The Necklace

"The Necklace" is a short story by Guy de Maupassant that places its focus on a beautiful

young woman named Mathilde and a diamond necklace. Mathilde is the main character with whom

we get to know the most. She is a woman who yearns to be wealthy and envied, desiring everything

glamorous. Her and her husband are far from poor, having a maid and other nonessential items, but

she still isn't satisfied with their apartment and lifestyle.

Mathilde's husband is the opposite and is more content with what they have. Although he

doesn't quite understand his wife, he loves her and his only want is her happiness. He's excited to

surprise her and satisfy her money fixated ways when he brings home an invitation to a ball. Mathilde

is
excited to go, but claims that she must have an extravagant dress and necklace to go with it in

order to attend.
She finds help from a friend who says she is free to borrow whatever piece of jewelry

catches her eye, and she goes with a seemingly pricey and valuable diamond necklace. Mathilde's

world seems to come crashing down when she learns that the beloved necklace that she borrowed

has gone missing.

Mathilde and her husband go through a rough ten years of working hard and rummaging for any

money available so that they can pay back their loans and debt that they have fallen deep into from

buying a replacement. Finally, she runs into Madame Forestier again, only to find out that the

necklace was fake and not worth all that they had worked so hard to earn. Although it is tough, I

believe that Mathilde ultimately comes out a better person. Her sometimes vile and bitter attitude is

somewhat transformed by the end when she learns that not everything, not even happiness, revolves

around money. The story teaches us to be grateful for everything that we have and to be observant

because things are not always as they seem.

The necklace in this story is much more than only a mere piece of jewelry, but further

symbolizes that not all that glitters is gold. Though the necklace looks valuable and pricey, it
turns

out to be a fake. This story teaches that beauty is only skin deep, which ties in with Mathilde's

fading beauty. As she grows older, she loses her looks, but her personality and character is what

ends up mattering the most. She learns to be thankful for what she has rather than how her old self

would have kept complaining and asking for more. The ten year younger Mathilde didn't know how

truly good she had it, which results in the aged and working Mathilde feeling encouraged to work and

be happier despite her circumstances. She is more driven and appreciative for what she had before

the unfortunate event. "She came to know what heavy housework meant and the odious cares of the kitchen. She

washed the dishes, using her rosy nails on the greasy pots and pans." (613). The author begins to

explain her daily life in what some may call poverty. I think that though she has less than she had in

the beginning, she is absentmindedly gathering new things to replace the old. Not material things,

but things of much more value - better character and work ethic. She got used to working, and even

made friends.

The end leaves us with the cliffhanger, "Oh, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste. It

was worth at most five hundred francs!" (614). We are never certain of how Mathilde reacts and what

she does with her life after she learns this new information, but I would like to think that after she had

spent ten years trying to earn back all of the money because she lied, she would realize to be more

truthful with herself and others. I think she realizes that she doesn't need lavish items and a luxurious

lifestyle like she had always told herself. She comes to the realization that when it comes down to it,

your attitude towards life truly determines it all, and she can be happy no matter the economic

circumstances.