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Lessons from "The Necklace" Story

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213 views5 pages

Lessons from "The Necklace" Story

English

Uploaded by

srijandevrari
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Theme of the Story
  • Questions and Answers

THE NECKLACE

By GUY DE MAUPASSANT

Theme of the Story


The story of ‘The Necklace’ is a satire that gives a strong
message on human values. The very first thing that this
lesson teaches us is that everyone should be content in life
with whatever little that one has. One should live within
one’s means or else he invites unnecessary problems,
anxieties, and confusion in life. The most important
message of the story is that we should be what we are.
Character Sketch
Mathilde Loisel:
The protagonist of the story. Mathilde has been blessed with
physical beauty but not with the affluent lifestyle she yearns
for, and she feels deeply discontented with her lot in life. She
dreams of a life of glamour and wealth. She feels trapped in a
middle-class life and longs to for the life of riches that she
believes she deserves.

Monsieur Loisel:
In contrast to Mathilde’s selfishness and greed, her husband
demonstrates generosity and sacrifice. He is upset with his
wife’s dissatisfaction and works hard to secure tickets to the
Ministry of Education ball to make her happy. When Mathilde
loses the necklace, Monsieur Loisel undergoes ten years of
hard work and poverty in order to purchase a replacement.

Madame Forestier: Madame Forestier is the wealthy friend of


the Loisels who lends Mathilde the diamond necklace for the
ball. She is generous to Mathilde.
Questions and Answers

[Link] was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have
avoided it?

Matilda’s aspiration and unrealistic dreams were the cause of


her ruin. She paid due importance to materialistic things. She
could have easily avoided if she had remained within her
means. She was not a practical lady and had not understood
her husband’s feelings.

2.A little confession would have changed the life of Matilda.


Should we confess our mistakes courageously? Do you agree
about above statement.
Answer:
Yes, a small mistake makes our life miserable and dark.
People who are open-minded and speak the truth stay much
happier. A little mistake made by Matilda changed her life
completely. If Matilda had confessed that she had lost
Madam Forestier’s necklace, her life would have been
different. Confession could have brought peace of mind.
Matilda would have at once come to know that necklace is
not a real but it is an imitation. Hard work which Matilda put
into repay the borrowed necklace could have been saved. We
all get a very important message that we should not delay in
admitting our mistake.

3. Love is blind’ is a phrase that was justified by Monsieur


Loisel in the lesson ‘The Necklace’. Substantiate the answer
from the story you have read in about 100 – 120 words.
Monsieur Loisel’s acceptance and contentment differ
considerably from Matilda’s emotional outbursts and
constant dissatisfaction, and though he never fully
understands his wife, he does his best to please her. When
Monsieur Loisel tries to appease Matilda, he does it so
blindly, wanting only to make her happy. When she declares
that she cannot attend the party because she has nothing to
wear, he gives her money to purchase a dress. When she
complains that she has no proper jewellery, he urges her to
visit Madame Forestier to borrow some.

[Link] Necklace’ reveals that vanity is an evil. It may bring joy


for short period but ultimately it leads to ruin. If you are
placed in a situation similar to that of Matilda, what would
you have done? Express your views.

No doubt, Matilda was proud and self-loving. She was very


beautiful and charming and she was proud of her beauty.
Because of her beauty, she thought that she was born in a
family of clerks through the error of destiny. She felt that she
was born for all delicacies and luxuries. She also felt that she
was made for expensive frocks, jewels and other such things.

Therefore, we can conclude that Matilda was very vain and


proud because of her beauty. When we read the story, we
find out that she suffered because of her vanity. If I were
placed in a situation similar to that of Matilda, I would have
valued the love of my husband. I would have not insisted on
buying an expensive dress to wear to the party. There would
be no question of borrowing an expensive necklace from my
friend. I would have saved me and my husband from all
hardships which the Loisels went through.
[Link] changes came in the lifestyle of Matilda after she had
lost the necklace?

To return the borrowed money Mr and Mrs Loisel suffered


for ten long years. First, they sent away the maid servant.
Then they changed their lodging and rented some rooms.
Now Matilda learnt heavy cares of household life, she had to
do the difficult chores of her kitchen. She had to wash dishes,
greasy pots and stew pans. She had to use her rosy nails to
wash the greasy pots and the bottoms of the stew pans.

She had to wash dirty clothes and to hang them on the line to
dry. Then each morning she had to take down the refuse to
the street. She also had to bring up the water for daily use.
She had to stop at each landing to catch her breath. She did
not have much money so she haggled with the shopkeepers
to get reduction in prices.

Once she was very beautiful and used to wear beautiful


dresses. Now she seemed old. Now she looked like a common
household woman. She had badly dressed hair and dirty
dresses. Her hands were red and she spoke in a loud tone.
She washed the floors with large pailg of water.

[Link] should be content with what life gives us.

Yes, we should be content with what life gives us. It is never


ending desire which forces us to follow wrong path.
Sometimes a person becomes dishonest to get more in life.
The desire to have more makes a person unhappy. Matilda
was a victim of such situation. Had she been content with
what she had, she would not have ruined her life.
[Link] inability to accept our circumstances may lead to an
unhappy life. Explain with reference to the story “The
Necklace”.

Common questions

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The theme of contentment versus ambition is portrayed through Mathilde Loisel's character, who is deeply dissatisfied with her middle-class life. Her constant yearning for wealth and glamour leads her to borrow a necklace, which results in ten years of hardship when it is lost and replaced deceitfully. This pursuit of status and material possessions illustrates the story's critique of vain ambitions, suggesting that contentment might have saved Mathilde from her eventual ruin .

Vanity in 'The Necklace' is depicted as a destructive trait through Mathilde, whose desire for appearances leads to her downfall. Her fixation on looking wealthy causes her to borrow a necklace, which when lost, results in years of hardship to replace it. Maupassant uses Mathilde's vanity to explore how an obsession with appearances can lead to one's ruin, criticizing societal values that prioritize fashion and wealth over substance and integrity .

'The Necklace' illustrates the dangers of unfulfilled desires through Mathilde's endless yearning for a luxurious lifestyle beyond her means. Her dissatisfaction with her reality leads her to borrow the necklace, triggering a chain of events that ends in ten years of poverty and labor. Maupassant shows how Mathilde's inability to reconcile her dreams with her reality results in a far worse outcome than if she had accepted her social status, emphasizing the perils of unchecked ambition .

Mathilde's transformation from a discontented, vain woman to a weary, labor-worn individual serves as a critique of her earlier superficial values. The initial loss of the necklace and subsequent years of toil force her to abandon her pretensions and face harsh realities. This transformation highlights the story's moral lesson about the necessity of grounding one's values in reality rather than in superficial desires, representing a forced acceptance of humility and the harsh lessons of life .

'The Necklace' is a satire targeting societal values such as materialism and vanity. Mathilde's aspirations for a life of wealth and luxury lead her to prioritize external appearances, causing her ruin. Maupassant critiques these societal and personal values by depicting how Mathilde's life spirals into hardship due to her fixation on possessions, illustrating the futility and destructiveness of equating status with happiness .

Monsieur Loisel serves as a foil to Mathilde, demonstrating contentment and sacrifice in contrast to her ambition and dissatisfaction. While Mathilde desires luxury, Monsieur Loisel is pleased with his simpler life and works diligently to make her happy, even sacrificing his own comfort by laboring to replace the lost necklace. Their relationship highlights the conflict between contentment and desire for more, revealing how Monsieur Loisel's love and sacrifices go unappreciated due to Mathilde's vanity .

Maupassant suggests that honesty could have profoundly changed Mathilde's fate. If she had confessed to Madame Forestier about losing the necklace, she would have discovered its lack of real value, preventing years of hardship. This potential outcome highlights the importance of honesty, suggesting that openness could have led to a more favorable resolution and prevented unnecessary suffering, reinforcing the story's moral about the perils of deceit .

The ending of 'The Necklace', where it is revealed that the necklace Mathilde borrowed was an imitation, underscores the theme of reality versus appearance. The twist reveals that Mathilde's and her husband's suffering came from their assumption that the necklace was authentic and valuable. This highlights Maupassant's critique of societal values that prioritize appearance over reality, showing how such misconceptions can lead to devastating consequences .

Irony plays a central role in 'The Necklace', chiefly through the revelation that the necklace Mathilde prized and sacrificed so much for was actually a fake. This twist underscores the story's critique of vanity and materialism, as the years spent repaying the necklace's worth were unnecessary. This irony enhances the story's message about the folly of valuing appearances, illustrating how misguided priorities can lead to severe consequences .

After losing Madame Forestier's necklace, Mathilde undergoes dramatic lifestyle changes. She and her husband dismiss their servant, move to a smaller apartment, and she becomes responsible for strenuous housework. Mathilde washes dishes, cleans floors, and haggles with shopkeepers, abandoning her previous elegance for a life defined by labor and austerity. These changes illustrate the dire consequences of her earlier vanity and the harsh reality that replaces her dreams of luxury .

THE NECKLACE By GUY DE MAUPASSANT Theme of the Story The story of ‘The Necklace’ is a satire that gives a strong
Questions and Answers 1.What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have avoided it? Matilda’s aspiration and unreal
Monsieur Loisel’s acceptance and contentment differ considerably from Matilda’s emotional outbursts and constant dissatisfa
5.What changes came in the lifestyle of Matilda after she had lost the necklace? To return the borrowed money Mr and Mrs Loi
7.Our inability to accept our circumstances may lead to an unhappy life. Explain with reference to the story “The Necklace”

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