How does our perception of reality serve us? Do the lies presented to us by those we surround ourselves with affect us adversely; or do they add to our happiness until revealed? Guy de Maupassant gives us with a chance to discover this in his short story, “The Jewelry”. A simple man is deeply in love with a woman he adores. He places his wife upon a pedestal of perfection, and until her death reveals that his perception of their life together was not a true reality, she remains the source of his happiness. The author keeps the wife a silent participant in this story, using her actions, as revealed by a narrator, to speak louder than words. Maupassant uses symbolism, diction and subtle allegory to hint that we often see deceptions but don
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Lantin and her life of deception. The theater itself reflects a false reality. The stage is created to transport the viewer to another place: one that is created to tell a story. The show is an act, much like the show of the two characters’ life together. Mrs. Lantin’s character is in costume: a demure and angelic wife “dressed up” under false pretenses. The storywriters and actors want their audience to believe in their production, to escape into their story as one would escape inclement weather, and Mrs. Lantin is more than receptive to the ruse. In turn, she herself is an actress, who wants her husband to believe in her production. The fact that she loves the theater, and spends so much of her time there, symbolizes her comfort within the world of …show more content…
Likewise, he uses allegory to expose the greed, infidelity, and self-indulgence that makes life unbearable and such escapism essential. When we trust that one won’t deceive us, we put ourselves in emotional jeopardy and that is, of course, the risk we all take. Mr. Lantin was so in love with his wife, he could not and would not question the things that didn’t quite make sense in an otherwise sensible environment. Until he was forced to confront his wife 's lies, he remained happy. Whether it is for love, or naïveté, we often do not see the deceptions that are right in front of us to discover…and that might just be our
Lantin and her life of deception. The theater itself reflects a false reality. The stage is created to transport the viewer to another place: one that is created to tell a story. The show is an act, much like the show of the two characters’ life together. Mrs. Lantin’s character is in costume: a demure and angelic wife “dressed up” under false pretenses. The storywriters and actors want their audience to believe in their production, to escape into their story as one would escape inclement weather, and Mrs. Lantin is more than receptive to the ruse. In turn, she herself is an actress, who wants her husband to believe in her production. The fact that she loves the theater, and spends so much of her time there, symbolizes her comfort within the world of …show more content…
Likewise, he uses allegory to expose the greed, infidelity, and self-indulgence that makes life unbearable and such escapism essential. When we trust that one won’t deceive us, we put ourselves in emotional jeopardy and that is, of course, the risk we all take. Mr. Lantin was so in love with his wife, he could not and would not question the things that didn’t quite make sense in an otherwise sensible environment. Until he was forced to confront his wife 's lies, he remained happy. Whether it is for love, or naïveté, we often do not see the deceptions that are right in front of us to discover…and that might just be our