What are the artistry, style, universality, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual values in "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant?
"The Necklace" is widely considered Maupassant's best short story and also widely considered one of the best short stories ever written. What is truly remarkable about this story is its verisimilitude, its credibility, the feeling that this incident really happened. Even after all the time has passed since the necklace was lost by the unfortunate Mme. Loisel, we still feel the pain of her loss. It is like the loss of her beauty. We wish it hadn't happened. We know, of course, that it is a story, that it didn't happen in reality--and yet we wish that it hadn't happened to these young people who were just getting started out in life. Life can be cruel and indifferent.
We know how she feels when her husband goes back over the route they have taken since they left the party. We understand how she is hoping against hope that he will find the lost necklace--but what chance does he have of finding a diamond necklace at night in a big city? Who could over look diamong necklace laying there on the pavement? Most of us have lost valuable things and never fouond them. We identify with these two people. They are no different from most of us. If Mme. Loisel is young and pretty, she wants to be admired. If M. Loisel has a beautiful wife, he loves her and wants to please her.
Maupassant was a great writer. He uses his remarkable powers to make us believe in his story. We wish we could help these people. We wish we could go back in time and find the necklace--or at least warn them that it is a fake. We shouldn't judge them. They are ourselves.
What are the key literary elements in "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant?
"The Necklace" by the great French story teller, Guy de Maupassant, delights the readers with its surprise ending much like O. Henry's twists. Circulating around the idea of "I can't believe that I lost it,' every person can identify with the heroine of the story.
The story's setting is Paris in the 19th century. The story's main character could be a star on "Desperate Housewives." Mathilde Loisel, the protagonist, spends her day, dreaming about a fantasy life. Described as a beautiful, young woman, Mathilde finds herself married to civil servant who does not make enough to keep her in the style of life that she feels that she deserves. Despite the fact that she has a servant, the heroine does not appreciate what she has in life. Her husband, a long-suffering, loving man, receives little appreciation for his hard work and efforts to satisfy Mathilde.
The conflict in the story comes from Mathilde herself and her unhappy place in society. Mathilde is her own worst enemy. Unsatisfied in her life, she searches for something that she thinks will make her happier. Unfortunately, her character never really understands why fate has played this trick on her.
The action of the story begins to rise as Mathilde borrows the necklace to complete her ensemble for the ball. The first half of the story's climax occurs when she discovers that she has lost the necklace. Now, the story gets interesting.
Mathilde has two choices: tell the truth to the owner or lie and suffer the consequences. Of course, the reader learns quickly that Mathilde and her husband choose the latter. After buying the copy of the necklace for a large amount of money, the couple have no choice but to work to pay off the debts incurred by their poor decision.
Mme. Loisel experienced the horrible life the needy live. She played her part, however, with sudden heroism. That frightful debt had to be paid. She would pay it. She dismissed her maid; they rented a garret under the eaves.
A new twist in the story brings in the moral dilemma of choosing to do the right thing. The couple does work for ten years to pay off the debt. The question becomes: Was it because of pride or honor that Mathilde willingly works so hard that she loses everything that had been so important to her before the necklace? The reader must choose whether Mathilde's vanity or her sense of honor pushed her forward through those terrible years.
Symbolism circulates around the lost necklace. It represents the beauty of Madame Loisel. When she loses the necklace, over the course of time, her beauty is lost as well. Mathilde was consumed by wealth. Through that ten year period, the couple works hard to gain the money to pay off their debts. The story in essence becomes then she loses the borrowed, diamond necklace, gets cast into poverty, and learns what it really means to live without money.
The denouement of the story occurs when Mathilde meets Mme. Forestier on the street. The Loisels have finished paying off their debts for the necklace. All that remains is for Mathilde to see if her friend ever noticed the substitute necklace. She then will tell her the sad story of the their hard life. When Mathilde learns of the worthless necklace, the resolution of the story comes for the reader.
Hopefully, Madame Loisel will do the right thing and return the necklace to Mathilde so that the she can get some money for it. Human nature does not bode well for this conclusion.
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