Differences And Themes In The Necklace By Guy De Maupassant

Between misplacing priorities and self-absorption Mathilde Loisel is created in the story, “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. Mathilde has just about everything a woman could want: remarkable beauty, a loving husband, and a comfortable lifestyle. Material riches are the only category in which she believes she is inadequate to other women. This one factor sets up the conflict present in the story. Throughout the turmoil she must endure, due to her egotistical ways, one would think she would have a change in heart and mindset. Mathilde has a dissatisfied disposition that does not evolve even as her situation does; she is disgruntled being in the middle class, as well as attending a first class event, and ultimately being in the working class.

Mathilde may not be from the first class, but she still has a nice apartment, a comfortable lifestyle, manicured hands, and even a maid to do all the housework. These facts show that Mathilde is in the middle-class, most likely the upper half. Although she appears to have a great life, she only sees what she does not have and compares herself to the women in the first class. Her dissatisfied disposition is described, “as if she had gone through bankruptcy” (paragraph 2). Self-absorption is creates the misplacement her priorities. Having the most in materials, being the envy of every woman, and the attraction of every man, are her objectives for life. As for her dissatisfied disposition, she is missing the wonderful life that she has and even when her middle class life is gone, she still does not look back fondly at the memories, which is all she now has from her former life. Most importantly, she continues to miss the love and care her husband gives her and continues to resent her parents for not having first class connections and having to settle in marring her husband, Mr. Loisel, because he is not a rich, well-known