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Cabiles, Erica A.
BSE-ENG 2A

Choose from any of the stories below. Then choose one of the literary approaches in
critiquing the story. You can choose more than one approach as long as you think the
approach is suitable to the text.

“The Necklace”
- Guy de Maupassant

"The Necklace" by Guy De Maupassant  is a short story about Mathilde Loisel, a middle-
class woman who wishes she could live a luxurious life. Madame Forestier, Mathilde's wealthy
friend, lends her a diamond necklace to wear to a party and Mathilde notices that the necklace
has lost. This story is influenced by feminist thought. Whereas Mathilde Loisel is a lovely and
attractive woman who has always believed she was meant for more than what she have. The
idea that she deserves the luxuries of life but unable to afford those expensive things drives her
to feel insecure to other woman. She always compares herself to everyone, especially the
wealthiest women she knows. She has the idea of always being able to go along with other
beautiful and wealthy women. Also, she believes that she is important and deserving of special
treatment due to her physical attractiveness and charisma, despite the fact that she isn't
powerful nor popular. The story is also influenced by formalist theory, with the necklace serving
as the story's symbolism, since Mathilde believed that the necklace she borrowed from a friend
would make him look lovely, wealthy, and significant as a person. Madame Forestier fooled her
into believing the necklace was true, just as she fooled her husband into sacrificing all for her.
Having truly meet the criteria of beauty and value as a woman will bring you to a difficult
situation. You must always remember that physical appearance and economic class are
unimportant in life. Things that are temporary and material would not last forever, but being
grateful and good person does. Therefore, don't let society's standards determine your worth
as an individual. No material object can determine your worth, only you can do so.