Guy de Maupassant wrote “The Necklace”, a short story about a woman whose desire for a different life seems far away. Although she is blessed with a loving husband, a secure home and comfortable living arrangements, she does not value what they have because she desires to be rich. Ironically, she creates a web that destroys her life in order to get access to the world. Maupassant’s “The Necklace”, which is a story about Mathilde Loisel, shows how greed, envy, dishonesty, and envy lead to ruin in her life.
Mathilde Loisel’s first enemy is envy. Mathilde Loisel is constantly at odds with both her entitlements and her current status. Mathilde was the only child of a modest family. She didn’t have the social standing she wanted. She was charming and beautiful, but she married a man from her social class. She was a materialistic woman who has been left unhappy by her husband. She fantasized about a luxurious home, exquisite jewelry, and extravagant dresses all her life. She envied the luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by those in higher social classes. “She didn’t have clothes, jewelry, or any other material. These were the only items she loved. She believed that they were her true love. Mathilde cannot see the beauty in what she already has because she is so attached to these material things. Her husband, a thankful man, is content with simple meals like Scotch soup. He provides security and a small home for them. She is jealous of the other life and becomes greedy. This is how Mahtilde ends up ruining her life. Her husband invites her to a high-profile party and she believes her wife will be delighted. She isn’t satisfied and is unhappy that she doesn’t have the right dress for the occasion. She turns to her husband to ask him “And how do you want me to dress my back (DeMaurant)?” Only to discover that her husband has not saved enough money for a gun. Mahtilde gets a necklace loaned by Madame Forestier, her wealthy friend. She picks a piece of elaborate jewelry she considers expensive. After living out her dream, she finds that the necklace is gone. Because of her greed, she and her husband have to pay for the jewelry. This realization leads the third element to destruction.
Mahtilde’s life is ruined by dishonesty. After Mahtilde has a wonderful evening at the party, she realizes she’s lost her necklace. She agrees to the husband’s plan of replacing the necklace. She lies about the replacement necklace and doesn’t tell her friend it’s not the original. Mahtilde is older than her husband to repay the necklace’s debt. Ironically, her mistake was not disclosed to Mahtilde. She would have discovered that Madame Loisel had an imitation necklace that was just a fraction as expensive as the original.
This author portrays the downfall and despair of a woman who desires a different kind of life. Mahtilde had beauty, a husband who loved her and financial security. Although she wasn’t wealthy, she was definitely not poor. Mahtilde’s inability love the things she had in her life made it worse. Guy de Maupassant, in “The Necklace”, teaches us that we should appreciate what we have, not seek to emulate others. And that envy, greed, or dishonesty lead to all kinds of destruction. Mahtilde lost sight of the reality she already had.