"The Diamond Necklace" is a short story by Guy de Maupassant that tells the tale of a woman named Mathilde Loisel who, despite her humble beginnings, has always dreamed of a life of luxury and refinement. When she is given the opportunity to attend a grand ball, she borrows a diamond necklace from a wealthy friend, only to lose it and be forced to spend the rest of her life working to pay off the debt.
The story begins with Mathilde's husband, a clerk in the Ministry of Education, receiving an invitation to a ball being held by the Minister of Education. Mathilde is overjoyed at the opportunity to attend such a prestigious event, but she is disappointed when she realizes that she has nothing suitable to wear. Her husband, however, is able to borrow a dress for her and she is able to borrow a beautiful diamond necklace from a wealthy friend.
At the ball, Mathilde is able to forget her humble background and feels like she is finally living the life she has always dreamed of. However, when she returns home and goes to take off the necklace, she realizes that it is missing. She and her husband search frantically for the necklace, but it is nowhere to be found.
When they are unable to find the necklace, Mathilde's husband is forced to take out a loan to pay for its replacement. The couple is forced to sell off all of their possessions and Mathilde must take on work as a seamstress to help pay off the debt. It takes ten years for them to finally pay off the debt, during which time Mathilde becomes old and worn out from the constant work and worry.
The story ends with Mathilde reflecting on the irony of the situation - that a simple borrowed necklace has cost her a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice. The story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed and the importance of being content with what one has.
Overall, "The Diamond Necklace" is a poignant and thought-provoking story that highlights the dangers of trying to attain a lifestyle that is beyond one's means. It is a reminder that material possessions do not bring true happiness and that it is often the small, simple pleasures in life that bring the most joy.
The Necklace Irony Summary & Analysis
After her husbands efforts to make her happy by begging for an opportunity to attend the party, Mathilde refuses to attend the party claiming that she does not have a decent dress that would make her comfortable while attending the party. Mallard, whose dreams were full of pictures of the coming spring and summer days that would "be her own". Social factors and cultural environment are often powerful forces in realist literature, as are elements of rationalism and scientific reasoning. He begged Jeanne to arrange a secret night-time interview with the Queen on his behalf; the supposed meeting took place in August 1784. So, we must be content with whatever life gives us. In setting up the eventual irony in one of his classic twist endings, Maupassant is careful to write that the necklace "seemed to them exactly like the one they had lost" p. Here it was, the thing that consumed her finally at , but she was not happy.
The Necklace The Necklace Summary and Analysis
Her visit was a great success. However, disaster strikes when she loses the necklace during the carriage ride home. Loisel proclaims that they must replace it, and the couple finds a replacement for 36,000 francs. Her one night of radiance cost her and Monsieur Loisel any chance for future happiness. Because she is beautiful, Mathilde feels that she has been short-changed in life: she is dismayed by the shabbiness of her apartment and her humble maid, and she constantly dreams of luxurious apartments and lavish dinners to escape the pedestrian reality of her own daily existence. Loiselle, unlike his wife, does not suffer from this kind of aristocratic mania.
The Necklace or The Diamond Necklace : Summary and Question
We see the detective following the butler through the woods; the butler with a mysterious air hands the maid a package. Mathilda was a young lady of extraordinary beauty but unfortunately, she was born in a family of limited means. Though she was shivering in cold yet she quickly went off that scene. She remained in her evening clothes, lacking strength to get into bed, huddled on a chair, without volition or power of thought. Their families are similar in a way the only obvious difference is Mathilda isn't as fortunate as her friend. Forestier a new necklace. If she had noticed the substitution, what would she have thought? When Madame Loisel took back the necklace to Madame Forestier, the latter said to her in a chilly voice: "You ought to have brought it back sooner; I might have needed it.
