Student id: 0000039057

Course: syntax (9066)

ASSIGNMENT NO 2

THE NECKLACS
BY GUY DE MAUPASSANT

“THE NECKLACE” BY GUY DE MAUPASSANT

THE NECKLACE SETTING

“The Necklace” takes place in Paris, France, at the end of the
19th century. During the late 19th century, about the time Guy
de Maupassant wrote “The Necklace,” Paris experienced a
period of social, economic, and technological change. Paris
morphed from a medieval city into a modern one with the
improvement of France’s transportation infrastructure, the
rise of new industries, a boom in population, and an increase
in tourism. Sometimes referred to as the “Belle Époque,”
meaning the “Lovely Age.” This peaceful time of technological
innovation birthed a period of immense wealth, posh fashion,
and a focus on material goods and consumerism.
This culture framed the setting of “The Necklace”, in which
Mathilde feels immense jealousy of the wealthy and yearns for
a life filled with extravagance, jewels, dresses, and material
and financial excess. She is a young and beautiful woman at
the onset of the story, but her youth and charm quickly escape
her as she focuses on material possessions.

THE NECKLACE SUMMARY:

A young and beautiful girl, Mathilde Loisel, is the wife of a
clerical worker. She is charming but feels as though she
“married beneath her.” She is poor and dreams of luxury. Her
husband, Monsieur Loisel, does all he can to please her, even
giving up his desire for a rifle to make her happy. Mathilde is
envious of the wealthy and feels “there is nothing more
humiliating than looking poor in the middle of a lot of rich
women.” She feels “tormented and insulted” by the “poorness
of her house” and the worn-out, simple appearance of the
items within it. Mathilde is extremely jealous of Madame
Forestier, her wealthy friend from school, and even avoids
visiting her because she feels overcome with sadness and
misery after a visit.

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Mathilde and her husband, a clerk in the Ministry of Education,
receive an invitation to the Ministry ball, hosted by George
Rampanneau, the Minister of Education, and his wife. The
event is reserved for a select few, and Mathilde’s husband
worked hard to secure an invitation, hoping to make his wife
happy. However, she is upset, worrying about not having
anything to wear to a formal event. Although her husband
reassures her that a dress she already owns is suitable, she
convinces him to give her the money he has been saving to
purchase a rifle so she can buy a new dress.
In an effort to feel as though she is as well-off as she dreams,
Mathilde borrows a necklace from one of her wealthy friends
from school to accent her outfit for the ball. The kind and
generous woman, Madame Forestier, happily obliges and lets
Mathilde pick the jewelry of her liking. Mathilde selects a
diamond necklace.

Mathilde and her husband attend the Ministry ball. At the

affair, she is the most attractive woman present. Other women
stare at her with envy, and the men in attendance are eager to
dance with her as she waltzes the night away while her
husband dozes off in a small, deserted room with a few other
husbands.

Mathilde considers the night a success, having garnered the

attention and admiration “so dear to her feminine heart.” As
her husband fetches a warm and humble coat for her to leave

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the ball in, she flees in shame, hoping others don’t recognize
her as they don their costly furs.
In her rush, she hurries down a staircase and frantically looks
for a carriage to ride home in. Back at their door in the Rue des
Martyrs, Mathilde feels hopeless as her night ends and as her
husband turns his attention to the day and his work. As
Mathilde undresses, she notices the necklace is no longer
around her neck. Her husband searches the folds of her dress,
the streets, the police station, and the cab companies while she
sits in shock, huddled and worried. Returning without finding
the necklace, her husband suggestions she writes to her friend,
Madame Forestier, and tell her they are fixing the clasp on the
necklace.

A week passes. The couple loses hope, while the signs of worry
and stress visually age Mathilde. After visiting several
jewelers, they find a string of diamonds that resemble the lost
necklace. Negotiating for thirty-six thousand francs, they
spend her husband’s inheritance and borrow the rest of the
money to replace the necklace. Mathilde’s husband
“mortgaged the whole remaining years of his existence” to
replace the necklace.

As Mathilde returns the necklace, Madame Forestier doesn’t

even open the box to see its contents. Madame Loisel, along
with her husband, spends the rest of her days working,
experiencing the harsh reality of poverty. Both she and her

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husband work every day to pay off everything, including
interest. After ten years and a hard life, they are successful. But
during this time, Mathilde ages. Her youth and femininity gone,
she looks strong, hard, and weathered by poverty and labor.

While wondering what her life would have been had she not
lost that necklace, Mathilde runs into her old friend, Madame
Forestier, who is still young, beautiful, and fresh. Hardly
recognizing her, Madame Forestier is shocked to see how
Mathilde aged. Mathilde explains how she lost the borrowed
necklace and has spent the past years paying off the
replacement. Her friend clasps Mathilde's hands and tells
Mathilde the borrowed necklace was an imitation, a fake,
worth only a few hundred francs.

THE NECKLACE CHARACTERS :

Here are the key characters in “The Necklace” along with a
brief description of each

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ch.

Character Description
Mathilde Loisel Mathilde is the protagonist of
the short story. She is a
beautiful young woman when
the story begins but yearns for
wealth. She is envious of the
financially affluent and places a
lot of emphasis on material

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 belongings.

Monsieur Lois Monsieur Loisel is Mathilde’s

husband and is happy with his
station in life. He is madly in
love with her and does his best
to please her, despite being
unable to understand her. He
gives her what he can and
sacrifices his wants for her
happiness.
Madame Forestier Madame Forestier is Mathilde’s
kind and wealthy friend. She
lends Mathilde a necklace to
wear to a party and accent her
new dress.

George Ramponneau and : A married couple and hosts of

Madame George Ramponneau the party, Mathilde attends.
They are examples of the
wealthy class.

THE NECKLACE SYMBOLISM:

The primary symbol in “The Necklace” is the piece of jewelry
itself. For Mathilde, the necklace she borrows from her school
friend, Madame Forestier, is significant because it represents a
promise of a better life, a life she feels she deserves. But like

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many modern and material goods, the necklace is merely an
imitation of something else.

Had Mathilde been able to overcome her pride and jealousy,

she could have avoided a life of hard labor for herself and her
husband. The necklace ironically becomes the catalyst to a life
of labor that she actually deserves and becomes emblematic of
her greed and selfishness. While making her husband abandon
his wants and desire for a rifle to go hunting, she shows a
selfish character. The main message, then, is how selfish acts
are destructive and can lead to a hard, dissatisfying life.

THE NECKLACE THEMES:

Now let’s look at the themes Guy de Maupassant uncovers in
the story.

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BEAUTY
Guy de Maupassant begins the story by exposing the beauty
and grace of the protagonist. The author questions the
fundamental nature of beauty: is it something inherent or
endowed with social status.
First, he examines the question through the example of
Mathilde herself. She feels desired by many men at the ball.

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However, it is unclear: is it because of her stunning beauty or
thanks to her expensive-looking necklace.
Then, Guy de Maupassant extrapolates the question on the
example of the necklace. Even made of fake diamonds, it looks
gorgeous as a proper attribute of the aristocracy.

GENDER
As much gender played a significant role in the society of 19th
century France, as it is one of the central themes in the
Necklace. Mathilde is dissatisfied with her life and social status
as a woman. At the same time, as a woman, she has nothing to
do to change this.
The only possible option is to marry someone of the upper
class. Mathilde’s beauty, intelligence, skills cannot help her.
Lucrative marriage has been the only way for a better life for
her and other women at that time.

REALITY AND
ILLUSION
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During the biggest part of the story, the author draws the
protagonist’s difficulty distinguishing reality from illusion. She
prefers to live in the elusive world of prosperity and banquets.
On the contrary, her husband does not daydream. He enjoys
his life and is grateful for life’s every single aspect.
The unexpected story’s final twist proves that appearances,
especially the appearance of wealth, are often at odds with
reality.

GREED
One more central idea of the Necklace is greed and its
influence on one’s destiny. The author wants to tell the reader
that one of the reasons for Mathilde’s ongoing anguish of a rich
life is basic human greed.
Her life is not much unbearable or terrible. The problem is she
can’t admit that anyone lives beyond her possibilities. That is
perfectly illustrated by how desperate she is every time
returning from her wealthy friend’s house.

HAPPINESS
Happiness has no deals with this short story at first sight. In
reality, it is one of the story’s uplifting themes.

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The initial unhappiness of Mathilde appears like her personal
choice. She lives an enjoyable middle-class life. It is not that
difficult to be content with it. Instead of focusing on the good
things, she obsesses over what she doesn’t have, causing
depressive thoughts.

Even a single moment of happiness at the ball is fleeting. The

one happy night is the natural effect of a stunning look and
diamond necklace rather than the real Mathilde experience.

However, once spouses have been paying debts for a decade,

she seems content and nostalgic. She is happier than ever
before. Having uncovered the truth about the lost necklace to
Jeanne, she “smiled with a proud and simple joy.”

CONCLUSION

“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant is a captivating short

story that delves into the themes of materialism, appearance,
and the consequences of one’s actions. Through the character
of Madame Loisel, the story explores the dangers of obsessing
over societal expectations and the pursuit of material
possessions. It serves as a cautionary tale, reminding readers

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of the importance of appreciating what one has and the
potential consequences of deceit and dishonesty.

PART NO 2
Enlisting the Types of Adjective Phrases in “The Necklace”
by Guy de Maupassant

In the short story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, the

author uses various types of adjective phrases to enhance the
description and characterization. Here are some examples of
the types of adjective phrases used in the story:

1. Adjective Phrase as a Prepositional Phrase : In this

type of phrase, an adjective is followed by a preposition
and a noun phrase. It provides additional information
about the noun it modifies. For example:

- “She was unhappy in her own home”.

- “She had no fine dresses, no jewelry”.

2. Adjective Phrase as a Participial Phrase : In this type

of phrase, an adjective is formed from a verb and
functions as an adjective to modify a noun. For example:

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 - “She was simple, but she was unhappy”.
- “She was the prettiest of them all”.

3. Adjective Phrase as an Appositive Phrase : In this

type of phrase, an adjective phrase is used as an
appositive to provide additional information about a
noun. For example:

- “She was one of those pretty and charming girls”.

- “She was born into a family of clerks”.

4. Adjective Phrase as a Relative Clause : In this type of

phrase, an adjective phrase is formed by a relative clause
that modifies a noun. For example:

- “She had no dowry, no expectations”.

- “She had no marriage prospects”.

These examples demonstrate the various ways in which Guy

de Maupassant employs adjective phrases .

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