Essay on The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant - 696 Words

Freshman Composition II November 1, 2005 The nineteenth century French writer, Guy De Maupassant, tells an intriguing story in The Necklace. He depicts the painful life of a beautiful woman, unhappily born into an average family of clerks. She felt that she was destined to marry into wealth but sadly found herself settling as she married an average copyist. Unlike the women of today, women in the nineteenth century were not fortunate enough to have a career of their own; they were either born into a wealthy family or married a man with money. In The Necklace, Guy De Maupassant creatively reveals Mathilde Loisels dreams of a decadent lifestyle. As her struggles start to unravel, it becomes obvious that her heartache is solely†¦show more content†¦Mr. Loisel was an average guy with an average job at the Ministry of Education as a copyist. He doesnt seem to be bothered by their basic yet comfortable lifestyle; however, Mathilde is obviously anguished over the lack of his riches. Mr. Loisel was obviously excited the day that The Chancellor of Education had invited them to an exquisite dinner. Surely he thought that this was finally a way that he could provide an outlet for Mathildes deepest desires. Unfortunately, instead of being thrilled as he had predicted, Mathilde acted like a spoiled child, throwing the invitation on the table. She had no decent dresses, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but these; she believed herself born only for these (5). She couldnt have been more manipulative than when she began to cry about not having anything to wear. Of course Mr. Loisel suddenly fell into her trap and suddenly decided to give her all of the money in his savings account to buy her a new dress. Most would assume that shed be satisfied at this point; her husband has just made a huge financial sacrifice for her. However, as time drew near to the night of the party, she became insecure and restless because she thought she would look poor if she di dnt have any fancy jewels to wear; she thought shed look like a beggar. `Id almost rather not go to the party (30), she said.Show MoreRelatedThe Necklace By Guy De Maupassant863 Words   |  4 PagesThe short story â€Å"The Necklace† written by Guy De Maupassant, tells the story of a married couple who live an average lifestyle together in France—when one day everything in their lives changes due to a simple decision. The author aims to show the reader the power of decision making when faced to decide between needs, wants, honesty and untruthfulness and how every decision we choose to make affect our lives in ways we never thought possible. In the first few lines of the story, the narrator introducesRead MoreThe Necklace by Guy de Maupassant1034 Words   |  5 Pagesregret which Guy de Maupassant depicts throughout â€Å"The Necklace.† Guy de Maupassant, a French writer, born in 1850, was considered one of France’s greatest short-story writers. His writings were mostly influenced by the divorce of his parents when he was thirteen years old and by great writers such as Shakespeare, Schopenhauer, and Flauber. His parent’s divorce caused his stories to depict unhappiness of matrimony, deceit, miscommunication, and a profound misunderstanding (Maupassant, Guy de, 1850-1893)Read MoreThe Necklace by Guy De Maupassant1367 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Being Honest is Always Best† Telling the truth will always prevent future conflicts. Author Guy De Maupassant who lived from 1850 to 1893 proves in the story of â€Å"The Necklace,† that no matter how bad a situation is, speaking with the truth is always best. Now, this author does not prove this theme directly. Instead, throughout various situations in the story the main characters are faced with a long-term conflict because decisions were not made with honesty. Mathilde and Loisel who is her husbandRead MoreThe Necklace, by Guy de Maupassant791 Words   |  4 Pagescharacterized by other people. In â€Å"The Necklace† Mme. Loisel is a beautiful woman with a decent life, and a husband that loves her, and only wants to make her happy. She is not rich but she makes it along, she insists of a better, wealthier life. When her husband gets her invited to a ball, she feels the need for a brand new fancy dress and tons of jewelry. When the couple realizes they cannot afford jewelry as well, they searc h out to borrow her friend, Mme. Forestiers’ necklace. She comes to notice she noRead MoreThe Necklace, By Guy De Maupassant966 Words   |  4 PagesIn Guy De Maupassant’s â€Å"The Necklace,† Mathilde is a 19th century French woman who desires a wealthier lifestyle than she can acquire. She is completely indulged in the material possessions of life and is focused on the items she does not have rather than what she owns. It seems her happiness is entirely dependent on wealth and status. She neglects her husband and is never content with what he can offer. Eventually, Mathilde’s struggles of envy, selfishness, and materialism drive her to poverty.Read MoreThe Necklace By Guy De Maupassant934 Words   |  4 Pagesduring this time period was Guy de Maupassant, who wrote one of the most influential short stories of this century. â€Å"The Necklace†, written by Guy de Maupassant, illustrates elements of fiction such as the symbolism of the necklace be cause of Mme. Loisel’s desire to be rich, irony due to the twist ending, and a powerful theme. Firstly, the necklace Mme. Loisel borrows and her perspective symbolizes the desire she has towards being wealthy and important in society. Maupassant describes effectively theRead MoreThe Necklace By Guy De Maupassant1381 Words   |  6 Pagesstories are â€Å"The Necklace† by Guy de Maupassant and â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† by James Thurber. â€Å"The Necklace† was about a materialistic woman who faced consequences because of her envious personality and â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† was about a man who experienced daydreams randomly throughout the day. Although both short stories used literary elements, Guy de Maupassant utilized them for readers to understand and enjoy the story more than James Thurber. â€Å"The Necklace† was a short storyRead MoreThe Necklace By Guy De Maupassant1093 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the short story titled â€Å"The Necklace† by Guy de Maupassant, it is clear that the main themes being stressed are pride versus greed, and that things are not quite what they appear. Each of these things are represented throughout the story in some way, whether it be using animated language or symbolism. It is also clear that background information clearly aided the development of the themes Maupassant incorporated throughout the passage. It is seen throughout the story that the main characterRead MoreThe Necklace, By Guy De Maupassant999 Words   |  4 PagesIn Guy de Maupassant’s â€Å"The Necklace,† readers experience Mathilde Loisel’s life-changing event. Coming from nobility, de Maupassant tells the story of luxurious desire through the eyes of the middle class woman Mathilde. Mathilde constantly dreams of living the life of the upper class, and this prohibits her from acting in reality. Mathilde’s internal struggle for a sense of social royalty shows readers how quickly selfish pride destroys a person’s life. Throughout the course of â€Å"The NecklaceRead MoreThe Necklace By Guy De Maupassant1019 Words   |  5 PagesIn the short story of â€Å"The Necklace†, the author Guy de Maupassant is a creative and intriguing tale which reveals a person s dreams of a luxurious lifestyle with countless materialistic possessions. He has skillfully developed the story into a mystery which reveals itself at the end. The main point in the story is that materialism can distort your view of happiness and fulfillment. It is wrong to be materialistic to the extent that you disregard what you already have and lose everything. Mathilde