Name

“THE NECKLACE”

PLOT DIAGRAM
Complete the plot diagram for “The Necklace”
EXPOSTION CONFLICT
The author Madame
tells us how Loisel had no
Madame jewelry or a
Loisel dress to use
dreams in the ball.
about a
wealthy and
luxurious
life.

RISING CLIMAX
ACTION Madame
Madame Loisel lost
Lousil went the diamond
to the ball necklace.
where she
was
enjoying the
night.

FALLING RESOLUTIO
ACTION N
The Loisels They bought
couldn’t find another
the necklace necklace.
even after
offering a
reward and
calling the
police.
Name

“THE NECKLACE”
THEMES
Explain how each theme applies to “The Necklace.”
THEME EXPLANATION

Wealth
Wealth is what madame Loisel desires and is something
that we can see in the event and in what she wanted to
look like in it.

Women and Madame Loisel wanted to look elegant and femenine

Femininity like all the rich ladies, it was a sign of wealth and
prestige.

Pride Despite losing the necklace, the Loisels faced the

situation and took responsibility replacing the necklace
and felt proud after they filled the debts.
 Suffering We take a look at different kinds of suffering in the
story. First, Madame Loisel's suffering because she
wanted more than what she had, second, the
desperation when they couldn’t find the necklace and
finally, the suffering of life in poverty.

Answer each question about the themes of “The Necklace” in complete sentences.

1. What are some signs that Mathilde was greedy?

Because she always wanted to have the best things, not only for the necklace
and dress, but also because they tell us she wanted to live in a palace, with
expensive furniture and a vast living room.

2. Why does Mathilde want to live the life of the rich so much?
Because she was poor, and she never had the opportunity to have a good life
with expensive things and a comfortable house where she could live, and that
made her unhappy, making her long that rich life she always wanted.

3. Are Mathilde’s dreams understandable? Why or why not?

Mathilde’s dreams can be understood easily, mainly for the poor life she had
always had, and because she only wanted to be like other women that live a
good life. We all dream of riches, trips, cars, mansions, jewels and thousands
of other luxuries that are completely out of our reach.

4. How does money affect the characters in the story?

The whole story revolves around money. From the beginning the author
suggests that, if it weren't for her relatively humble birth, the protagonist
would be recognized as a refined lady. As the story progresses, we see that
the woman's unhappiness is caused by her almost poor simple lifestyle, with
no frills or frills, as she wishes to be envied and admired. When she finally
has a chance to savor what it means to be of high birth, she surrounds
herself with a cloud of happiness caused by her fantasy finally fulfilled. The
reminder of her poverty (the old jacket), brings her back to reality, ending her
happy moment. That is why she escapes, she does not want to face that her
dreams can never be real outside the ballroom.
The loss of the necklace, the enormous debt and its descent to the bottom of
social class is a sign of how easily wealth can end. One mistake, one
oversight, and it's all over.
 We can interpret the last part as a way to show how focusing our time and
resources on a specific purpose (paying the debt in this case) instead of just
using them to show off, makes us mature and have a purpose as a person, a
goal that helps us move forward and be happier.

5. What is the story’s message about wealth?

Money and wealth make us superficial, and it is worse when you live longing to
have luxuries that you do not deserve, instead of striving to live happily with
what you have. In addition, many times what we envy is just a facade (for
example, if her friend really was that rich, she wouldn't have a false necklace)

6. In what ways is Mathilde a “typical” woman in the story?

Her head is full of dresses, luxuries, comforts and other frivolities that were and
are considered "feminine characteristics." It also reflects the vision of many
men of the time, where it was common to perceive women as envious, never
compliant and manipulative

7. How does Mathilde being a woman cause her unhappiness?

The story takes place in the middle of the 19th century, when there were still very
few jobs for women, and the household income was the responsibility of the
husband. In addition, it was considered that only really poor women were those
who worked, so Mathilde was financially dependent on her husband

8. What do you think is the primary cause of Mathilde’s

unhappiness?
Because she couldn’t afford anything better than what she had. She wanted the
dresses, the jewels and all kinds of luxuries, things that are envied by the
people.

9. How are wealth and femininity connected in the story?

As befits the era in which the story is set, femininity goes hand in hand with
wealth. Dresses, jewelry, accessories and beauty treatments were only
available to the wealthy classes, whose women could afford not to work and
spend their time taking care of their appearance

10. Does “The Necklace” paint a bad picture of women? Why or why
not?
Yes. The story shows the female character as manipulative, envious and
greedy, and her irresponsibility and vanity consumed 10 years of her
husband's life (a character who, on the contrary, is presented in an almost
perfect way. He is loving with his wife, nice and empathetic)

11. What signs are there at the start of the story that Mathilde is a
proud woman?
Mainly the fact that she wanted to pretend that she was a person that was rich
among all the women who were in the ball. She has a high esteem of
herself, feels that she deserves the luxuries and wealth despite being of a
lower class.

12. What prevents the Loisels from telling Mme. Forestier that they
have lost her necklace?
They didn’t tell her because she would have thought that they just stole it and
were lying to her, so she didn’t see them as thieves and looked for the
necklace or called the police.

13. Does Mathilde’s experience of poverty humble her? Why or why

not?
Yes. She went from depending on her husband for everything to doing a lot of
housework, to really trying, to realizing that her complaints about the lack of
luxuries were vain and frivolous.

14. Does Mathilde’s poverty make her proud in a new way?

Paying down the debt, working hard every day gave her a sense of purpose, a
goal to accomplish. She managed, despite everything, to get out of that
situation.