THE NECKLACE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (5 August
1850 – 6 July 1893) was a French writer,
remembered as a master of the short story form, and
as a representative of the naturalist school of writers,
who depicted human lives and destinies and social
forces in disillusioned and often pessimistic terms.
He wrote some 300 short stories, six novels, three
travel books, and one volume of verse.
 STORY OUTLINE
The story revolves around the selfish lady name Matilda . She is
unsatisfied with her life as she wants a rich husband but because she
belongs to a family is unable to give dowry she is married to a clerk.
One day , both the husband and wife are invited to a party at the
minister’s house. But Matilda does not have good clothes and jewels
to wear at such a party. Her husband suggests her to buy a dress and
ask an old friend for jewellery. She then borrows a necklace from
her friend and goes to the party. What happens next proves to be a
lesson for the unhappy.
 CHARACTER SKETCH
Matilda Loisel: Matilda is a dissatisfied housewife
who 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

Madame Forestier: Madame Forestier is the

wealthy friend of the Loisel’s who lends Mathilde
the diamond necklace for the ball. She is generous
to Mathilde.
Monsieur Loisel: In contrast to Matilda'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.
 JUSTIFY THE
TITLE
The story is aptly titled ‘THE DIAMOND NECKLACE’ . It revolves around
Loisel desire to own and wear jewels , the fulfilment of her desire as she
borrows a stunning necklace from her friend Madame Forestier , How she
happily wears the diamonds to a party and eventually her shock sorrow at
losing the necklace. She and her husband lose everything they own in
order to buy a replacement and return it to Madame Forestier. Only after
ten years Madame Loisel learn that the necklace she had borrowed was a
fake made of glass beads! The necklace is symbolic of false appearance
and how we try to keep up pretences
 THEME
`The Necklace’ is a mild satire but with a strong
message. It is ridiculous for people of ordinary means
to copy the rich. One should live within one’s means.
Otherwise, he or she invites unnecessary problems,
anxieties and confusionin his or her life. The main
message of the story is that we should be what we are.
False prideis the cause of our sufferings. The loss of a
false necklace by Mrs Loisel was not a big loss.
Things could have been settled right if she had
confessed the loss of the necklace to the owner,
Madame Forestier. This small lapse or mistake of
Mrs Loisel makes her whole life miserable and
dark. And the irony was that the cause of all
these sufferings was a false necklace.
 SUMMARY
This story is about a woman who does not now how to live within her means . Loisel
belongs to a middle – class amily but wants to live a lavish lifestyle. Her husband is a
clerk who cannot afford to fulfil all her demands. For attending a party , Loisel decides
to borrow a necklace from a friend who rich. Loisel loses the necklace while returning
from a party.Loisel and her husband spend all their fortunes and borrowings to buy a
similar necklace which cost them a fortune . After that they have to do everything
which could be done so that they could repay th loan. It takes about ten years of
hardwork and lots of sacrifices before she is able to repay all her loans . The time and
all the hardwork take their toll on her and she ages quickly. After that tortuous period
had passed she happens to meet her rich friend and tells the whole story. Her friend
tells her that it was not a diamond necklace but a cheap imitation jewellery.
 THANKS!
BY: SNEHA SRIVASTAVA
SAKEENA KHATOON
ROHAN MEHRA
SIDDHANT MEHROTRA