Time and Money
Works of literature are often changed and shifted by different forces affecting the author. Many short stories are a product of their time, meaning that they are influenced by the culture and socioeconomic conditions of the time during which they were created. Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace” is a prime example of this. By examining this story through a Marxist lens, the reader can get an idea of the social and economic forces of this time period that affect the story. “The Necklace” follows the story of Madame Loisel, a woman born into the middle class, married to a clerk, and desperately in love with the finer things in life, which she and her husband could never afford. The fact that “She had no dresses, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that; she felt made for that,” made her miserable to the point that she could even go visit her wealthy friends anymore (1). One evening, her husband brings home an invitation to a fancy party which he worked very hard to get. Instead of being happy, however, she is distraught about what she is going to wear. When her husband suggests some options that are reasonable for their financial state, …show more content…
The story “The Necklace” is centered around 19th century Paris, creating the setting of the grand and glamourous life (Shmoop). This life affected the behavior, creating the desire inside of Madame Loisel for all of the finer things in life. This ultimately caused the Loisel’s downfall and really demonstrated the division of classes from the story. The author was criticising the bourgeoisie and their behavior of oppressing the middle and lower classes, mostly unconsciously. These people desire the things in life that they cannot afford, creating financial woes for them. By showing just how foolish it is to value physical things above all else, the author communicates his criticism of
Works of literature are often changed and shifted by different forces affecting the author. Many short stories are a product of their time, meaning that they are influenced by the culture and socioeconomic conditions of the time during which they were created. Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace” is a prime example of this. By examining this story through a Marxist lens, the reader can get an idea of the social and economic forces of this time period that affect the story. “The Necklace” follows the story of Madame Loisel, a woman born into the middle class, married to a clerk, and desperately in love with the finer things in life, which she and her husband could never afford. The fact that “She had no dresses, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that; she felt made for that,” made her miserable to the point that she could even go visit her wealthy friends anymore (1). One evening, her husband brings home an invitation to a fancy party which he worked very hard to get. Instead of being happy, however, she is distraught about what she is going to wear. When her husband suggests some options that are reasonable for their financial state, …show more content…
The story “The Necklace” is centered around 19th century Paris, creating the setting of the grand and glamourous life (Shmoop). This life affected the behavior, creating the desire inside of Madame Loisel for all of the finer things in life. This ultimately caused the Loisel’s downfall and really demonstrated the division of classes from the story. The author was criticising the bourgeoisie and their behavior of oppressing the middle and lower classes, mostly unconsciously. These people desire the things in life that they cannot afford, creating financial woes for them. By showing just how foolish it is to value physical things above all else, the author communicates his criticism of