In Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace,” readers are reminded that the love for material items can be dangerous and cause lasting effects on lives. It is the same way for Mathilde in her world of the nineteenth century. Mathilde desires more out of the life she lives and struggles to find true happiness. In “The Necklace,” De Maupassant reveals Mathilde’s true self through her financial and social status, emotional state and attitude, and valuable lessons learned. Throughout Mathilde’s journey of desire and lust for a more luxurious lifestyle than she already resides in, De Maupassant unveils her true self through her financial and social status. De Maupassant starts the story off providing background information into Mathilde’s life affirming
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De Maupassant reveals many traits and characteristics that describe Mathilde’s attitude through her years, including the trait of greed as she intensely desires earthy possessions. Although Mathilde acquired a ticket to the ball at the palace, she was not satisfied with merely attending the function, she had to have more. More trappings of wealth, and more extravagant accessories that garnish the wealthy. De Maupassant proves this by using Mathilde’s attitude about not have the proper attire to attend the ball. He writes “[o]nly I have no dress and therefore I can’t go to this ball. Give your card to some colleague whose wife is better equipped than I” (69). Once she receives a new dress, Mathilde’s desires are still unfilled. She also feels that she needs a new piece of jewelry to adorn her already new dress, further proving that Mathilde’s unrelenting greed shows no limits. De Maupassant also writes Mathilde “suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all of the delicacies and all the luxuries” (68). Also, Mathilde’s “heart began to beat with an immoderate desire…. She fastened it around her throat, outside her high-necked dress, and remained lost in ecstasy at the sight of herself” (70). De Maupassant uses this evidence to describe Mathilde’s attitude towards her life, including even that small sense of greed when Mathilde posses the fancy …show more content…
After Mathilde loses the necklace and works years to replace it, Mathilde is forced to make a change. From once a woman of desire and longing for more, Mathilde learns the essence of hard work to make up for a mistake that took control of her life. Mathilde “came to know what heavy housework meant and the odious cares of the kitchen” (72). She “dressed like a woman of the people…” (72). Mathilde’s once heavy and negative outlook on life softened and became more positive throughout her circumstance. Mathilde came to understand the importance of telling the truth no matter what. Not long after repaying her debts, Mathilde learned that the lost necklace didn’t add up in value to the real one she replaced. De Maupassant proves this with “[o]h, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste. It was worth at most five hundred francs” (73)! Mathilde learns she should have been grateful for what she and her husband had before. Mathilde “looked old now” and “had become the woman of impoverishment” (72). De Maupassant uses the symbolic nature of the necklace to disclose Mathilde’s true self by comparing her morals to the beautiful but bogus
De Maupassant reveals many traits and characteristics that describe Mathilde’s attitude through her years, including the trait of greed as she intensely desires earthy possessions. Although Mathilde acquired a ticket to the ball at the palace, she was not satisfied with merely attending the function, she had to have more. More trappings of wealth, and more extravagant accessories that garnish the wealthy. De Maupassant proves this by using Mathilde’s attitude about not have the proper attire to attend the ball. He writes “[o]nly I have no dress and therefore I can’t go to this ball. Give your card to some colleague whose wife is better equipped than I” (69). Once she receives a new dress, Mathilde’s desires are still unfilled. She also feels that she needs a new piece of jewelry to adorn her already new dress, further proving that Mathilde’s unrelenting greed shows no limits. De Maupassant also writes Mathilde “suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all of the delicacies and all the luxuries” (68). Also, Mathilde’s “heart began to beat with an immoderate desire…. She fastened it around her throat, outside her high-necked dress, and remained lost in ecstasy at the sight of herself” (70). De Maupassant uses this evidence to describe Mathilde’s attitude towards her life, including even that small sense of greed when Mathilde posses the fancy …show more content…
After Mathilde loses the necklace and works years to replace it, Mathilde is forced to make a change. From once a woman of desire and longing for more, Mathilde learns the essence of hard work to make up for a mistake that took control of her life. Mathilde “came to know what heavy housework meant and the odious cares of the kitchen” (72). She “dressed like a woman of the people…” (72). Mathilde’s once heavy and negative outlook on life softened and became more positive throughout her circumstance. Mathilde came to understand the importance of telling the truth no matter what. Not long after repaying her debts, Mathilde learned that the lost necklace didn’t add up in value to the real one she replaced. De Maupassant proves this with “[o]h, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste. It was worth at most five hundred francs” (73)! Mathilde learns she should have been grateful for what she and her husband had before. Mathilde “looked old now” and “had become the woman of impoverishment” (72). De Maupassant uses the symbolic nature of the necklace to disclose Mathilde’s true self by comparing her morals to the beautiful but bogus