share their food with her. Consequently, Boule de Suif is outraged by the hypocrisy of the citizens and she is overcome by emotions.

Maupassant’s story features insightful character descriptions and a well laid out dialogue. In addition, the author exhibits great skill when describing scenes in his story. The most dominant themes in this story are hypocrisy, class conflict, appearances, and reality.

The story’s title character finds herself at the receiving end of hypocrisy and class-based judgment. The other passengers feel that Boule’s status does not warrant her the privilege of traveling with their kind. However, when they are in need of food and Boule is the only one who has some, their feelings towards her change.

The narrator of this story remarks that Boule de Suif “felt at once indignant with her neighbors, and humiliated at having yielded to the Prussian into whose arms they had so hypocritically cast her” (Maupassant 40). This happened after Boule had returned to the couch after giving in to the German Commander’s demands.

This line marks the point at which the story turns around. Both Boule and the readers were expecting a different reaction from the rest of the travelers given that Boule had just granted them their wish. However, the author chooses to use this scene to highlight the collective hypocrisy of the society.

All the other travelers represent different classes in the society and none of them expresses a different opinion. According to Maupassant, the society advocates for patriotism but ends up sacrificing the patriots. Boule had just given up her dignity for the sake of her countrymen but they repay her by isolating her.

“Boule de Suif” bears similarities with other Maupassant’s literary works. Most of Maupassant’s works addressed the social and political issues in nineteenth century France. “The Necklace” is a short story by Guy Maupassant that tells the story of an ambitious woman who borrows a necklace from an affluent woman only to lose it.

There are some striking similarities between “The Necklace” and “Boule de Suif”.Both “The Necklace” and “Boule de Suif” were published in the same period. Therefore, both stories were meant for the same audience and addressed social issues that happened within the same period.

When one is reading both “Boule de Suif” and “The Necklace”, several recurring aspects of Maupassant’s literary style are noticeable. The most notable ‘Maupassant factor’ in both stories is the similarity of the stories’ themes. The theme of class conflict is highlighted in both stories.

Madam Loise belongs to the lower bourgeoisie. In the traditional French society, the lower bourgeoisie was better off than the laborers and tradesmen but it was below the ruling class.

The author uses the same approach in “Boule de Suif” where Boule belongs to the lowest class, the merchants belong to the lower bourgeoisie, and the factory owners belong to the upper bourgeoisie.

On the other hand, Carré-Lamadon the Comte and Comtesse of Bréville belong to the aristocratic or ruling class. When the travelers are in the coach, the issues of class keep coming up.

The other similarity in style between the two stories is the heavy use of irony as a stylistic device. In both stories, the use of irony plays a major part in highlighting the main themes in the stories.

Another similarity touches on the use of non-partisan third-person narrator. Both stories are told through the use of an omniscient narrator. The narrators in “The Necklace” and “Boule de Suif” are able to see into the characters’ inner thoughts.

Works Cited

Maupassant, Guy. Boule de Suif, and other Stories, New York, NY: Harper, 1909. Print.

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. 732–739., Web.

Băniceru, 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. 29–50., Web.

In her study, Băniceru 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, Băniceru 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 Maupassant’s 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. 123–124., 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. 61–89., 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 Maupassant’s Stories.”Literary Theory and Criticism, 2019, Web.

Mambrol offers a comprehensive review of various De Maupassant’s stories in relation to the author’s personal life and experiences. The author claims that major motives in De Maupassant’s work came from his everyday life. According to Mambrol (2019), “De Maupassant’s 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, Mambrol’s 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 Maupassant’s 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 Maupassant’s story The Necklace. The authors claim that women’s 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 Maupassant’s Select Short Stories.” Ars Artium: An International Peer Reviewed-Cum-Refereed Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 6, 2018, pp. 114–119.

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 Maupassant’s 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.