Analysis Of Jewelry By Guy De Maupassant

Guy De Maupassant, who is generally considered the greatest French short story writer, in his short story “ Jewelry”, describes how the protagonist gradually becomes a greedy and vanity man from a pure man after he goes through hard life, unsuccessful marriage and sudden wealth. The author is good at choosing significant and typical fragments from common trivial things, reflecting the truth of real life. We can also feel the strong effect of irony appeared in the “ Jewelry”. Maupassant uses the problems in M. Lantin’s story to reveal the same problems existing in society. Ancient traditional moral standards have broken down due to the impact of money worship filled in people’s life, resulting in that the happy life, the loyal marriage and lofty

Lantin become a betrayer, which leads her to exchange her body and allegiance for expensive jewelry. M. Lantin often advises his wife to pick up herself with natural beauty and her own charm instead of the fake jewelry, but his wife isn’t in favor of his kindly suggestions. She loves jewelry very much (par.9). From Mrs. Lantin’s attitude, she is a vanity woman and likes pursuing material comforts. It’s hard to change her nature. Therefore, she is willing to become another man’s mistress so that she can get a lot of jewelry to flatter her vanity. However, Mrs. Lantin doesn’t dare to tell a truth that her jewelry is real. Sometimes, Mrs. Lantin takes out false jewelry to examine and appreciate it with passion and circumspection, as though she undergoes private delight; and she always takes a pleasure in putting a necklace round M. Lantin’s neck (par. 12). The plot of Mrs. Lantin appreciating jewelry profoundly delineates that she can obtain gratification as long as enjoying her jewelry. This is a forceful irony that Mrs. Lantin openly shows up jewelry and recalls sweet memories of her lover. Although Mrs. Lantin cheats on her husband, she doesn’t look guilty at all. Maybe it’s more important for her to gratify her vanity. But on the contrary, M. Lantin really loves Mrs. Lantin. His love is so obvious that his hair turns white in a month because of Mrs. Lantin’s death. However, their marriage has been destroyed by the betrayal, vanity and

Lantin knows a big truth that the fake jewelry is real and valuable, he seems to be reborn from despair and stand in the peak of career rather than feeling inconsolable and sorrowful about his wife’s death. What a big and unprepared turning point！No sooner did his wife die than he is devastated by this terrible fact. His hair turns white in thirty days, declaring his despair. Besides, there is a constant stream of tears on his face the whole day, which recounts that he is tormented with inexpressible sorrow—ever obsessed by everything of his wife (par. 15). All his behavior tells everyone how he loves this woman and can’t forget her, which makes us praise their sincere love. However, when he realizes that the “fake” jewelry, which becomes valuable, can bring him huge wealth, he can’t wait to sell all of them in exchange for money. M. Lantin argues with jewelers about computed price and angrily insists on checking the books. The higher the computed price is, the louder his voice is (par. 62). The detail description of disputing estimated value reflects M. Lantin’s inner activities that he is excited by the higher price, which means his greed and vanity are expanding. In addition, he disdains to look the occasional carriages, and desires to loudly tell at passers-by that he has two hundred thousand francs (par.68). Furthermore, he tells his supervisor that he possess a fortune of three hundred thousand francs, yet he tells others that he inherit four hundred