Money Does Not Buy Happiness

Emily Janszen
Ms. Wiley
Bell 4 Literary Genre
17 February 2010
Money Does Not Buy Happiness A teenage girl for her birthday gets a Coach purse instead of a Gucci purse, so she is not satisfied. This teenage girl complaining to her mother about the purse relates to Mathild in the story “The Necklace,” by Guy de Maupassant for she too, is never happy with the life she is given. The short story “The Necklace” is one of the best short stories due to the author’s excellent use of literary elements. To begin, the plot helps to keep the story going, because it is interesting and easily relatable. To continue, the setting of the story is set in Paris, France, in the 1850’s which makes it harder to relate to, but you realize that in Paris it is all about social class. Lastly, the main character does not change at all throughout the story, which is different, than in most short stories. All in all, this short story is an excellent story for incoming freshman to read. To begin the plot in this story, which encompasses all the parts of the story renders towards the theme. First, the plot in this story entices the reader to see what will happen next. Mathild is a young woman who was always wishing for more than she had and never was satisfied. She wanted to live in a fabulous house filled with luxurious furnishings and have all the stylish clothing, but she never did. This keeps the reader wondering what will happen in her future. Secondly, the plot makes the reader wonder if the character will change throughout the story. Mathild grieved of not having all that she wanted, throughout the whole story. This is the conflict in the story, how she doesn’t have what she wants, but at the end she still wants lavish things. It makes one wonder if she will change her ways and learn to appreciate what she does have. Thirdly, the plot makes the reader wonder if she will ever appreciate what she does have. Her husband who loved her very much, got them invitations to a ball, yet Mathild was still not pleased. She felt she didn’t have anything to wear. The reader, will wonder if she will ever appreciate him for trying to make her happy. Lastly, the plot keeps the story going and is the main ideas of each part in this short story. To start, the setting is Paris, France. This is important because it is an interesting city filled with glamorous people. First, Mathild wanted a life that she could only dream of, wanting to be of a higher class and to be rich, so she was discontent. Mathild had these dreams since she was a little girl, and all she ever wanted was for them to come true. To continue, France in the 1880’s was focused on the class into which you were born. Mathild was not born into a very wealthy family, for which she had wished. During this time period it was impossible to work your way up from poor to the rich. All she wanted was to fit in with the rich and famous. Lastly, Mathild was standing on the Champs Elysses Street, to seem like she belonged there. This shows that she hasn’t changed throughout the story and she still just wanted to be wealthy. The conflict of the story whereby she is not satisfied with her middle-class life, is still occurring even in the last paragraph. Overall, the setting plays a huge part in this story to see if the main character, Mathild will change. To begin, the character in this story, shows you that the characters do not always change or progress. For example, Mathild doesn’t change in this story. At the end, Mathild is window shopping on an expensive fashionable avenue in Paris, although she has no money to spend. She never realizes how much she truly has, and is not content with her lifestyle. Also, her husband didn’t change in this story either. He did not change because he always supported her and was just trying to make her happy. He should not have let her walk all over him, because he seemed like he truly did care. Thirdly, the couple’s relationship did not change. In the end they were still happy together. The couple got through their differences, and lived together even as Mathild was not happy. In conclusion, the conflict in this story had not changed, so therefore the characters did not either. The plot, the setting, and the characters are three main parts that make up a very good short story. First, the plot in the story, gives you the main ideas of the story, and keeps you wanting to read more. Also, the setting plays a huge part in this story, to see if the character Mathild will change. Finally, the character in this story, makes a huge part in creating the whole plot. In this story the character does not change making this an interesting short story to read. All in all, I really enjoyed reading the short story, “The Necklace,” and I think the incoming freshman will also.