What is the moral of "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant?

Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" is about a young woman, Madame Loisel, who daydreams about wealth, social status and luxury. When she is able to live her preferred life for one night at a fancy ball, adorned with a new dress and a seemingly expensive necklace, she is truly happy. With the loss of the necklace, a symbol of wealth and material status, her life is forever changed as she is thrown into poverty. In the end, we learn the necklace was actually worthless, proving her original mindset wrong. 

A saying that sums up the moral of the story might be: Be satisfied and grateful for the things you have rather than striving for things that may appear better but often are not.

In the beginning of the story, while Madame Loisel is daydreaming, the reader learns she lives comfortably. After all, she has a maid. She also has a husband who is obviously devoted to her. Realizing she is bored, he tries to brighten her life by bringing home an invitation to the fancy ball and he even uses some of his savings to buy her a new dress. She doesn't appreciate what she already has and foolishly loses the necklace as she hurries away from the ball. The loss of the necklace causes her to lose her youth, her beauty and her dignity. Her life would have been better had she been satisfied with what she already had.

What is the conflict of the short story "The Necklace"?

The conflict is that Mathilde loses the necklace and has to give up the one thing she has to give it back.

A conflict is, simply put, a struggle between opposing forces.  Conflicts can internal or external.  An internal conflict is between a character and his or her self, and usually involves a tough decision or fear.  An external conflict is between a character and an outside force, such as another character, society, nature, or technology or the supernatural.

In “The Necklace” Mathilde does not have much money, but she has great beauty.  She always wishes for her money to match her beauty, but she does not marry high enough in society to accomplish this.  One day she borrows a necklace from a wealthier friend to attend a society ball, and promptly loses it.

Thus enters the main conflict of the story.  Mathilde must decide if she should tell her friend she lost of the necklace, of course, but it never occurs to her.  Her pride forbids it.  So she and her husband borrow money to replace the expensive necklace, and work it off.

Thereafter Madame Loisel knew the horrible existence of the needy. She bore her part, however, with sudden heroism. That dreadful debt must be paid. She would pay it.

For ten years, they continued this way, and Mathilde grew older and less beautiful.  She struggled with the consequences of poverty, but it was an internal struggle.  It was a struggle of guilt and shame, not because of losing the necklace, but because she never had the money to replace it.

In the end, Mathilde’s struggle turns out to be an ironic one.  The necklace she replaced the lost one with was real, but the lost one was fake.  Madame Loisel, her friend had no idea of what Mathilde went through.  If Mathilde had not had such pride, she would not have had to struggle at all.  In struggling, she lost everything she had to be proud of.  Such is the irony.

What is the main idea in "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant?

I would say that there are two main ideas in De Maupassant's story and both are entwined and reinfoce one another. The questions to be considered are: what is beauty? and what is wealth?

For example, one begins to question beauty. Is it really all on the outside? Madame Loisel is beautiful, but she is not content. She has the appearance of beauty but not the reality of beauty.

One also begins to question greed. Living modestly with her husband before the ball, Madame Loisel believes she is suffering a terrible injustice by having few luxuries. In fact, she does not experience the reality of poverty until she and her husband go into debt to pay off the necklace.

"The Necklace" is a social re-evaluation of values, both material and internal.

What is the main idea in "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant?

In 'The Necklace' Madame Mathilde Loisel is unhappy with her position in life, she dreams of a life of leisure and of being well-off - but the reality is that she has a modest life style. She has stopped visiting an old friend Madame Forestier who has become wealthy because she feels ashamed of her social standing.

Mathilde sees the ball she and her husband are invited to as a way to the life she dreams of. Her husband does not purchase the gun he has been saving for to buy her new gown for the ball, and her husband suggests she borrows jewels from Madame Forestier when Mathilde laments that she has no jewels.

Mathilde is a success at the party, but when she and her husband return home she realizes that she has lost the necklace that Madame Forestier has loaned her. Despite their searching, they are unable to find it. Mathilde and her husband go deeply into debt to purchase a new necklace for Madame Forestier and spend years working the debt off at a great cost to themselves, only to find out once the debt has been paid off that the original necklace had been a fake worth only 500 francs.

The main idea of the story is that Mathilde's greed, dishonesty, and desire for a better social position in life ultimately led her to a life much worse than she originally had. If she had never felt it necessary to borrow the necklace so she could look wealthy, had been honest with Madame Forestier that the necklace had been lost, Mathilde would have never ended up where she did.

What are the internal and external conflicts in "The Necklace"?

The only character in "The Necklace," by Guy de Maupassant, who has any real conflict at all is the protagonist, Mathilde Loisel. From the author's first description of her, we sense that Mathilde is not a contented person; in fact, she is virtually simmering with discontent.

Mathilde comes from a very poor family and therefore has little hope, in this society, to marry very far above her present station. Despite that stark reality, Mathilde always felt she should have more than she has been given.

She suffered intensely, feeling herself born for every delicacy and every luxury. She suffered from the poverty of her dwelling, from the worn walls, the abraded chairs, the ugliness of the stuffs. All these things, which another woman of her caste would not even have noticed, tortured her and made her indignant.

When she marries her husband, Mathilde is still discontent; though her life has improved, she still wants more. Her husband is perfectly content with their humble life, and he seems to love his wife despite her unhappiness with everything he provides. When he gives her an invitation to a ball, thinking she will be thrilled to be able to attend something fancy for once, all Mathilde does is complain that since she does not have anything suitable to wear (by her definition, anyway) she would rather not go at all. Her lack of gratitude is appalling, but her husband does what he can to satisfy her.

Mathilde gets a new dress (with the money her husband has been saving over time for something of his own) but is not content with just a few flowers for adornment. She borrows a showy necklace and is still not content because, at the end of the party, she is embarrassed of her coat.

He threw over her shoulders the wraps he had brought to go home in, modest garments of every-day life, the poverty of which was out of keeping with the elegance of the ball dress. She felt this, and wanted to fly so as not to be noticed by the other women, who were wrapping themselves up in rich furs.

Mathilde lives her life in constant turmoil, and her internal conflict is between what she has and what she thinks she deserves. The necklace is lost, and the Loisels have to sacrifice and work for ten years to repay it. It is the great irony of the story that the necklace was not made of real diamonds, which she should have known and could have discovered but was too full of pride to ask. The ten years of true poverty and suffering, however, have made her a better person, or at least a better wife, and she seems to have silenced the internal conflict which caused all the problems. 

What would have happened if she had not lost that necklace? Who knows? Who knows? How singular life is, how changeable! What a little thing it takes to save you or to lose you.

What is the message of "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant?

De Maupassant's "The Necklace" has at least a few messages a reader can take from it. Madame Loisel is a good example of how not to conduct one's life. She has a sense of entitlement based upon nothing, cares too much about appearances, and lacks the courage to be honest with others. 

Although Madame Loisel is from a family that is not wealthy, she believes she is entitled to live a life of great ease and luxury. This belief is not based upon any sterling quality she possesses, such as industriousness, kindness, or intelligence. It is premised upon her appearance. Madame Loisel thinks her face should be her fortune. Her downfall at the end of the story, in which she must live in even greater poverty than she had at the beginning of the story, is largely attributable to this sense of entitlement. Thus, the story has a message about the dangers of a sense of entitlement. We are meant to earn what we get, not rely upon superficial appearances to make gains.

Madame Loisel also cares a great deal about what others think of her. She does not care about others' thoughts on her character, though — just her appearance. This leads her to borrow what she believes to be a diamond necklace so she can present herself as a wealthy woman at the event she and her husband attend. She refuses the flowers her husband suggests as an adornment, believing this would label her as poor. She does not don her outer garments until after they leave so no one can see those garments are not the very best. Her very short-lived sense of triumph at the dance is based upon the admiration of others, admiration based solely on appearances. The lesson here is that appearances are not important in the long run. Being the belle of the ball does not pay the rent or save the world, and it is incumbent upon us to focus on our characters.

Madame Loisel is even dishonest to her friends. This story would have had a very different ending if Madame Loisel revealed to Madame Forestier that she lost the necklace. She would have learned the necklace was not made of real diamonds, and, while her friend might have been briefly annoyed, it certainly would not take years of hard labor for Madame Loisel to pay for an acceptable replacement. Another message in this story, then, is that honesty is the best policy. 

While a reader can perhaps empathize a bit with Madame Loisel, who is young, pretty, and a little bored, she is not a very sympathetic character to most people. Her sense of entitlement, concern about appearances, and dishonesty lead to her downfall, and most readers seem to feel it is a deserved comeuppance for her.  

What is a brief description of the short story "The Necklace"?

“The Necklace” is a tale of a woman who has all she needs, but is not satisfied.  It is the story of a young French woman named Mathilde Loisel who was born beautiful, but not born rich.

Mathilde is very materialistic.

Mathilde suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born to enjoy all delicacies and all luxuries. She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at the bareness of the walls, at the shabby chairs, the ugliness of the curtains. (p. 1)

One day, her husband (who is not named) comes home with an invitation to a fancy ball.  He thought she would be thrilled, because it is a very important social event and it is hard to get tickets, especially for a clerk.  He is surprised by her reaction.  She is angry, and then sad.  She tells him she has nothing to wear, and he offers to give her the money he has saved for a hunting trip.  Then she says she was no jewels, and he again offers a suggestion.

"Go look up your friend, Madame Forestier, and ask her to lend you some jewels. You're intimate enough with her to do that." (p. 3)

They go to the ball, and Mathilde is wonderful.  She looks stunning, and she is very happy.  As they are leaving, she realizes that she lost the necklace she borrowed from her rich friend.

Her husband once again swoops in to save the day.  He tells her to write that the clasp is broken, and takes out a loan to replace the necklace.  Then he and Mathilde labor on for ten years to repay the debt.

Thereafter Madame Loisel knew the horrible existence of the needy. She bore her part, however, with sudden heroism. That dreadful debt must be paid. She would pay it. (p. 6)

In the end, Mathilde runs into her friend Madame Forestier.  She does not recognize how old and ragged Mathilde looks.  Mathilde tells her only then that she had to replace the necklace, and it took her ten years.  Madame Forestier is surprised, and tells her the necklace was a fake.

The great irony of the story is that Mathilde’s pride literally was her downfall.  She refused to tell Madame Forestier that she lost the necklace, and so she lost her beauty and what little comfort she had to replace it.  She spent ten years destroying herself to replace a fake necklace with a real one.

What is the main conflict of "The Necklace"?

One of the main external conflicts in the story is between Madame Loisel's and her husband's values. On the whole, Monsieur Loisel seems perfectly happy with life. He may only be a humble functionary at the Ministry of Education, but as he's none too ambitious, he appears satisfied with his career as a civil servant. And with the modest salary he earns, he's still able to provide a fairly decent standard of living for himself and his wife. The Loisels may not be rich, but they're still able to afford to hire a servant so they can't be too badly off.

Mathilde, on the other hand, is profoundly dissatisfied with her humdrum, middle-class existence. She genuinely believes she has noble blood; and as far as she's concerned, this entitles her to better things. That's why the necklace, and all it symbolizes, takes on such great significance for her. It isn't just a piece of fancy jewelry; it's an entry into a rarefied world of wealth, opulence, and glamor. Mathilde's values are thoroughly shallow and materialistic. She will only ever feel satisfied if she has fine clothes and jewelry to wear and becomes the toast of high society.

Contrast this with her husband's uncomplaining acceptance of a more modest lifestyle. The Loisels' respective value systems are in complete conflict, and this conflict cannot be resolved without one or the other being disabused of their notions of what really matters in life.

What is the main conflict of "The Necklace"?

After Madame Loisel discovers that she has lost the diamond necklace that she has borrowed, she is faced with a decision: Does she tell her wealthy friend, Madame Forestier, that she has lost the necklace and risk humiliation and the loss of the woman's friendship? Or does she try to replace it on her own and keep the loss of the original necklace a secret from her friend? The Loisels decide on the latter choice. They borrow money in any way they can, in many cases with large interest rates, and buy what appears to be an identical diamond necklace. When Madame Loisel returns it to Madame Forestier, the owner does not recognize the difference. Madame Loisel's secret is safe, but she and her husband have to scrimp and save for years in order to pay off the debt. She will come to regret making this decision at the end of the story when she discovers that the original necklace did not contain real diamonds, but only paste.

What is the moral lesson of "The Necklace?"

The moral of Guy de Maupassant's short story, "The Necklace," is to be happy with what you have.

Throughout the story, Mathilde Loisel is unsatisfied with her life. Readers do not have to look far to support this stand. The first paragraph defines her as a woman who "let herself be married to a little clerk of the Ministry of Public Instruction." Not only is this stated, the following paragraph blatantly states her unhappiness:

She dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was unhappy as if she had really fallen from a higher station; since with women there is neither caste nor rank, for beauty, grace and charm take the place of family and birth.

If readers are still unaware of Mathilde's unhappiness, the following line further addresses her distaste for her life.

Mathilde suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born to enjoy all delicacies and all luxuries. She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at the bareness of the walls, at the shabby chairs, the ugliness of the curtains. All those things, of which another woman of her rank would never even have been conscious, tortured her and made her angry.

That being said, Mathlide's story allows readers to understand the importance of accepting what one has and being happy with it.

Given Mathilde's unhappiness, her husband is able to procure an invitation to a party. To her husband's surprise, she is not at all pleased. Instead,she states that she cannot go given her lack of a dress. Stil wishing to make his wife happy, M. Loisel gives Mathilde 400 francs to purchase a dress. After buying the dress, Mathilde is still not happy--she lacks jewelry.  Upon her husband's suggestion, Mathilde asks a friend to borrow a necklace.

Mathilde is the "belle of the ball." Everyone wishes to be introduced to her and dance with her. Unfortunately, at the end of the night, Mathilde comes to discover that she has lost the necklace.

In order to replace the necklace, Mathilde and her husband must work for tens years to pay off the debt (34,000 francs). At the end of the story, Mathilde has aged and is unrecognizable. By chance, she comes across the friend who loaned he the necklace. Mathilde admits that she had lost the necklace,but replaced it. She also tells Madame Forestier (the friend) that she has spent the last ten years repaying the loans to replace the necklace. Forestier tells Mathilde that the necklace was paste,not real diamonds. Essentially, Mathilde and her husband worked for 10 years to replace a 500 franc necklace.

Therefore, given that Mathilde's problems came to exist because of her displeasure for her life, the moral of the story explains to readers the importance of accepting what one has in life--and being happy with it.

What is the complication in Maupassant's "The Necklace" that initiates the conflict?

The complication that causes the conflict in "The Necklace" is for Madame Loisel to find the things in life that will make her fit into a higher social class.  This is based on material things.  In her mind she feels that she was deprived the life of a socialite and that she deserves to have whatever it takes to get her there.  Mr. Loisel begins to take her on this journey by getting her a ticket to a very prestigious event that only "the  finest" are invited to.  Once she has the invitation, she now pouts because she has nothing to wear.  When  her husband gives her the money, he has been saving for a rifle, it still is not enough.  She then complains that she has no jewelry to wear, so her husband tells her to ask her wealthy friend, Madame Forestier, to borrow a bauble to wear.  Based on these three problems, the conflict is set.  From the time she borrows the necklace, to the end of the story, her life is all downhill, reducing her to a lower social class than when she started. It just goes to show you, be happy with what you have because the grass isn't always greener on the other side. 

Reference:  The Literature and Language Book by McDougal Littell

What is the complication in Maupassant's "The Necklace" that initiates the conflict?

I am not sure what exactly you mean by the complication that sets up the conflict, but this is my answer.  The complication,as I see it is Madame Loisel's dissatisfaction with her station in life: she hates being poor and believes she deserves better.  Her desire to appear to have more than she actually does leads to the borrowing of what she believes to be a very expensive necklace from her friend, only to lose it in the end.  I think this is the complication you are looking for.  This leads to the main conflict, a life of service to repay the price of the lost necklace that they have replaced without telling Madame Forestier.  I hope this helps.  Brenda

How is the conflict in "The Necklace" resolved?

The only conflicts that get resolved in the short story "The Necklace" are the external ones. The external conflicts of the story are based on the necklace itself, namely:

1. How to secure the necklace/jewelry? -- Going to Madame Forrestier to borrow one of hers.

2. How to replace the necklace once it was lost? -- Losing all of the marital money in an effort buy a replacement. Using up all of their savings, moving to a smaller apartment, keeping the secret of the lost necklace, and then paying for it for years.

Sadly, the internal conflicts of the story remain intact, which is where the tragedy of the story actually stems from. The internal conflict is that Madame Loisel is an unhappy wife who wishes to have riches and fortunes for herself. While that, in itself, is not a bad thing, her desire for bigger and better things renders her unable to see what she actually does have:  a good husband, a livable home, and she even has a maid to help her around the house, which is interesting since Madame does not make a living of any kind. Therefore, her genteel poverty is at least something much better than the tragic changes that were about to go her way. 

Another internal conflict is the state of the marriage. Monsieur Loisel is obviously either too blind, too obstinate, too ignorant, or too unintelligent to see what is unfolding in front of his very eyes. His wife is extremely unhappy but she is also ungrateful and obviously lacks a lot of gusto for everything. Perhaps this is one of the expected behaviors of Victorian wives. Nevertheless, he still goes along with everything his wife says and wants to a high cost to him. 

The last internal conflict that goes unresolved is Madame Loisel's dissatisfaction with her life. Despite of the ball, she is an unrelentingly unhappy woman. Perhaps she finds satisfaction in misery. Regardless of what happens to her, and whatever she does, she continues to be miserable. This is an internal conflict that never gets resolved in the story, as we are only left with the information that Madame was informed by her friend, Forrestier, that the necklace that Mathilde has sacrificed so much for is nothing but a fake. 

Would you explain the title of the story "The Necklace" by Guy De Maupassant?

The title of Guy de Maupassant's short story refers to the centerpiece of the narrative and the object that is the catalyst for Mathilde Loisel's difficult life. Mathilde is depicted as a disgruntled, superficial woman who values status and appearances. When her husband receives an invitation to a party hosted by his boss, the Minister of Public Instruction, Mathilde refuses to attend unless she can wear an expensive dress and fine jewelry. She ends up borrowing Madame Forestier's diamond necklace, which she does not know is an inexpensive imitation piece. To Mathilde, the necklace symbolically represents class, status, and wealth, which are superficial and meaningless things.

After losing the necklace, Mathilde buys a genuine diamond necklace for thirty-six thousand francs to replace it. Mathilde and her husband spend their inheritance, make financial concessions, and labor for ten years to pay off the genuine necklace, only to discover that Madame Forestier's necklace was a worthless imitation. Therefore, the necklace is the centerpiece of the story and represents everything material and superficial that Mathilde desires, which leads to her difficult, arduous life. Guy de Maupassant uses the necklace to represent the hollowness of material objects and the vain pursuit of wealth and status.

Would you explain the title of the story "The Necklace" by Guy De Maupassant?

The title of the story is significant because the entire story is based on the fact that the main character, Madame Loisel, aspires to a higher station in life and borrows a diamond necklace from her friend, which she loses.  She and her husband buy another necklace to replace the lost one and spend the rest of the next ten years in financial ruin paying for a necklace that she eventually learns was only a convincing copy.

Would you explain the title of the story "The Necklace" by Guy De Maupassant?

THe title of "The Necklace" by Guy De Maupassant, refers not just to the physical necklace that Madame Loisel borrows and then loses, but rather to what it represents. TO Madame Loisel, the necklace represemts all that she does not and can not have: wealth, status, what she perceives as a good life. When she borrows the necklace for the ball, she has a wonderful time because she imagines herself as someone who could afford the necklace, who belonged. Once she loses the necklace, and goes heavily into debt to pay for the new one, Madame Loisel realizes that she can never be part of the world of which she wants to belong.

What is the significance of the story "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant?

The significance of this story is that it shows how greed and the ambition to live above your means could lead to the destruction of ur future.

Matilda's obsession with social rank and riches led her to take desperate measures to "keep up with the Joneses" once she had her chance to mingle with them, thanks to the efforts of her poor husband.  As she borrowed "The Necklace" she also borrrowed acceptance, admiration, social equality (though just for that night), and happiness. When she lost it and had to work 10 years to replace it, she lost her youth, any admiration, any acceptance, and all dignity (and her husband too).

When she realized that she had foolishly wasted all that time to replace that expensive necklace- and then finds out the original was a cheap copy-we assume that she also realizes the foolishness and waste of time it is to waste our own time and talent away trying to sniff after other people's lives. There is quite a remarkable significance in many ways;

Explain the title of "The Necklace." In what way is it suitable to the story?

The necklace which Mme. Loisel believes is real is later revealed to be faux, (meaning false in French) just as the material values that Mme Loisel holds as of the greatest importance are false.

She dressed plainly because she could not afford fine clothes....She grieved incessantly, feeling that she had been born for all the little niceties and luxuries of living.  She grieved over the shabbiness of her apartment, the dinginess of the walls, the worn-out appearance of the chars, the ugliness of the draperies.

  So, in essence, the necklace underscores the theme that material possessions cannot bring a person happiness--a most relevant theme today.

That Mme. Loisel is entirely materialistic is evident from the beginning of the story until the end.  When her husband brings home the invitation to the ball, thinking she will be delighted, she merely complains that she has nothing to wear.  Then, when he sacrifices the money that he has been saving for a rifle and donates it for a new dress for her, she does not even thank him.  Nor does she thank her husband for the years of sacrifice that he endures on her behalf.  After Mme. Loise has returned the necklace and she meets Mme. Forestier in the park, selfishlessly she places blame upon Mme. Forestier for her hard years:

Yes, I've had a hard time since last seeing you.  And plenty of misfortunes--and all on account of you!

Never does Mathilde Loisel appreciate the love of her husband and the friendship of Mme. Forestier.  Like the necklace, Mme. Loisel is a person of falseness.

Explain the title of "The Necklace." In what way is it suitable to the story?

The title carries two meanings like many titles.  Of course, its literal title refers to the actual necklace that Madame Loisel (Mathilde) borrows from Madame Forestier. The figurative title, though, refers to the symbolic weight around Mathilde's neck.  First, she feels constrained by her lot in life.  She longs for a life of leisure and beauty and feels that she has been shorted in life by being born into a family of common workers with no hope of escaping her social class.  She believes that she has married beneath herself and thinks that

she suffer[s] endlessly, feeling herself born for every delicacy and luxury.

Mathilde truly thinks that if the "burden" of her lowly position in life were lifted off her (the figurative necklace) she would be content and would finally be where she should be society.

Additionally, the figurative necklace demonstrates the truth of Shakespeare's quote that "all that glisters [glistens] is not gold." Mathilde is so caught up in outward appearance that sheneglects to appreciate what she has.  Her husband truly cares about her and wants her to be happy, but she just sees that he is a commoner--she doesn't seem to look inside and appreciate his true character. She also chooses the fake piece of jewelry from Madame Forestier's collection, illustrating that her idea of status and beauty is based solely on the exterior.  She unfortunately does not realize what true class is.

Explain the title of "The Necklace." In what way is it suitable to the story?

The necklace is a symbol of the entire story, isn't it? What does the necklace represent? It represents Mme. Loisel's longing to be something she is not, just as the necklace itself pretends to be something it is not. The necklace also represents the Loisels' years of toil for something that is not even real. Also, as the story itself, the title is ironic. The reader begins, believing that a necklace is going to be very important in the story, and then goes on to see that the necklace, for all its importance, is a fake. The reader does not see the irony until the very end of the story, just as Mme. Loisel does not understand how and why her life has been so bitter for the past several years.  The necklace is simply a "thing," but it symbolizes how our longing for another life, with material objects, can seduce us into decisions with dire consequences.  I hope you are able to have a bit more insight now into why this is such a good title for the story. 

What type of conflict is central to "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant?

Having served as a civil servant himself, Guy de Maupassant often satirized the class to which these civil servants belonged.  Often his works contain subtle social commentary.  Such a story is "The Necklace" in which Mathilde Loisel is

one of those pretty and charming girls, born, as if by an accident of fate, into a family of clerk.  With no dowry, no prospects, no way of any kind of being met, understood, loved, and married by a man both prosperous and famous, se was finally married to a minor clerk in the Ministry of Education.

In this first paragraph, Maupassant already sets Mme. Loisel in conflict with society.  For she could easily have been a lady had her parents been wealthy.  Consequently, she is as "unhappy as a woman who has come down in the world" because she possesses

natural poise,...instinctive good taste, and ..[the] mental cleverness [that] make daughters of the common people the equals of ladies in high society.

Thus, because Mathilde Loisel realizes that she could be the equal of aristocratic ladies, she is discontent and places excessive value upon material possessions as she perceives monetary things being the means to higher positions in society.  This is why she thinks that Mme. Forestier has loaned her a real diamond necklace, for in her mind, no wealthy woman would possess faux diamonds; this is why she does not confess to Mme. Forestier that she has lost the necklace.  She is too proud to admit such a fault, already feeling inferior. 

Throughout the narrative of Maupassant's story, Mme. Loisel sees herself as the "accident of fate" as Maupassant writes in the first paragraph.  She is meant to be a lady, but is denied this role because she is the child of a civil servant and has married a civil servant.  Her obsession with this idea prevents her from appreciating what a kind, generous person her husband is, and what a kind friend Mme Forestier has been.  Thus, Mme. Loisel's conflict with her social position becomes internalized and is, then, an internal conflict of person versus self.  Indeed, it is her pride that causes her to live the miserable years in payment for the diamond necklace.

What is the man vs. nature conflict of the short story "The Necklace"?

"The Necklace" short story by Guy De Maupassant is also concerned with humanity and spirituality and nature on a deeper level.

The necklace was thought to have value, but turned out to be fake and valueless, possibly like the ambitions of shallow social climbers who value the materialistic things of this life over spiritual aesthetic ones.

Man, and humanity,is flawed - as the necklace turned out to be.

Nature can be stunningly beautiful and awesome when it is genuine such as the elements of a genuine priceless diamond. When it is copied,or imitated, it suddenly becomes "paste" - cheap and worthless and tacky, maybe like the morals of the superficial "nouveau riche."

The Loisels risked everything of integrity that they had, even though it didn't seem much to them, for nothing.

What is the man vs. nature conflict of the short story "The Necklace"?

In the short story, “The Necklace,” by Guy de Maupassant, one man vs. nature conflict is with regard to the cool night weather. Had the weather been warmer, perhaps the Loisels would have walked home from the party. We know it was cold, however, as Mr. Loisel attempted to put his wife’s coat around her shoulders. This coldness led them to taking a cheap and shabby carriage in a dimly lit area rather than walking. Had the weather been nice and the Loisels walked home, they would have noticed when the necklace fell off, and they would have heard it clatter on the stones of the road. As it was it probably fell off in the carriage, and when the poor driver found it, he probably never considered returning it.

What are the main conflicts in "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant?

Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace" only has three characters and very little actual conflict. Most of the drama in the story comes from one person, Mathilde Loisel, who is discontent with her life.

This internal conflict began long before she married her husband, as she always thought what she had was not what she actually deserved.

She suffered intensely, feeling herself born for every delicacy and every luxury. She suffered from the poverty of her dwelling, from the worn walls, the abraded chairs, the ugliness of the stuffs. All these things, which another woman of her caste would not even have noticed, tortured her and made her indignant.

This internal conflict continues throughout the story and shows itself in the form of pridefulness. Because she thinks so highly of herself, she is not content with anything her husband provides. This sets up an external conflict between the couple. He brings her a sought-after invitation to a ball and she refuses to go because she has nothing to wear. He gives up the money he has been saving for something he wanted to buy her a dress, but she still refuses to go because she does not have fine jewelry with which to adorn herself.

Mathilde borrows a necklace and loses it, causing a short-lived conflict between the Loisels and Madame Forestier, the woman who owned the necklace. Once they have replaced the necklace (of course they replace a fake diamond necklace with a real one), that conflict is over; however, the ten-year conflict between the Loisels and their creditors is just beginning.

He gave promissory notes, made ruinous agreements, dealt with usurers, with all kinds of lenders. He compromised the end of his life, risked his signature without even knowing whether it could be honored; and, frightened by all the anguish of the future, by the black misery which was about to settle down on him, by the perspective of all sorts of physical deprivations and of all sorts of moral tortures, he went to buy the new diamond necklace, laying down on the jeweler's counter thirty-six thousand francs.

Because they had to get the money so quickly, they had to pay exorbitant fees. They scrimp and save and work very, very hard to pay back the money—and none of it would have been necessary if Mathilde had not been so prideful.

In short, the primary conflict is Mathilde’s internal conflict which is based on her discontent and belief that she deserves more than she has. The few external conflicts are minimal compared to that.

Outline the short story, "The Necklace."

The best way of course to understand and gain an appreciation for a short story is to read it for yourself. This is an excellent short story and it isn't that long either, so it is well worth spending time reading it to gain a sense of what happens. I can only give you an outline, I can't give you how you yourself will emotionally react to this piece of literature, which is just as important as knowing what happens.

Anyway, this classic of Maupassant deals with a woman called Mathilde Loisel, who, it becomes clear, is immensely dissatisfied with her own world and in particular her modest means. She becomes obsessed with daydreams of the wealth that she would like to have and the life that this would give her. One day, she and her husband receive an invitation to a grand party. Mathilde goes to a childhood friend whose circumstances are much better, and borrows a diamond necklace to wear for the occasion. She has an incredible evening and is able to live out her dreams for one night. However, when she and her husband return from the party, they realise that they have lost the necklace. To replace it, she and her husband spend the next ten years working incredibly hard to try and pay back the debt, only to find out at the end that the necklace was not real and they didn't need to ruin their lives.

Is the conflict in "The Necklace" internal or external?

De Maupassant's short story has both internal and external conflicts. The major conflict is most certainly internal because Mathilde Loisel chafes against her dull existence as the wife of a government bureaucrat. She longs for the life of the courtesan with material luxuries and an exciting lifestyle. Her afternoon musings, however, come crashing down after she loses an expensive necklace she had borrowed from a wealthy friend so that, for just one night, she could live her dream. Because of the class gulf between the Loisels and Madame Forestier, the couple can think of nothing else to do but replace the jewelry at great cost to them. Mathilde's dull, but comfortable life (after all, she had a maid), abruptly ends and she is thrust into poverty, leading "the horrible life the needy live."

The loss of the necklace precipitates the story's external conflict. Mathilde and her husband, plunged into poverty, have to work off the debt and its interest:

She learned to do the heavy housework, to perform the hateful duties of cooking. She washed dishes, wearing down her shell pink nails scouring the grease from pots and pans . . . Her husband labored evenings to balance a tradesman's accounts, and at night, often, he copied documents at five sous a page.

Amazingly, Mathilde seems to live up to the challenge. De Maupassant notes that she "played her part, however, with sudden heroism." After ten years the debt is completely paid, providing Mathilde with a sense of pride. Unfortunately, this simple pride is spoiled when Madame Forestier admits that her necklace was "fake" and only worth a fraction of what the Loisels paid for its replacement.

Is the conflict in "The Necklace" internal or external?

Madame Loisel is ultimately the catalyst that created both the internal and external conflict in the story.

Her obsession with society life, luxury, and her fixation to pity herself as someone who is deserving of much more than what she already has is how she creates the internal conflict.

The loss of the diamond necklace came as a result of that internal conflict, because she lost it during a moment of bliss where she "lost herself" in the moment. Had she not harbored this preocupation with luxury and society she would have had more decorum and self control during the activity.

Externally,the replacement of the necklace would come as a consequence of the internal conflict. However, if you look deeper, it was all caused mostly from the "inside" as a chain of sad events.

Discuss the form and content of Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace."

Guy de Maupassant, a French writer, often provided a morality lesson in his stories.  Influenced by Chekhov and O. Henry, Maupassant also offered an ending that had a surprising “twist.” This is true in his story “The Necklace.”

The point of view of the story is limited omniscient third person.  This is an important aspect of the story.  To keep the reader in as much suspense as the characters, the author restricts the point of view; therefore, the reader does not know that the necklace has little value. 

A sad, dismal tone pervades the story.  The main character has such a limited scope of reality that it is Mathilde Loisel who dominates the story and the mood.  As the story progresses, her character transforms from an immature, whiny young woman into a harden woman who rises to the occasion to pay her debt.

Elements of the short story

Exposition

The protagonist of the story is Mathilde Loisel.  She is a very unhappy, beautiful, young woman who feels that she deserves a better life  and situation. Her long suffering husband obviously loves her because he tries so hard to please her.  They live in a small apartment which is not as nice as Mathilde would like. They do have enough money to have a maid.

Rising Action

Monsieur Loisel gets an invitation to a grand party that he hopes will please his wife.  Not surprisingly, she complains that she cannot go because she has nothing to wear.  Taking some money that he had saved for himself, he buys her a new dress.  Again, she fusses that she has no jewelry to go with her dress.  She borrows a beautiful necklace from a friend, Madame Forestier. 

Climax

After the party, Mathilde realizes that she has lost the necklace. She and her husband retrace their steps looking everywhere for the necklace.  Finally admitting that the necklace is gone, Monsieur Loisel takes his inheritance and borrows the rest to buy a necklace that looked the same as the one that Mathilde had lost.  Mathilde returns the necklace to her friend.

Falling Action

For the next ten years, the Loisels live in dire poverty. 

Madame Loisel came to know the ghastly life of abject poverty. From the very first she played her part heroically. This fearful debt must be paid off. She would pay it. The servant was dismissed. They changed their flat...

They move into a small, dingy apartment.  Monsieur Loisel works three jobs.  Mathilde does all of the housework.  At the end of the ten years, they are debt free; but Mathilde has lost her beauty.  Both of the Loisels are tired and will probably never recover from these hard years. 

In Mathilde’s defense, she rises to the occasion.  Rather than gripe and moan, she does the work necessary to keep her house going and take care of her hard working husband.

Resolution

Mathilde goes out for a walk and meets her friend from which she borrowed the necklace.  She tells her friend the truth about the loss of the necklace and what they had to do to replace the necklace.  Madame Forestier, surprised at hearing the saga of the necklace, relays to Mathilde that the necklace was only costume jewelry and worth nothing. 

Commentary

Mathilde Loisel is a dynamic character.  She changes and grows as a person throughout the story.  It is sad that the Loisels did not consider telling Madame Forestier the truth.  This would have completely changed their lives.  Rather than face up to the difficulties of telling the truth, they chose to try to handle the situation alone.

What is the paradox in Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace"?

I am afraid you seem to have confused your literary terms somewhat. A paradox is defined as a statement or a situation that seems to be a contradiction but reveals an inner truth. Consider referring to someone as a "wise fool," as Viola does to Feste in Twelfth Night. This is a statement that apparently makes no sense, yet when we think about it we can see the truth that emerges from this paradox.

What I think you are talking about is the situational irony that lies in the ending of this excellent short story. Situational irony occurs when there is a contradiction between what we expect to happen and what really takes place. We can see the massive situational irony at the end of this grimly humorous short story when we find out, after Mathilde Loisel reduces herself to an "old woman" because of the hard work she has been forced into, discovers that the necklace was only fake after all and she has suffered needlessly:

Mme. Forestier, quite overcome, clasped her by the hands. "Oh my poor Mathilde. But mine was fake. Why, at most it was worth only five hundred francs!"

This is the massive situational irony that gives the story the great impact that it has, and we are left questioning whether poor Mathilde deserved what she got for her constant daydreaming or whether she has suffered unfairly. If you are after another short story to compare this one with, "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry is another excellent example of situational irony.

How does "The Necklace" relate to Guy de Maupassant's life?

Like Madame Loisel, Maupassant's mother was a strong woman, unhappily married, who had aspirations to move up the class ladder. In fact, early in her marriage, she asked her husband to legally petition to have the aristocratic word "de" added to his name, which is how Guy became a "de" Maupassant.

Maupassant was very familiar with Paris, the Loisel's home, and saw the vast differences between the ulta-wealthy, who he had access to via his literary connections, and the very poor. Like Madame Loisel's husband, he held a series of posts as a minor government official, so he understood her social class.

Finally, the epitaph Maupassant had put on his grave suggests a strong likeness he shared with his famous character: "I have coveted everything and taken pleasure in nothing."

Madame Loisel covets everything, dreaming of romance and vast wealth—but her attempts to live, even for one night, as a wealthy woman brings her no lasting pleasure.

How does "The Necklace" relate to Guy de Maupassant's life?

Maupassant came from a wealthy family, so he understood the lifestyle Matilde aspired to.

Maupassant attempted several careers before making it as a writer, but he did not come from humble beginnings.  His family had money, and he lived a privileged life.  His parents did not allow him to attend school without other children, and he was tutored by a priest.  Maupassant therefore might have known some things about loneliness and isolation.

Natural ingenuity, instinct for what is elegant, a supple mind are their sole hierarchy, and often make of women of the people the equals of the very greatest ladies.

It seems that Maupassant also knew what it was like to be an outsider.  He was kicked out of a Catholic seminary, so we can assume he did not fit in.  Being from a higher class, Maupassant would have understood class distinction.

What lesson does Guy de Maupassant convey in "The Necklace" and why does he use the necklace?

The lesson that Guy de Maupassant leaves the reader with is that people can find satisfaction and happiness in life, regardless of what they possess materially. The old adage "Money can't buy happiness" would see to specifically apply here.

Madame Loisel (Mathilde) is a beautiful woman who is married to a man who not only loves her, but wants to please her, however, this is not enough.

She had no gowns, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that. She felt made for that. She would have liked so much to please, to be envied, to be charming, to be sought after.

In the end, nothing is ever enough until her "wanting" has destroyed her life and that of her husband, taking ten years of their young lives to pay for the necklace she borrowed and lost.

I think that the author intentionally uses a necklace because it supports the theme of appearance vs reality which runs throughout the story. Though Madame Loisel and her husband don't have much, it is important to her that they seem to have wealth, which will lead to an elevated social standing. This is her intent in borrowing the necklace in the first place. However, in a desperate attempt to replace the necklace, she and her husband lose everything, even their happiness. In the end, appearance vs reality rears its head again when Madame Loisel learns that the necklace was made of paste—glue: the diamonds were fake.

Oh, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste! It was worth at most only five hundred francs!

The true value of the jewelry was an illusion, as was the wealth that Madame Loisel was trying to pretend she and her husband had.

What are the internal and external conflicts in "The Necklace"?

Internal conflicts take place within the main character's mind. When faced with a dilemma, for example, which choice should he/she make? Whatever the conflict is in the story, the main character will have to make some kind of decision or choice. Those are internal conflicts.

External conflicts take place between

**the main character and another character,

**the main character and something in nature (such as a storm or other natural occurrence), and/or

**the main character and some other force.

For example, one external conflict that both the husband and the wife struggle with in this story is their poor financial situation. Now ask yourself, what effect does this particular conflict have on the action in and outcome of the story?

What is the theme of the story "The Necklace"?

The theme of The Necklace is far more complex than what is expressed within the text. The overall theme of the short story is to focus on what you have today. Do not wish today away, and worry about what others may have. Focus on what you have learned, what joy you have in your life. Learn to value what is truly important in life, and honor it. 

What is the theme of the story "The Necklace"?

Always one to satirize the petty bourgeoisie and the Norman civil servants, Maupassant writes a story about a beautiful young woman and her husband who works at the Ministry of Education. Dissastified with her life, Mathilde Loisel rues that she did not have a dowry to place herself in a marriage of position where she could be admired for her beauty and possessions. 

She grieved incessantly, feeling that she had been born for all the little niceties and luxuries of living.

....She would dream of great reception halls hung with old silks, of fine furniture...and of small, stylish, scented sitting rooms just right for the four o'clock chat with intimate friends, with distinguished and sought-after men who attention every woman envies and longs to attract.

Indeed, it is her flawed reverence for material possessions and social position that becomes thematic to the narrative. For, in her desire for a beautiful dress and a diamond necklace to wear with it, she ignores the needs of her husband, who desires a rifle. Further, when the necklace is lost, Mathilde is too ashamed to admit that she has lost it to her old school friend, Mme. Forestier; so she forces her husband to assist her in purchasing a replacement.

For years she and her devoted husband, who labors evenings and copies documents at night for money, sacrifice to pay for a real diamond necklace; all the while she displays no gratitude to him. Then, when she does see Mme. Forrestier years later, Mathilde blames her for her hard life, "Yes, i've had a hard time...plenty of misfortunes--and all on account of you!"  It is only then that Mathilde Forestier informs Mme. Loisel that she has needlessly sacrificed her happiness for the false value of a material object. Because she has viewed material possessions as of the utmost importance, Mme. Loisel has lost sight the true values of love and friendship, the only values that can bring her contentment. 

What is the hypothesis of "The Necklace" by Guy De Maupassant?

One educated guess about the story's moral is that an obsession with money and material things can be destructive. Mathilde is frustrated with how her life has turned out. She had envisioned herself living among the wealthier, upper class. Instead of making the best of her lower class life, Mathilde spends lots of time daydreaming about that "better" life. 

Her husband is comfortable with his life and he does whatever he can to make Mathilde happy. He sacrifices his own savings to buy her a dress. Mathilde is a hit at the party, but this probably has more to do with her positive attitude than it does with her gown and the necklace. When she loses the necklace, she works incredibly hard to repay the loan. Essentially, she works very hard to pay for something she never needed. 

It turns out that the necklace was not that expensive. Mathilde had only thought that the necklace was extremely valuable. She was popular at the party because her behavior reflected her pride in how she looked. This is the other moral of the story. Your happiness in life (upper or lower class) depends upon your attitude. Imagine you are "rich," in any sense of the word, and you will feel rich. Imagine you are happy, and your behavior will reflect that positive outlook. 

Can you explain the conflict of the short story, "The Necklace," briefly?

In my opinion, the conflict in this story is of the type where the character is in conflict with her situation -- her place in the world.  Mathilde Loisel's ambition is in conflict with her circumstances.

The conflict is between her circumstances and her aspirations.  She is relatively poor (though she has enough money to have a maid and to go the theater) but she wants to be a member of high society.

It is this conflict that causes the story to happen.  She wants to appear rich and important so she borrows the necklace.  Then she destroys her life trying to replace it when she loses it.  So her downfall is caused by this conflict.

Can you explain the conflict of the short story, "The Necklace," briefly?

The conflict in the story "The Necklace" centers around greed and vanity.  The main character's greed and vanity leads to her demise, and to lead a miserable life of hardship and woe.  If she had been content with the blessings that she had in the first place, she would have never had to spend her entire life paying for the sacrifice that her greed demanded.

The main conflict, in literal terms, deals with the fact that Madame Loisel loses a very expensive necklace that a good friend loaned her, and has to spend her entire life working hard to earn the money to buy a replacement.  The working drives her into poverty and ruins her life, at the same time teaching her valuable lessons about the value of hard work and earning one's own bread.  It is a rather sad tale, especially considering the ending, when her friend, Madame Forestier, informs her that the lost necklace was worth next to nothing.

I hope that those thoughts helped good luck!

What is the overall meaning of Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace"?

Having been born into the upper class but raised in the middle class, Guy de Maupassant is the perfect author to write about middle class materialism during the Second Empire in France. De Maupassant's short story is a protestation against the materialistic mindset.

The Second Empire began under Napoleon III in 1852, about the time de Maupassant was born, and lasted until 1870, brought to an end by the Franco-Prussian War, which de Maupassant served in. Just as modernization brought wealth to all nations, modernization also helped France increase in wealth during this time period, inspiring the lower classes to become much more materialistic (Kelly, M., 1992, "Materialism in Nineteenth-century France," French Literature, Thought and Culture in the Nineteenth Century).

In de Maupassant's short story, Mathilde is characterized as materialistic because she is unhappy with her middle class surroundings and instead longs for expensive furnishings, multiple course meals, clothes, and jewels, feeling that "she was made for them" (p. 2). Her intense, obsessive desire for material possessions leads her to induce her husband to give her all of his 400 francs in savings so she can buy a new dress to wear to a ball. Her materialism further leads her to ask to borrow what she believes is a real diamond necklace from a wealthy friend to wear with the dress. Yet, instead of Mathilde being made happy by these possessions, she is made even more miserable. When Mathilde loses the necklace, she and her husband must move to an impoverished garret flat and work endlessly to pay off the debts they acquired to replace what they thought was a real necklace. The result is that, while at the start of the story she saw herself as poor and miserable in comparison to the upper class though she truly wasn't, by the end of the story, she has fallen into the lowest state of poverty possible, all because of her materialistic desires.

Through having Mathilde fall into such a dire state of poverty, de Maupassant shows the dangers of a materialistic mindset.