Citation: Rahman, A., Shah, N., & Khatoon, A. (2022).

A Structuralist Study of
Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace. Global Language Review, VII(I), 293-309.
https://doi.org/10.31703/glr.2022(VII-I).24

§ DOI: 10.31703/glr.2022(VII-I).24 § URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/glr.2022(VII-I).24

§ Vol. VII, No. I (Winter 2022) § Pages: 293 ‒ 309

A Structuralist Study of Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace

Abdur Rahman Abstract: Structuralism was a reactionary approach

M.Phil. (English Researcher), Department that concentrated on signs, structure, language,
of Linguistics & Literature, Qurtuba synchrony, and a unique technique while challenging
University of Science and Information the independent subject. The works of Gestalt,
Technology, Dera Ismail Khan, KP, Saussure, Strauss, Barthes, Marx, and Freud all
Pakistan. reflected the concepts of structuralism, but The
Naeema Shah Necklace by Maupssant is the first book to do so. The
M. Phil Researcher Scholar, Department scholars used structuralist ideas advanced by Dosse,
of English, Sardar Bahadur Khan Sanders, Sturrock, etc. to study one of Maupssant's
Women University Quetta, Balochistan, masterpieces within the framework of structuralism.
Pakistan. The current study assessed the existence of
Asia Khatoon structuralism's principles The Necklace's in a hitherto
Lecturer in English, Department of unstudied location. The aim of this research is to look
Linguistics & Literature, Qurtuba into the principles of structuralism, The "words and
University of Science and Information phrases" of Maupssant's story were examined in the
Technology, Dera Ismail Khan, KP, context of structuralism, the results of this qualitative
Pakistan. investigation were examined using textual analysis.
Email: asiamehr13@gmail.com Binary oppositions of poverty and wealth, Id (irrational
(Corresponding Author) desire), Superego (sensibility), and synchronic and
§ p-ISSN: 2663-3299 diachronic system in showing Matilda's life of a young
beautiful and intuitive lady at one stage and his family
§ e-ISSN: 2663-3841 background and character's comparison of Matilda
and Forestier, components of the narrative's structure.
§ L-ISSN: 2663-3299

Key Words: Binary Oppositions, Cultural Determinism, Freud, Structure, Synchrony,

Diachrony

Introduction including sociology, anthropology,

linguistics, and literature. In view of
With the rise of structuralist critique in the
structuralism, human life occurrences are
1950s, our approaches to studying a piece of
understood by their interrelationships,
literature shifted dramatically. The focus
which form a structure (Blackburn, 2008).
switched to the structure at that point rather
than the author. Saussure's ideas were Between structuralism and social
initially applied to literary criticism and other sciences, there is a dialectical link. The
social science fields. His theories on sign, French anthropologist Levi-Strauss (1966)
which he defined as the union of signifier and employs structuralist linguist Saussure's
signified, langue and parole, synchrony and binary oppositions such as raw/cooked,
diachrony, and binary oppositions, helped to red/black, high/low, etc. to express
pave the way for new research in fields disparities among social groups, men's and
 Abdur Rahman, Naeema Shah and Asia Khatoon

women's roles, and conceptions of nature tenets' existence in Guy de Maupassant’s' The
and culture. The researchers will aim to Necklace in order to put it under the
analyse the dogmas of structuralism from structuralist analysis of classical works
Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace, a French umbrella. The current study has two goals:
masterwork of literature, in the current first, to investigate the relationship between
study. structuralism and short fiction by looking at
A conceptual and methodological the tenets of structuralism in The Necklace;
approach known as structuralism is used to and second, to investigate the relationship
describe and analyse a wide range of objects between structuralism and short fiction by
of inquiry, such as cultures, economies, looking at the tenets of structuralism in The
languages, literature, mythologies, politics, Necklace. ii. to recognise the tentacles of
and societies. A structuralist analysis structuralism in a work of literature outside
presupposes that these objects of inquiry can of the social sciences.
be classified according to underlying
structures that are conceptualised as systems Research Statement
of interconnected parts and that they can be The present study focuses on the
defined (at least partially) by the interactions Structuralist features of The Necklace by the
between these constituent elements. French Writer Guy de Maupassant. Before
According to Klarer (1999), short narrative this study, the was not analysed from the
prose constitutes a short story. structuralist point of view so the researcher
According to Shaw (1983), the short story would try to explore all the aspects of
is a hybrid genre that is both independent structuralism of the story.
and connected to other forms of art at various
points. Its definition is limited to the tensions Research Objectives
and antitheses that it plays with. Short stories
1. To find the relationship of
are the kind of literature that inspires
structuralism and literature.
aspiring authors to create their own works
2. To examine the story from a
with the greatest chance of success. The term
Structuralist perspective.
"literary text" refers to any written work, such
as a poem or a book, with the intention of
Research Questions
entertaining readers or telling a story, such as
a fictional novel. It conveys political The following questions are answered by this
messages or worldviews along with aesthetic study:
pleasure. Literature is a general term that 1. How do structuralism and literature
refers to all literary works, including poetry, relate to one another?
novels, drama, short stories, and prose. It also 2. How does Guy de Maupassant’s' The
refers to anything that has been written and Necklace reflect structuralism's tenets?
examined as if it had an artistic purpose
rather than just being written to convey Significance of the study
information. Literature is not always writing. The outcomes of this study will help students
The historical development of prose or and researchers better comprehend
poetry that amuses, informs, or instructs the structuralism and how to apply its ideas to
reader, as well as the historical development famous works of literature outside of the
of the literary techniques employed to convey social sciences. This study will help
these works, are both referred to as literature. researchers analyse important questions that
The current study assesses the previously have lain unexplored in the fields of
unexplored research domain of structuralist

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A Structuralist Study of Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace

Structuralism, literary theory, and literature. frameworks, Rothwell (1963) has investigated
literary works that have a structure.
Literature Review Smithson (1975) defined structuralism as a
literary critique strategy. Zhang (2003) has
Because few experts have completed their
provided a structuralist interpretation of
research in this field, structuralist
Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Conrad's
assessments of French works, particularly Heart of Darkness was structurally analysed
Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace, are by Omer (2014), who looked at the binary
frequently overlooked and may be dismissed oppositions of civilisation and savagery.
as irrelevant. Early in 1950s, structuralism However, The Necklace by Guy de
began to take root in Europe thanks to Maupassant has yet to be analysed from a
Saussure’s structural linguistics, the Prague structuralist standpoint.
Linguistic Circle, and the Moscow Linguistic
The linguistics of the twentieth century
Circle. Despite the fact that various studies
is synchronic and ahistorical. It concentrates
have been undertaken on Guy de
on a language at a certain stage in its
Maupassant’s The Necklace, no structuralist
development and the operation of the
study of the story has yet been conducted.
language rather than on the etymological,
In the context of social sciences like lexical, and grammatical evolution of specific
sociology, psychology, anthropology, and languages across long stretches of time
education, structuralism has been the subject (Bressler, 1993). A sign in this sense has two
of several studies. Through the prism of sides: the signifier and the signified. The
structuralism, Goddard (1976) examined thought is the signified, while the uttered
sociology. Frere (2004) looked at Pierre sound is the signifier that the written mark
Bourdieu's writings to understand the roots introduces (meaning). The link between the
of genetic structuralism, psychological signifier and the signified is artificial and
sociology, and pragmatic social actor theory. conventional rather than being natural one.
El-Tawil and Aguirre (2010) looked at the A word in the external world does not reflect
exploration and saving of people trapped in a referent but rather a mental construct.
collapsed structures from both an Saussure also distinguished between
engineering and a social science standpoint. langue and parole. According to Culler, the
The structuralist approach to reasoning in former refers to a set of interpersonal laws
education has been criticised by Matusov and and customs as well as a system, but the latter
Soslau (2010). Veraksa et al. (2013) completed is the way the system is expressed clearly in
their experimental research in psychology speech and writing (Culler, 2002). Langue
using the structural dialectical methodology. refers to the mental structure or system of
Gestalt psychology's central tenet was that all language that all members of a linguistic
awareness is structured and functions as a community share. However, parole refers to
whole, much like phenomenology (Sturrock, an individual language user's real speech
2003). Structuralism was influenced by both utterances. Someone who belongs to a
Germanic movements. language community can come up with
There has not been much research in endless examples of utterances, but they are
literature from the angles of structure and all governed by the language's system or
structuralism, but much work has to be done langue.
in order to examine structuralism in the Structuralism puts literature and
context of Guy de Maupassant’s' short stories. language together. According to A Glossary
Through recurrent forms, narrative of Literary Terms, structuralist critique, the
structure, verbal symbols, and literary definition of literature employed in literary

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 Abdur Rahman, Naeema Shah and Asia Khatoon

studies considers literature to be a second- Saussure, is self-contained. It is

order system that utilises the first-order autonomous in the sense that it exists
structural system of language as it's medium independently of other objects or
and is to be evaluated primarily on the basis mental structures and is not a
of linguistic theory (Abrams, 1998). This reflection or a representation of them.
viewpoint claims that structuralism is a As Western philosophers were prone
literary analysis that searches for language in to do, explaining the structures of
literature. language to other structures was a
cardinal blunder (Holdcraft, 1991).
Structuralism's Tenets 2. A sign is created when a signifier and a
1. There is a structure to language. A signified are combined.
language's structure, according to

Signified

Signifier

Figure 1: The sign in Saussure’s Course

3. Language is a sign system. The term is a manifestation on outside of the

"semiotics" or "sign science" accurately langue (Saussure, 1959). He goes on to
describes Saussure's work. Most of the claim that Language is a never-ending
philosophical theory and cultural process in a single person, but only
criticism that characterised exists properly in the collective.
structuralism in its French and 5. Rather than being diachronic, language
comparable incarnations are avoided is a synchronic system. Saussure
by the scientific examination of believed that studying language
behaviour and communication (Culler, synchronically (at any one time) was
2011). more important than documenting
4. Language is divided into two categories: language evolution. Saussure's
a. langue and b. parole. In contrast to attention to the synchronic method
the diachronic (historical study) view had two advantages. It helped
of language, Saussure stressed the establish descriptive linguistics and
synchronic (specific) view of language. the synchronic state as a system or
The basic building block of language, structure (as demonstrated by the
according to him, is a sign (a given creation of the International Phonetic
language at a given time). Each and Alphabets by his and Meillet's student
every one of them is a complete sign Passy) (Sanders, 2004).
language. A person's parole (speaking)

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A Structuralist Study of Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace

C (Diachronic Axis)

A B (Synchronic Axis)

Figure 2

6. Symbols are linked to one another. unified whole that we may analyse the
Between signals, there is a syntagmatic pieces it includes (Godel, 1957).
and paradigmatic link. It is a huge A syntagmatic and paradigmatic
illusion to believe that a linguistic sign relationship connects every word, term, or
lives in isolation, yet it is with the system unit, to the other units.

Syntagmatic (in preasentia, horizontal)

The ridiculous girl fell into the pond

Paradigmatic
(in absentia vertical) Silly Person Jumped River
Foolish Woman Tripped lake
Funny Lady Plunged Sea
Crazy Princess Walk ocean
Klutzy Child Ran pool

Figure 3

7. Because of the separate technique or 8. Thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Karl

binary oppositions, each term or unit Marx, Levi Strauss, and Charles
of language has significance. Darwin introduced structuralist views
According to Saussure, linguistic to their respective fields: through the
units are given value or meaning by process of natural selection, Darwin
binary opposition; each unit is arranged all of life into a massive and
described in terms of what it is not. branching tree. People are born into
For instance, ‘good’ is a ‘good’ because social and cultural structures and
it is not ‘evil’ and /p/ is a /p/ because these systems shape who they are.
it is not a /b/. Freud used the id, ego, and superego
to structure the psyche's energies;

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 Abdur Rahman, Naeema Shah and Asia Khatoon

Marx used the class struggle to method. The Necklace by Maupassant is used
structure history; Straus used the idea to investigate the underlying patterns and
that people are born into social and ideas of structuralism using this qualitative
cultural structures, and that these research method. Data was gathered from
structures determine people; and books and papers that had already been
Darwin used natural selection to published. There were several stages to the
shape life into a massive, branching analysis technique. The first step was to look
tree. at the tenets of structuralism in various
9. In structuralism, texts embody the books. These tenets were investigated in the
culture's standards and etiquette. second step using The Necklace as a guide.
There is the 'real' and 'granted' text With the use of many structuralist diagrams,
that is socially supplied. The shared a structuralist analysis of this story was
information is found in the broad completed in the third step. These phases of
cultural text and is acknowledged by the analytical technique were applied to the
the members of that culture. At this study's findings.
stage, purpose, personality, and
significance are understood from Analysis and Discussion
descriptions of acts, clothes, and
Binary oppositions, cultural determinism,
attitude, among other things (Culler,
the id, ego, and superego, the structuralist
2002). Parallel, contrast, balance, and
synchronic system, as well as the narrative
symmetry are structural components
codes and collocation structure of the story,
of a structuralist text.
are all examined using The Necklace as a case
11. Semiotics is founded on structuralism
study.
(the study of signs). The concept of
code is at the heart of semiotics. Since The Necklace has been analysed in this
it is organised by and through study in light of structuralist theories of the
conventions, which are made up of id, ego, and superego, cultural determinism,
signs and indicating behaviours, our structuralist theories of binary oppositions,
perception of reality is not just coded structuralist synchronic systems,
but also conventional. It's referred to structuralist story elements, structuralist
as the "social construction of reality." narrative codes, and structuralist lexical
12. Marx, who divided society into the collocation structure.
superstructures and the base (the
actual or monetary channels of Structuralism and Literature: What's
production and distribution), is a the Connection?
structuralist (the ideological, Structuralism and literature have a long and
religious, legal, artistic, and political symbiotic relationship. Structures can also be
world of culture). The economy serves found in society, culture, language, myth,
as the base and shapes the psyche, and literature. A structural critic
superstructures. The "Motor" is the examines the text's narrative patterns,
economic underpinning for the base- signals, and binary oppositions. He or she
superstructure concept (Carspecken, makes links between literary texts, such as
1996). those that represent a certain genre, a group
of intertextual relationships, a universal
Research Methodology framework, or a collection of recurrent
The present investigation is qualitative in themes or patterns. (Barry, 2002). Finding
natural and uses textual analysis as a research the meaning or the key to a literary text is not

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A Structuralist Study of Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace

the aim of a structuralist study; rather, the Tenets of Structuralism in The

task of a structural critic, in Roland Barthes's Necklace
(1971) words, is similar to peeling an onion:
If the structure is the soul of structuralism,
“A construction of layers (or levels, or and structure is prevalent throughout The
systems) whose body contains, finally no Necklace, multiple types of structure, such as
heart, no kernel, no secret, no irreducible narrative structure, are also present. The
principle, nothing except the infinity of its own narrative is divided into five sections:
envelopes – which envelop nothing other than exposition, rising action, climax, falling
the unity of its own surfaces” ( p. 10). action, and resolution, but it's best renowned
The aim of literary structuralism is to for its twist ending (ironic finale), which was
reveal numerous signals and better organise a trademark of Guy de Maupassant's style. A
them to demonstrate how they operate. plot twist is an abrupt, unanticipated
Rather than just affirming the existence of a development that causes the audience (or
system of conventions, structuralism reader) to reevaluate everything they
attempts to formulate the rules of that previously believed to be true about the story.
system (Culler, 2002). In your story, it simply amounts to a "Fooled
you!" moment. A great (and unexpected)
Plot of the Story ending to your story requires a solid plot
The story takes place in Paris, France, in 1880. twist.
A young woman from the middle class
fantasises about a lifestyle that is beyond of Twist Ending of the Story
her monetary range. When her husband one The conclusion of "The Necklace" is known as
day comes home with tickets, she is the "whip-crack" or "O. Henry" ending. In the
overjoyed to go to the party but is concerned late 1800s, author O. Henry was well known
that she will look dowdy. At the ball, Mme. for the unexpected resolutions to his works.
Loisel is a hit; everyone loves her. She realises The implied central premise of "The
the jewellery is missing as she starts to walk Necklace" is turned on its head by the
away and searches for it. She and her shocking conclusion. The ten years of
husband finally settle on replacing it with hardship Matilda has endured can be seen by
another after searching for days. They will the reader as atonement for both her careless
need ten years to pay for the replacement, misplacement of the borrowed necklace and
which costs more than they make. Although her robbed night of pleasure at the party. In
Matilda Loisel isn't wealthy, she longs to be. the end, this illusion is dispelled,
She receives funding from her husband to demonstrating how the ten years of suffering
buy a dress, but she is dissatisfied with it and might have been avoided if only Matilda had
eventually asks a wealthy friend to lend her a told Madame Forestier the truth. Although
necklace. After ten years of gruelling labour Matilda's loss of the jewellery initially seemed
and hardship, the couple pays off all of their to be her undoing, her inability to be honest
obligations. Falling Action: One day, Matilda with Madame Forestier was what ultimately
meets the acquaintance she borrowed the brought about her demise. Even if Matilda's
necklace from on her way to the market. She obligations have been fulfilled, this
decides to inform her of what has occurred. unexpected conclusion sheds new light on
Mme. Forestier, Matilda's acquaintance, tells the earlier incidents and suggests that she
her that the necklace is "false" or a fake. The won't have a very promising future.
reader is left to reflect on the situation's The terrible irony that the Loisels had to
irony. spend years paying off a replacement for a

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 Abdur Rahman, Naeema Shah and Asia Khatoon

necklace that was actually useless is one The happiness of Matilda is associated with
instance of irony in "The Necklace." the appreciation of her beauty by well-ranked
Ironically, while making the necklace, men of the community, that is not possible to
Matilda's beauty, which was previously her achieve without the possession of ornaments.
only asset, is destroyed. She had removed the We noticed that without "The Necklace" she
necklace to make herself look more seems she had nothing other than "regrets
attractive, but she now appears to be and desperate dreams" because "She had
completely unattractive. The cruellest irony neither frocks nor jewels, nothing. And she
of "The Necklace" is how lavish Matilda's loved only those things. She felt she was
former life, which she so bitterly despised, made for them." However, her desperation
seemed in comparison to the difficult life she vanished when she visited her friend's house
is forced to live as a result of losing the to borrow some ornaments to wear at the
necklace. In an effort to appear wealthier dinner. When she only saw the "superb
than she actually is, she steals Madame necklace of diamonds", she was overjoyed
Forestier's necklace, but she ends up losing and "her heart began to beat fast with an
what little she has. She pays twice, with her immoderate desire." When Madame
money and her appearance, for something Forestier lent her necklace, "She (Matilada)
that never had any value. embraced her with passion."
One of the core ideas of structuralism, Other apparent binary oppositions of the
binary oppositions, is also expressed in The story are the two contrary aspects of human
Necklace. Eagleton (2008) claims that age, youthfulness and old age. The author has
structuralism loves binary opposition. Binary compared the two contrary stages of human
oppositions of poverty and wealth, happiness life or age by presenting Matilda's ripe youth
and desperation and agony, desire and and her old age as well. At the start of the
distress, youth and old age, submissiveness story, Matilda was described as "one of the
and passion, and most important of all, pretty young ladies" and at the ball, during
appearance and reality are evident in the her enthusiastic dance, her beauty was
story. victorious over all the beauties in the ball but
In the story, poverty and wealth are at the end of the story, we notice that Matilda
presented with the help of the symbol of was "affected" and was even unrecognised by
ornaments, the costumes of Matilda and the her friend Madame Forestier. On the hand,
job status of her husband. The author the youth of Madame Forestier is mingled
abruptly introduced the status of Matilda as with the decayed youth and beauty of
a member of "a family of clerks". Her poverty Matilda Loisel by presenting Forestier as "still
was symbolised by showing lack of her young, still pretty, still attractive" but
possession as the author quoted “She had no Matilda's youth and beauty had vanished due
dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming to facing hard days of life.
known, appreciated by either rich man or Another prevalent binary in the story is
distinguished." She, in spite of being the most that of appearance and reality. There are
beautiful woman in the society, was not many aspects of the story that differ in their
appreciated without a borrowed necklace, by appearance and reality. For instance,
men of higher ranks at the ball. On the other Matilda’s apparent beauty is not the reality of
hand, wealth, the binary of poverty, has been her inner self. Her apparent beauty is
shown in the form of the possession of a opposite to her agony and distress of herself.
necklace, even a false one. Another reference of the binary opposition of
The other binary of has been presented appearance and reality is the necklace itself.
in the form of happiness and desperation. Apparently, the necklace is of diamond and

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A Structuralist Study of Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace

very costly but in fact, it is a "false" one as if this is not the case, we feel "unpleasure" or
when Madame Forestiee came to the reality suffering. Reality, rationality, and the
from Matilda, she said, "Oh, my poor everyday world have no impact on the id. In
Matolda! Mine were false." We can also The Necklace, the psychological conflict lies
assume that the reality of Forestier's necklace within its protagonist, Matilda, whose id
symbolises that the ornaments, beauty and prevails her superego most of the times.
youth she has, are "false" and apparent, just Matilda is entirely overwhelmed by her id,
like the necklace. due to which she is dissatisfied, discontented
The Necklace reflects another concept of and unhappy at large. She thought herself to
structuralism, namely the Freudian Id, Ego, be the poorest woman in the world. She was
and superego. The psychic apparatus, devoid of normal human status and had lost
devised by Sigmund Freud (1923) and it all as "She had no dowry, no hopes, no
published in McLeod (2008), is a structural means of becoming known", and she had
model of the human mind that includes the "regrets and desperate dreams." But when
id, ego, and superego. Freud believed that she saw her basic desire nearer to be
they were hypothetical conceptualisations of completed in the form of Madame Forestier's
crucial mental processes rather than actual Necklace, she couldn't control herself and
physical regions of the brain. As a "her heart beat fast with an immoderate
structuralist, the Id, the Ego, and the desire." When she found a chance to fulfil her
Superego are Sigmund Freud's three id the basic desire to be noticed by the men
divisions of the human mind. The Id is a of higher status she was overexcited, and "She
"animal" aspect of the mind, an instinct- danced with enthusiasm, with passion,
driven component, and an unconscious intoxicated with pleasure, thinking of
motivator that prioritises pleasure over pain nothing, in the triumph of her beauty, in the
avoidance. It is also known as the "pleasure glory of her success." We can notice that at
principle. "The rational and 'awake' half of the fulfilment of her id she had totally lost
the mind, the Ego, is a Conscious Motivator. ego and superego and danced violently to
It adheres to the reality principle (Freud, attract the attention of the elites.
1923). The moral and judgmental side of the
In the course of her life, the conflict
mind is known as the superego, which
between her ego and superego widened and
examines all decisions and consequences
resultantly her superego overcame her id.
critically and ethically. The 'interiorised
moral consciousness' is what it's called With the sudden stroke of destiny she lost
(Freud, 1923). the necklace and did not even know about its
reality of being a "false" one. In spite of their
Freud (1923) asserted that the id operates
search, Matilda and her husband were unable
in accordance with the pleasure (gratification
from satisfying basic instincts) principle on to find the necklace so they decided to find
an unconscious level. The id is made up of the the same replacement at any cost, and they
Eros and Thanatos biological instincts (or did exactly the same. It was very difficult for
drives), as described by Freud. Eros, or the them to pay their debts to the usurers with
life impulse, aids in a person's survival by their interests. At that tumultuous times,
controlling functions necessary for Matilda could be noticed as an entirely
breathing, eating, and having sex (Freud, different personality. Now she had overcome
1925). Thanatos, or the death instinct, is all of her weaknesses and had become a
perceived as a set of destructive energies that strong-willed lady. The author shows this
exist in all people (Freud, 1920). When the Id aspect of her life in these words, "She had
is immediately satiated, we feel pleasure; but, become a strong hard woman, the crude

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 Abdur Rahman, Naeema Shah and Asia Khatoon

woman…….". She had regulated her id or even has this tenet of structuralist theory as well.
had lost it and become a strong lady. In the story, the author paralleled the
Mme Loisel now knew the horrible life of characters of Matilda and Madame Forestier
necessity. She did her part, however, by showing the aspirations of their
heroically. personalities. As par the story, both the ladies
are almost equally beautiful, but Matilda has
Synchrony and Diachrony in the no possessions unlike that of Forestier. In a
comparative sense, Matilda's character has
Necklace
been compared with herself, the contrary
The Necklace also exhibits structural aspects of her character. In the ending lines
harmony, symmetry, and repetition of of the story, the author compares the youth
recurring patterns. A system of recurring of Forestier and Matilda in the following
patterns or motifs is valued by structuralism words. Matilda has been changed so much
(Barry, 2002). Analysing the story, we notice that her friend was astonished and could not
that the story has both the aspects of even recognise her.
synchrony and diachrony. It was Mme Forestier, still young, still
At the synchronic level, it analyses a pretty, still attractive” however, "Mme Loisel
single trait of Matilda's life as a pretty was affected.
youthful woman who is in search of her id's Another tenet of parallelism is the use of
gratification. On the other hand, Matilda's recurrent and repetitive patterns. The
life has been analysed diachronically by Necklace is full of such repetitive patterns.
portraying her family's background, The use of these patterns was aimed to keep
developing traits of her personality i.e. the plot tied around a single objective. The
overwhelming id at one stage and then the motifs of desire and clothing, and mirror are
growth of superego and its being stronger recurrent in The Necklace. In the story,
than her id. Matilda desires each and everything which
The Necklace enjoys the structuralist she hasn't and the others have. She desires
components of comparison and contrast, "delicacy and luxury" of a rich life and a life of
parallelism in phrases and sentences and higher status like that of Forestier.
even among characters. However, the plot of Maupassant's mentioning of the character's
the story is not altogether symmetrical; clothing is also a representation of their
rather it is a twisty one. social status. Early in the story, Matilda is
Parallelism is evident at the level of described as, "not being able to adorn
phrases and sentences. The author uses herself." To attend the party without suitable
parallelism to portray the constant poor life clothing and ornaments, she would have to
of Matilda, her husband's life and even the face embarrassment.
life of her class. Apparent examples of In The Necklace, the structuralist
structural parallelism are; "She had no dowry, component of Marxism known as the Base-
no hopes, no means of becoming known, Superstructure is depicted. According to the
appreciated……", "She had neither frocks nor Marxist social model, the base (the economy)
jewels, nothing." Another example of determines the superstructures. Marxism, for
parallelism is the repetition of the structure instance, emphasises the characters'
"She suffered…..". socioeconomic circumstances.
Parallelism and comparison among The Marxist lens has been employed in
characters of a literary work are also one of several interpretations since it is obvious in
the basic tenets of structuralism. The story light of the historical setting and the

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A Structuralist Study of Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace

economic condition in France in 1884; in Dumesnil). Six novels and more than 300
contrast, the repetition of feminine motifs in short stories, many of which focused on
Maupassant's works and his own personal women and sexuality, were written by
experience have prompted many to apply a Maupassant before his death in 1893.
feminist lens. However, many academics stop One could assume that interpreting his
there and don't examine additional lenses works would be best done via a feminist,
because of how evident it is. This study uses woman-oriented perspective, given his
the four parameters to analyse the story, frequent and regular utilisation of and
building on earlier analyses and opinions on attention on women. Given that she is a
these lenses to explain what the necklace woman, it makes sense to see the main
symbolises when viewed via each lens. It also character in "The Necklace" from this angle.
discusses how such symbolism conveys a Even if there isn't any historical or
positive message when used in combination.
biographical information to suggest that the
If read through a Marxist lens, the The story should be interpreted through a
Necklace by Guy de Maupassant illustrates formalist or psychological perspective, both
the flaws of the "Belle Epoque", and classes' are frequently used on a variety of stories
growing disparity as the wealthy became even when there aren't any details or other
wealthier and the destitute became poorer. factors that might lead the reader to infer
The "Belle Epoque," which was characterised that they should. Dobie asserts that we are
by high living standards and security for the given a clear picture of a society where
wealthy from 1871 to 1914, an improvement resources, including the means to obtain
and expansion of the chemical and electrical them, are dispersed inequitably in a Marxist
sectors would contribute to political stability interpretation. Madame Loisel can only
and peace., a rise in the use of the telegraph utilise her youth and attractiveness to attract
and telephone, new agricultural equipment
a marriage; she has neither a service nor a
and fertilisers, and greater food production in
talent to market (Dobie, 2011). Being a
both quality and quantity, was when the
member of the lower middle class prevents
story was written in France. These
Matilda from achieving her goal of moving up
developments allowed the upper class to
to the upper class because "she has no
enjoy a better standard of living, travel more,
dowry," highlighting the importance of
and focus completely on fashion trends. The
money, whereas Mrs Forestier is a member of
wealthy individuals who could buy superior
the upper class and possesses the goods that
commodities were the beneficiaries from this
others enviously seek. Both women belong to
magnificent era. Some people from the
middle and lower classes were able to make the society Dobie is referring about. Despite
more money or purchase specific things as a being lovely and being able to find marriage,
result of the trickle-down of previously Matilda's husband was just a menial clerk and
desired things, yet because there were few did little to advance her social standing.
socialist organisations, the vast mass of the When Matilda doesn't have a dress or
classes was kept in the dark, had small jewellery to wear and borrows the necklace
dwellings, and received little pay (Wilde, she thinks is extremely valuable because it
2017). Following the war, Maupassant belongs to a person of the upper-clase, there
enrolled in law school, began employment is little doubt that the possessors of wealth
with various Ministries, and began to spend and power are distinguished from those who
his free time boating and with prostitutes; all do not by what they own, what they lack, and
of these activities served as the inspiration for the extent to which they have access to riches
a large portion of his literature (Turnell and and power (Dobie, 2011).

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 Abdur Rahman, Naeema Shah and Asia Khatoon

Maupassant's culture exhibits classism in society's reliance on symbol value, according

his urge to steal jewellery, fool people and to Dobie's Marxist interpretation of the story.
pretend to be wealthy. Classism is a Dobie (2011), stressing the story's critique
viewpoint that our level of human decency is of society and commodification via a Marxist
based on the social class to which we belong perspective, claims that "The former is so
and that our innate superiority increases with attracted by the glitter of diamonds and
higher social status (Tyson, 2011). Because clothes and attractive people that she can
Matilda strives to be an upper-class woman find little enjoyment in the humble
because, as a middle-class lady, she thinks attentions of her husband-clerk." When
she is not very valuable, it is obvious that considering the value of the necklace using
"The Necklace" displays classism. She worries these social dimensions, three distinctive
about how other people would view her possibilities may be recognised. The first is
during the ball because she is not from the that the necklace symbolises money,
upper class. This demonstrates how classism particularly Mrs Forestier's, and how it is
causes the wealthy to only want to associate worthless while having been supposed to be
with other wealthy people. Dobie adds that valuable. The necklace may also stand in for
the difference [between the classes] gets commercialisation and its downsides
more evident and unbridgeable as they strive because it was always meant to be a
at progressively degrading occupations to commodity and because it contributes to
obtain the money to pay off their loans as the Matilda's miserable living. Not to mention,
pair spends a decade struggling to do so after after the story was made public and the
Matilda lost Mrs Forestier's diamond necklace caused Matilda's death, it was
jewellery (Dobie, 2011). When Matilda has known to cause pain of the lower classes;
completed the repayment, she realises that it therefore, it may represent the entire upper
was a false necklace and "not worth over five class.
hundred francs." According to Maupassant,
when we treat people and things like Collocation Structure of Vocabulary
commodities, when we value something by
of The Necklace
how much money it is worth of, or when we
somehow relate to them in this way, we are The association of one lexical item with
engaged in the practice of commodity another is known as collocation while
thinking. (Tyson, 2011). Mme. Loisel and her studying the structure of the vocabulary. It
wealthy companion are both victims of their refers to the horizontal syntagmatic link
between lexical components.

In this story, desire collocates with

Despair Suffer Dress Jewwls Frocks

Sad Disturbed Anxious Appreciatio

n

Figure 4

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 Abdur Rahman, Naeema Shah and Asia Khatoon

Structuralist Narrative of The The Hermeneutic Code

Necklace Offers the foundation for a macrostructure
There are five structuralist narrative codes, that is geared toward closure in a linear and
according to Cohan and Shires (1988). irreversible manner; (it includes parallels,
repetitions and so forth towards conclusion).
The Proairetic Code
The Symbolic Code
Offers the foundation for occurrences and
successions that propagate in a linear and uses reversible binary oppositions to give the
irreversible manner; (the effects of known foundation for representation.
activities)
The Reference Code
The Semic Code Establishes the foundation for what appears
Offers the foundation for personality to be extra-textual referentiality (different
attributes; (the area where signifiers draw fields of study that make up society,
attention to one another to create a string of including law, medicine, morality,
recognisable meanings). psychology, philosophy, and religion).

Matilda’s Character

Instinctive side of Rational side of

M’s character M’s character

Paying of
Sufferings Due Strong Lady
Illogical Desires debts
to desires

Desire to be
appreciated Losing beauty Living according
But gaining rules of society
rationality

Figure 5: The semic code: a chain o signifiers relating to Matilda’s charater and themes of
the story.

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 Abdur Rahman, Naeema Shah and Asia Khatoon

Irrational Irrational
desires desires

Irrational Irrational
desires desires

Irrational Irrational
desires desires

Figure 6: Matilda’s Personality

Findings society where the polarisation between the

classes was increasing. It was an age of the
The study found that structuralism can help
rise of industrialisation and a lower middle
us fetch the hidden meanings of literary
class was emerging, having far reaching
works. Structuralist theories help us delve
hopes that were usually out of their reach,
deep into the actions, desires of the
that was the real cause of most of the
characters and, resultantly, to find out the
problems of middle-class families.
meanings of the works. The research found
that there is a deep connection between
structuralist theories and literature like the Conclusion
social theories of structuralism like Marxism As previously stated this research is
point out that how the economy influences qualitative in character and used the textual
the lives of the characters and how it leads analysis methodology. The Necklace by
the characters towards their actions, and the Maupassant has been examined from the
psychoanalytical theories of Freud tried to standpoint of structuralism's tenets,
explore the hidden desires and their impacts including binary oppositions, cultural
on human personality. Moreover, the study determinism (Marxism), structuralist
found that the Saussurian way of interpreting theories of the id, ego, and superego,
the meanings also influences the writing style structuralist synchronic systems,
and themes of the author. structuralist narrative constituents, narrative
As it has already been discussed in codes, and collocation structure of
details, Maupassant’s The Necklace has a lot vocabulary. These structuralism principles
of structuralist features. It portrays a from this French masterwork by Maupassant
th
prototypical character of late 19 -century have not been examined in any of the earlier

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A Structuralist Study of Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace

studies. Students and researchers alike would Therefore, the additional study may be
benefit from understanding the genuine required to enhance the integrity and
purpose of structuralism and how it is trustworthiness of this initiative's outcomes.
applied according to the current study. Future studies may examine the structuralist
Opening new research areas from a principles in Maupassant's other works, such
structuralist viewpoint on Maupassant's as Ball Fat, Two Friends, and Mother Savage.
short narrative is the goal of this work.

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 Abdur Rahman, Naeema Shah and Asia Khatoon

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