3. Guy de Maupassant
• "The Necklace“
- First published in the Paris
newspaper Le Gaulois on February 17,
1884.
- It was an instant success, and
it has become his most widely read
and anthologized story.
5. Mathilde Loisel
The protagonist of the
story.
Mathilde has been
blessed with physical
beauty but not with the
affluent lifestyle she
yearns for, and she
feels deeply
discontented with her
lot in life.
6. Monsieur Loisel
Mathilde’s husband.
Monsieur Loisel is
content with the small
pleasures of his life
but does his best to
appease Mathilde’s
demands and assuage
her complaints.
7. Madame Forestier
Mathilde’s wealthy friend.
Madame Forestier
treats Mathilde kindly,
but Mathilde is bitterly
jealous of Madame
Forestier’s wealth, and
the kindness pains her
12. Mathilde refuses to attend
the party without a suitable
dress. Mr. Loisel gives money. She
doesn’t have jewelery, she
borrows a necklace and then, she
loses it. She borrows money to
buy a new one and lives in poverty
to pay debt.
3.
13. 10 years later relieved of
the debt Mathilde confesses all
to Madame Forestier who
reveals that the necklace is
fake.
4.
14. The necklace symbolizes wealth and high social
status.
The fake necklace symbolizes desire for what
one cannot have, Mme. L’s ‘fakeness’ and want
of material things.
The short glamorous appearance of
Mme. Loisel during the ball that is fake, like
the necklace appearance can be deceiving