An Ironic, Witty Short Story by Guy de Maupassant, The Necklace
analytical Essay
1015 words
Guy de Maupassant is considered to be one of the fathers of short stories, he is a French author who lived in the 19th century. Born in 1850 at the Chateau de Miromesnil in France, to a lone literary mother who passed on her passion for books to Guy. The author’s writing style is characterized by economy of style, brilliant irony and elegant denouement. Maupassant wrote over 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, and a volume of verse. Maupassant incorporated genres such as realism and naturalism within his works and his first published story; “Boule de Suif” (ball of fat) is considered by many as being his masterpiece.
“The Necklace” is an ironic, amusing and witty short story which deals with themes such as the deceitfulness of appearance, the threat of martyrdom and the power of objects. The main protagonist in this short story is Mathilde Loisel. Born in a family of clerks, the alluring Madame Loisel is convinced that her social status the “Petite Bourgeoisie” is simply a blunder and Mathilde is destined for a life of prosperity. She pursues her life in perpetual revolt against her circumstances. However she is not living in poverty, with a comfortable home and a caring husband, yet she remains oblivious of all other than the riches she craves. Her lust for wealth is a continual torment and turmoil.
Mathilde is a furious and turbulent woman consumed with jealousy who would sacrifice anything and do all in her power to cure her “misfortune” and reverse “destiny’s error” that has her living a unacceptable and incompetent life. Due to her materialistic and flirtatious personality, Madame Loisel is an unsympathetic character, she covets wealth and affection from prosperous playboys and neglecting all devotion Monsie...
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...ame Loisel comprehends the meaning of humility. Prior to the necklace Mathilde lived the life of princess in a working class home fantasizing of "thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware". After the necklace, Mathilde has metamorphosed into a determined woman who fights hard for her bread. Every so often she experiences her past daydreams but these have matured into objective and rational queries. Rather than crying and complaining she ponders upon a rational thought of her past life, this example of free indirect discourse gives us an insight into her more mature thoughts,"What would have happened if she had not lost that necklace? Who knows? who knows? How strange and changeful is life!". Madame Loisel develops a positive mindset and embraces failure as a lesson of life. Humbled by the events, she is truly a transformed lady.
Works Cited
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that guy de maupassant is considered to be one of the fathers of short stories. he was born in 1850 at the chateau de miromesnil in france, to a lone literary mother who passed on her passion for books to guy.
- Analyzes "the necklace" as an ironic, amusing, and witty short story which deals with themes such as the deceitfulness of appearance, the threat of martyrdom and the power of objects.
- Analyzes how mathilde is a furious and turbulent woman consumed with jealousy who would sacrifice anything and do all in her power to cure her "misfortune" and reverse "destiny's error".
- Analyzes how maupassant mocks mathilde as a stereotypical diva rather than using her to depict the social class.
- Analyzes how the necklace illustrates the puissance of perception and the breach between appearance and actuality.
- Analyzes how mathilde loisel's charm was her only blessing prior to the loss of the necklace, tattered during the laborious repayment of it.
- Analyzes how the irony present in "the necklace" humiliates the protagonists, but allows the reader to relate to mathilde as we experience such heart-sick moments.
- Analyzes how maupassant's illustration of mathilde loisel mirrors her character. her actions replicate that of a six year old spoilt brat with parents lacking authority.
- Analyzes how mathilde's husband returns home with a letter, but in disappointment "she tossed the invitation peevishly". the accumulation of her actions gives madame loisel an impression of immaturity.
- Analyzes how mathilde changes throughly from physical appearance to moral thinking. she learns to toil and gain pride in her personal success.
Related
- analytical
- The Necklace Short Story Essayanalytical essay“‘The Necklace’ is one of the most famous of Maupassant's short stories but also one of the most enigmatic” (Adamson). Guy de Maupassant was born in Normandy to wealthy parents. His childhood setting and character reflected in his fiction writing. His mother provided the characterization of slighted, overbearing women in most of his stories. The plot is about the loss of a diamond necklace by a low-ranking officials wife. She finds outs the price of a similar necklace is 36,000 francs. Madame Loisel spent 10 years paying off her debt for the necklace only to find out that the gems were paste costume jewelry instead of diamonds. Guy de Maupassant develops his theme that objects can have a perceiving power in his short story “The Necklace” through the use of characterization, symbolism, and irony.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how guy de maupassant develops his theme that objects can have a perceivable power in his short story "the necklace."
- Analyzes how guy de maupassant uses irony to provide a sense of suspense and to make the story moreinteresting. madame loisel mistakenly thought the costume jewelry necklace was an expensive diamond necklace.
- Analyzes how shirley jackson used irony to show that mme loisel wanted what she could not have and paid attention to the things nobody really cared about.
- Analyzes how symbolism is used in the story to signify how little things can play such a large role in someone's life.
- Analyzes how mathilde's husband sacrificed the money he was saving to buy his wife a dress because she wanted to look pretty at the party. mme loisel wanted high-class things that wealthy people owned.
- Analyzes how characterization is used to show the characters' personalities and how they change in the story.
- Analyzes how characterization is used to describe other characters in the story. madame forestier wanted to help madame loisel look her best at the high-end party, so she let her borrow any jewelry.
- Analyzes how guy de maupassant uses three literary elements to devise the theme in "the necklace" that objects can disappoint and trick people just by their appearance. madame loisel wants to be in the upper class and own expensive things.
907 wordsRead More - The Importance Of Reality In Guy De Maupassant's The Necklaceanalytical essayMathilde’s husband realizes that she will not be able to survive this perilous event without him, and he decides to expel his entire inheritance and take loans from anywhere he can find in order to pay for the necklace (72). They sell nearly everything to their name, and Mathilde comes to know both “the horrible existence of the needy” (72), and “what heavy housework meant” (72). What possession she once suffered an undesirable life to acquire, she would now suffer a far worse life paying for. After ten long years of strenuous work, Mathilde’s debts are paid off, but at the price of ten years of her life. Her youthfulness has escaped her through the diligent work; However, she still thinks of that night when she had “been so beautiful and feted” (72), only this time, the readers realize that she has an entirely different clarity about what that night really meant. Mathilde realizes that all of her acts of selfishness and envy, all of the greed and materialistic ideals were harbored into a relatively priceless item that she had given up ten years of her life for. Realizing this, Mathilde gathers the courage to tell Mme. Forestier, who did not even notice Mathilde after the toll that time and labor has taken on her body, about the necklace
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how de maupassant distinguishes mathilde as someone who believes she has been dealt a poverty stricken life and lives in greed and envy of others
- Analyzes how mathilde's husband notices her discontentment; he returns home with an invitation to the ministry’s ball and a triumphant air, but she is not appeased.
- Analyzes how mathilde is inspired to borrow mme. forestier's finest jewels. she has no remorse for neither her friends nor her family, and her materialistic-immature characteristics only worsen.
- Analyzes how mathilde and her husband search far and wide to find a replica of the necklace, when they stumble upon the jeweler with the replica worth thirty-six thousand francs.
- Analyzes how guy de maupassant’s “the necklace” exemplifies mathilde's confusion between her wants and her needs.
- Analyzes how immature individuals allow frivolous fantasies and desires of their imaginations to elude them from reality. in guy de maupassant's "the necklace," mathilde is deeply dissatisfied with every aspect of her life.
1447 wordsRead More - Characteristics Of Mathidle In Guy De Maupassant's The Necklaceanalytical essayIn Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace,” Mathidle is unhappy with the life she currently has. Furthermore, Mathidle is always striving to be like her “rich” friends. Even though Mathidle’s husband tries extremely hard to please Mathidle, Mathidle is always unsatisfied with her materialistic wealth in the beginning of her life. Likewise, Mathidle is an object-oriented idealist who momentarily escapes reality only to experience a tragic loss and eventually finds happiness through her journey.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mathidle in guy de maupassant's "the necklace" is unhappy with her life and striving to be like her "rich" friends.
- Analyzes how mathidle's longing for a wealthy lifestyle shows her disappointment with her less fortunate husband.
- Analyzes how mathidle escapes reality and encounters an unfortunate loss. de maupassant reveals more of her passion for wealth and living this type of lifestyle.
- Analyzes how mathidle finds happiness within her authentic life and learns valuable life lessons. she lets go of her dreams to be in a higher social class and accepts who she really is.
- Analyzes how mathidle, the protagonist in guy de maupassant's "the necklace," cannot find joy in the humble life she lives as a clerk’s wife.
1035 wordsRead More - Other details in the story also have a similar bearing on Mathilde’s character. For example, the story presents little detail about the party scene beyond the statement that Mathilde is a great “success” (7)—a judgment that shows her ability to shine if given the chance. After she and Loisel accept the fact that the necklace cannot be found, Maupassant includes details about the Parisian streets, about the visits to loan sharks, and about the jewelry shop in order to bring out Mathilde’s sense of honesty and pride as she “heroically” prepares to live her new life of poverty. Thus, in “The Necklace,” Maupassant uses setting to highlight Mathilde’s maladjustment, her needless misfortune, her loss of youth and beauty, and finally her growth as a responsible human being.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes guy de maupassant's use of setting in "the necklace" to reflect the character and development of the main character, mathilde loisel.
- Analyzes how details about the modest apartment of the loisels on the street of martyrs indicate mathilde's peevish lack of adjustment to life.
- Analyzes how maupassant's daydreams about owning a mansion strengthen her unhappiness and her avoidance of reality.
- Narrates how the woman imagined a gourmet-prepared main course with whispered gallantries and sphinx-like smiles.
- Analyzes how despair and inability to live with reality bring about her undoing. she agrees to borrow the necklace, which is just as unreal as her daydreams of wealth, and loses it drives her to give up her apartment and move into the attic.
- Analyzes how maupassant emphasizes mathilde's drudgery to maintain the flat, which reflects her coarsening and loss of sensibility. the work she performs, however, makes her heroic.
- Analyzes how mathilde's walk on the champs-elysées illustrates another combination of traits—self-indulgence and frankness.
- Analyzes how maupassant uses setting to highlight mathilde's maladjustment, needless misfortune, her loss of youth and beauty, and finally her growth as a responsible human being.
698 wordsRead More - Maupassant’s The Necklaceanalytical essayMathilde Loisel lived the life of a painfully distressed woman, who always believed herself worthy of living in the upper class. Although Mathilde was born into the average middle class family, she spent her time daydreaming of her destiny for more in life... especially when it came to her financial status. Guy de Maupassant’s short story, “The Necklace”, tells a tale of a vain, narcissistic housewife who longed for the aristocratic lifestyle that she believed she was creditable for. In describing Mathilde’s self-serving, unappreciative, broken and fake human behaviors, de Maupassant incorporates the tragic irony that ultimately concludes in ruining her.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mathilde loisel lived the life of a painfully distressed woman, who always believed herself worthy of living in the upper class. guy de maupassant's short story, "the necklace", tells her self-serving, unappreciative, broken, and fake human behaviors.
- Analyzes how mathilde lives in an illusive world where her desires do not meet up to the reality of her life. she yearns for the status of being upper class, and believes that her beauty and charm are worthy of much more.
- Analyzes how mathilde proves her cheated personality by looking down on the average life she has, and only looking up to the luxurious lifestyle of the wealthy.
- Analyzes how mathilde is forced to learn that the power of material items may be her desired interest, but cannot afford to let her craving for wealth take control of her life.
- Analyzes how mathilde's story of desire and hope for wealth portrayed her self-serving, unappreciative, broken and fake human behaviors to her husband and to society.
- Analyzes how willa cather's "paul’s case" depicts the fatal progression of deliberate seclusion that presents the unhappiness of a young man who desires for wealth.
- Analyzes how cather expresses paul's anger and resentment through descriptions of his surroundings and his neighborhood. he longs for the abstract world of upper class that he is surrounded by at the theatre.
- Analyzes how paul is stuck in a fantasy land where he views cordelia street as poverty when in reality the residents of his neighborhood are hardworking, diligent people who are successfully providing for their families.
- Analyzes how paul's job as an usher at carnegie hall allows him to indulge even further into his obsession with money. he finds himself lost in the theatre, music, and paintings.
- Analyzes how the closely told third-person narration begins by introducing the reader to the exterior world's feelings towards paul, establishing a first conception of his exclusion from his surrounding society.
- Analyzes how may have been discluded in school or from his friends/family to separate him so far from society, but as the short story continues it becomes more visible that he views himself in a completely different environment.
- Analyzes how willa cather weaves an interesting and enlightening twist of the point of view by carefully weaving a deep character whose understanding is extremely complex.
- Analyzes how the characters of mathilde and paul share the human behaviors of an unappreciated and broken lifestyle.
1604 wordsRead More - Differences And Themes In The Necklace By Guy De Maupassantanalytical essayBetween 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mathilde loisel is created by misplacing priorities and self-absorption in guy de maupassant's "the necklace". material riches are the only category in which she believes she is inadequate to other women.
- Analyzes how mathilde's dissatisfaction with her middle-class life is described as if she had gone through bankruptcy. she misses the love and care her husband gives her.
- Analyzes how mathilde's husband tries to please her with an invitation to a first-class event, but she is not satisfied with what she has and continues to acquire.
- Analyzes how maupassent's comparison of mathilde’s disposition to bankruptcy becomes an ironic twist, as her selfishness initiates ten years of hard work to just get by.
- Analyzes how mathilde's character is not able to grow because she stubbornly holds onto her dissatisfied disposition and resentment towards others. she grows only in bitterness, which does not count as character growth.
728 wordsRead More - The Conflict in Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace”analytical essayIt took ten years for Mathilde and her husband to pay off the debt of buying a new necklace. Those ten years were not spent with the luxuries she experienced so many years ago at the party, nor were they filled with the simple things she once owned and despised. She came to know “the horrible existence of the needy. She bore her part, however, with sudden heroism.” When passing her rich friend again in the street, she was barely recognizable. Who she was the day she ran into her friend was not who she was the night she wore that necklace.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the conflict is the most essential element of a story. it connects all pieces of the plot, defines the characters, and drives the story forward.
- Analyzes how mathilde's internal struggle in "the necklace" is with herself. she mentally battled with physical and financial limitations, but more with her soul.
- Narrates how mathilde's necklace, borrowed from a rich friend, was found lost by the end of the night. she and her husband paid for it heavily for many years to come.
- Analyzes how mathilde and her husband paid off the debt of buying a new necklace in ten years. she bore her part, however, with sudden heroism. when passing her rich friend again, she was barely recognizable.
- Opines that mathidle's character would never have developed without the conflict of losing the necklace. she had to come to terms with her life and with herself.
424 wordsRead More - Realism In Guy De Maupassant's 'The Necklace'analytical essayGuy de Maupassant is a realist whose claim to fame is the style in which he conveys political and socioeconomic themes in his literary publications. He achieves his writing style by putting small unfortunate life events under a spotlight. His literary performance is described in his biography from Cambridge, the writer says “He exposes with piercing clarity the small tragedies and pathetic incidents of everyday life, taking a clear-sighted though pessimistic view of humanity” (Halsey, par. 1). Guy de Maupassant’s story The Necklace is a great representation of the style he uses. In The Necklace the main character Mathilde Loisel a beautiful but impoverished woman married to a clerk is in conflict with her lack of wealth and desire to acquire
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how guy de maupassant uses visual imagery to support the overall theme of the story.
- Analyzes how the imagery used in the necklace foreshadows and constructs the plot and suspense required to convey the theme of the story.
- Analyzes how the theme of the necklace is directly comparable to une vie, and the use of socioeconomic influences is essential to the plot.
- Analyzes how guy de maupassant uses imagery, a suspenseful buildup of irony, and realism to successfully convey the overall theme of the necklace.
- Describes guy de maupassant as a realist who conveys political and socioeconomic themes in his literary publications. he incorporates realism to provide context and sense of reality to stabilize the ironic and suspenseful plot.
- Analyzes how guy de maupassant's realistic approach is common in many of his writings. the theme of une vie is described in his biography.
1364 wordsRead More - Comparing the Female Characters in The Necklace and Recitatifanalytical essayThe theme of these stories can be determined through an analysis of the narrator's attitude toward the characters in each story. The narrator in "The Necklace" reflects a disapproving opinion of Mathilde. He believes that Mathilde is snobby and too concerned with her social image: "She suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries. She suffered from the poverty of her dwelling, from the wretched look of the walls, from the worn-out chairs, from the ugliness of the curtains" (66). Through this description of her personality, the narrator illustrates his notion that Mathilde feels that she deserves a wealthier, upper class existence. The narrator also exhibits his beliefs in stating, "She had no dresses, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that. She felt made for that. She would so have liked to please, to be envied, to be charming, to be sought after" (63). In these sentences, the narrator reveals his ideas about Mathilde and her concern for the way others view her.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how guy de maupassant and toni morrison's "the necklace" and "recitatif" emphasize materialism and the desire to be envied. both authors prove that women are effective characters in depicting the social issue of craving material wealth.
- Analyzes how the narrator in "the necklace" reflects a disapproving opinion of mathilde and her concern for the way others view her.
- Analyzes how the narrator of "recitatif" doesn't expose his attitude toward roberta as obviously as he does in "the necklace."
- Analyzes how the narrators convey the themes of the stories through their attitudes and develop these themes through the manipulation of plot. the theme of "the necklace" deals with the universal desire to be envied.
- Analyzes how "recitatif" addresses a universal preoccupation with materialistic longings and is shown through roberta's tendencies to flaunt her possessions to her friend.
- Analyzes how maupassant and morrison depict these themes by choosing women as the main characters.
- Analyzes how maupassant and morrison convey their themes of social acceptance and materialistic longings through narrators' attitudes and develop these themes through the manipulation of plot.
878 wordsRead More - Writing the Essayanalytical essay“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant is about a girl who lives a poor and unfortunate life. She dreams of living in a high class society with many riches and jewels. She sees herself as something important and a person that everyone should respect as a valuable person. The only way Mathilde Loisel can be satisfied with herself and be content is by having expensive objects in her possession. Unfortunately for her she does not have the opportunity or the availability to buy luxurious items for self and becomes frustrated. Without the things that she desires she can not feel happy about how she is living and can not appreciate what she has. Her strong need for the expensive things makes her sad and sorrowful because she lives a normal life with her husband. Attending to typical housewife duties like cooking and cleaning, when she rather be wearing lavish clothes and fancy jewelry.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mathilde loisel's greed for expensive items is a critical aspect in her life, since she can't easily change it. many people are like her who need to have what they want to feel full-filled.
- Opines that the only person that can make a person happy is themselves because all emotions are made and changed inside their own brain. greed is hard to break because it is in relation to emotions and delight.
- Analyzes how mathilde loisel has a disproportionate desire for money, wealth, and social status. she seeks something that can provide her comfort and make her satisfied with her life.
- Analyzes how people's actions are a representation of their greed. some actions result in selfish and cruel acts, while others lead to good results.
- Analyzes how guy de maupassant uses a dreary mood, despondent character, and surprise ending to develop the idea that when an individual is overcome by greed, that person has an excessive desire to obtain material wealth to feel self sustained.
824 wordsRead More