The Necklace Diction

“The Necklace,” by Guy de Maupassant tells the story of a woman whose dreams and beauty don’t fit in the economic class she has married into. Mme. Loisel believes that “family and birth” (33) are the factors that create a significant woman; she resents her place in society and feels “she ha[s] fallen from her proper station” (33). Her husband is almost completely absent in the story while she chases her reveries of wealth and exquisiteness. Through the use of strong diction and characterization, Maupassant’s novella, “The Necklace,” demonstrates the subjective nature of perceived luxury and tendency for humans to measure their own status based upon their possession. Maupassant begins the story with a long description of Mme. Loisel’s impressive

Despite the author’s insistence that “Natural fineness, instinct for what is elegant, suppleness of wit…” is the hierarchy for great women, it’s clear Mme. Loisel still thinks little of her lifestyle merely because of her lack of grandiose luxury. (33) This is obvious when the author describes Loisel’s view that “she was one of those pretty and charming girls who are sometimes, as if by a mistake of destiny, born in a family of clerks.” (33) Using the word “mistake” makes it obvious to the reader that Mme Loisel does not believe she should be subjected to what she perceives as a life of mediocrity. Maupassant also describes, in reference to Mme. Loisel, “she let herself be married to a little clerk at the Ministry of Public Instruction.” (33) Again we can tell by the word choice used that Mme. Loisel has an inherently negative view of her husband and her husband’s social status, judging by the way the marriage is described. The husband is described as a “little” clerk who Mme. Loisel “let” marry her. Using the term “little” for her husband depicts her view of him as someone of little significance and importance. To say she “let” him marry her implies that she thinks he may be less deserving of being her husband, presumably compared to a man of higher

Loisel and many others in today’s society posses pertaining to luxury and social status, the dynamic characteristics of Mme. Loisel can be observed throughout the story. During the opening of the novella Mme. Loisel is characterized as discouraged, self-conscious and frustrated. Maupassant characterizes her by saying “she was as unhappy as though she had really fallen from her proper station” and later describing how “she suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries.” (33) This is notable because midway through the novella Mme. Loisel’s characteristics seem to completely change once she gets her hands on a necklace to wear out that she perceives as valuable. Mme. Loisel goes from claiming, “there’s nothing more humiliating than to look poor among other women who are rich.” to suddenly remaining “lost in ecstasy at the sight of herself” once she adds her friends expensive looking diamond necklace to her outfit. (35) Maupassant also details how (Mme Loisel) “sprang upon the neck of her friend, kissed her passionately, then fled with her treasure.” (35) This type of affection being shown by Mme Loisel is in great contrast with the disdain and contempt she looked upon her husband with in the earlier pages of the novella. When Mme Loisel is at the ball, Maupassant describes her “forgetting all, in the triumph of her beauty, in the glory of her success, in a sort of cloud of happiness” (36)