The Necklace

By
Guy de Maupassant

Marwane Oufrid
2021380051
 Table of contents

I II III IV
The V
The Author The Plot The Style Essence Conclusion
A brief A short The A thematic Final words
biography of summary of the particularities analysis of the and reflections
the author story of the language story
 I
The Author
 The Author
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was
a 19th-century French author, celebrated as a master of
the short story, as well as a representative of the
naturalist school, depicting human lives, destinies and
social forces in often pessimistic terms.

Maupassant was a protégé of Gustave Flaubert and his

stories are characterized by economy of style, and
efficient, seemingly effortless dénouements (endings).
Many are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s,
describing the futility of war and the innocent civilians
who, caught up in events beyond their control, and are
permanently changed by their experiences. He wrote 300
short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one
volume of verse.
 II
The Plot
 The Plot
Mathilde Loisel is a Parisian housewife who dreams of a life of ostentation, wealth, and
elegance. She is married to a minor clerk in the Ministry of Public Instruction, whom she married
out of necessity, but who does a lot for her.

One day, he comes home with an invitation to a party at the Ministry, and to avoid revealing
her modest status, she borrows a necklace from her friend, Jeanne Forestier, who belongs to the
high society she dreams of joining. Upon returning home, she realizes she has lost the necklace.
Despite all efforts to find it, the precious piece remains missing. She doesn't dare tell her friend
and decides to buy an identical one instead, which costs 40,000 francs, thus heavily indebting
their household to repay the loans taken: they move to a cheaper apartment, dismiss their maid,
and she "knew the horrible life of the needy." Her husband takes on extra tedious writing work
after his job, and she is forced to do all the menial tasks previously done by their maid, for ten
years.

After these ten grueling years, Madame Loisel randomly encounters Madame Forestier, "still
young, still beautiful," and decides it's time to confess the truth to her. At first, Madame Forestier
does not recognize Madame Loisel. Then, Mathilde sorrowfully reveals everything:
 III
The Style
 The Style
The Necklace’ is narrated in the third person by an omniscient narrator. The style is
broadly realist, with Maupassant’s narrative voice relating the main details of the story in
crisp, concise prose. We don’t get – as we would in the work of later modernist writers –
detailed insight into the characters’ thoughts and feelings, although we are given
occasional details about Mathilde’s feelings towards her situation. Here are some
examples:

Vocabulary:
Maupassant uses a sophisticated yet accessible vocabulary to paint vivid pictures of his
characters and settings. The choice of words often reflects the social standing and inner
life of the characters.
● Descriptive Adjectives: Words like "elegant," "luxurious," and "ostentatious" convey
Mathilde's aspirations and dreams.
● Economic Terms: Terms such as "indebted," "loans," and "necessitous" illustrate the
financial burden the Loisels face after losing the necklace.
 The Style
Sentence Structure:
Maupassant employs a variety of sentence structures, from short, impactful sentences
to longer, more complex ones. This variety helps maintain the reader's interest and
emphasizes different aspects of the story.
● Short Sentences for Impact: "She had no clothes, no jewels, nothing." This series of
short sentences highlights Mathilde's dissatisfaction with her life.
● Complex Sentences for Detail: "She suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all
the delicacies and all the luxuries." This longer sentence delves into her perpetual
sense of inadequacy.

Punctuation:
Punctuation in "The Necklace" is used strategically to control the pacing and to
emphasize certain emotions and reactions.
● Exclamations: Exclamation marks are used sparingly but effectively. For instance,
"Oh! my poor Mathilde!" captures the shock and pity in Madame Forestier's
reaction.
● Commas and Semicolons: Maupassant uses commas and semicolons to build
suspense and provide detailed descriptions. For example, "He threw around her
 The Style
Repetition:
Repetition is a technique Maupassant uses to emphasize certain themes and feelings,
making the narrative more poignant.
● Repetition of Desires: Mathilde’s desires for a better life are repeated throughout
the story, highlighting her constant dissatisfaction. For example, the repeated
mention of her longing for "delicacies and luxuries."
● Repetition of Struggles: The repeated references to the Loisels’ hard work and
sacrifices over the ten years emphasize the heavy toll of their ordeal. For example,
“She came to know what heavy housework meant and the odious cares of the
kitchen.”

By using these techniques, Maupassant not only enhances the narrative but also
deeply immerses the reader in Mathilde’s world, making her plight and eventual
revelation all the more impactful.
 IV
The Essence
 The Essence
In ‘The Necklace’, Guy de Maupassant explores the relationship between appearance and
reality. The necklace, of course, is the most explicit example of this: it looks like a genuine
diamond necklace but is actually an imitation. And this final twist in the tale leads us to think
more carefully about the other details of the story.

But ‘The Necklace’ is more specifically about the dangers of not being happy with what one
has, and always wanting more. The nineteenth century saw a rise in the prevalence of
consumerism, with many middle-class people seeking to improve their lot and keep up with their
friends and neighbours in terms of their possessions, clothes, and social status.

iAlthough Maupassant’s story is hardly searing social satire, the fate of the female protagonist
does act as a cautionary tale about the dangers of chasing consumerist gratification in order to
impress and be admired by others. The Loisels have a perfectly comfortable lower-middle-class
life, and Mathilde has one servant to help around the house. But this isn’t enough. She dreams of
having more. Her food is not enough for her and she wants to dine on finer dishes. One would
think she was living a life of poverty from how dissatisfied she is.
 The Essence
iThis constant desire for more is her undoing, of course – and her husband’s. Her insistence
that she have some jewels to wear to the ball is what leads her to find out what real poverty is
like, when she and her husband have to downsize from a modest flat to a small garret, and
Mathilde has to learn how to work as a servant in her own house. She also loses the natural
beauty she had as she has to work so hard at scrubbing the floors.

The critic Rachel Mesch, in her book Having It All in the Belle Epoque, has pointed out that ‘The
Necklace’, among other stories, is a kind of Cinderella-story gone awry: whereas Cinderella
begins by scrubbing floors and ends up going to the ball in all her finery, Mathilde goes to the
ball and, as a result of losing her necklace (not her glass slipper), is reduced to a life of scrubbing
floors.

Because she longed for more than she had, she ended up with less than she had to begin with.
But the delicious ironic twist at the end of the story shows that her reduction to a life of poverty
was all for nothing: just like the admiration she was foolishly and vainly chasing, the necklace
she was working to replace was, after all, a sham.

Modern consumerism, then, is a con, with anyone able to afford a cheap imitation necklace
able to pass themselves off as a member of the upper classes. Maupassant seems to be
 V
Conclusion
 “She would have given anything to
be popular, envied, attractive, and in
demand.”