A literary analysis of “The Necklace by Maupassant.”
The literary text entitled “The Necklace” by Maupassant presents the story of a couple but focuses on one of the characters named Mathilde. The story has mainly focused on the theme of discontentment, as the author presents a character who is unable to achieve satisfaction since she cannot afford the items she needs. To address and connect with the readers, the author uses various literal skills such as characterization and stylistic devices such as irony to present his message. After getting an invitation to a ball, she thought that it would be good to have a better dress code. As a result, she purchased a dress and borrowed an expensive diamond ring from a friend to satisfy her desires. Maupassant presents Mathilde as a person with a desire that she cannot afford. Her character helps the author to develop the plot of the short story, and her character leads to their downfall.
Mathilide is not satisfied with most of the things in her life. The author describes the state of her house and says that it torments her. The state of the walls of her house, with the old chairs and ugly curtains, trouble her mentally. The author writes and says, “she suffered intensely, feeling herself born for every delicacy and every luxury” (Maupassant p 1) She has a strong feeling that she should be leading a better and expensive life. Mathilide’s character makes her to desire items that can make her attractive to many people. Her feelings create conflict as she is unable to fulfill her demands.
Preoccupied with the thoughts of a luxurious lifestyle, she spends a lot of time imagining how her house would be if she had better furniture. She keeps thinking about how she can buy herself many clothes and jewelry. Whenever she visits madam Forestier, it pains her and leaves her suffering. By comparing life, she lives, and that of her friend and other people makes her feel jealous and envy their lives, yet she cannot afford such an experience, yet it is in her dream to have such a life. The description that the author has provided shows the reader that Mathilde lives in a life of fantasy. Her thoughts and feelings continue to help in developing the plot and enhancing the theme of the story. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Maupassant uses irony to present Mathilide’s character in her expressions of the things she loves, yet she is unable to afford them (Maupassant 23). Although she is in love with expensive clothes and jewelry, she does not have much of her own. Additionally, Mathilde doesn’t consider the clothes she has and, as a result, ends up buying a new dress for an event. She presents an evil motive in her desire to have these items as she says that she wants to have these items to attract many people. By belonging to the middle class, it is a clear indication that they are not below poverty lines. It means that at least they can able to afford the basic needs of life.
The author uses her desires to present her materialistic character and her unquenchable wish for wealth that she cannot afford. Further reading of the text shows that their servant desires the kind of life they live, implying that the servant is in a worse state. Her greedy character leads to an eventful downfall together with her husband.
Maupassant employs repetition in his literary work to emphasize his message and the area in which he has focused on. The initial paragraphs of the text start with “She.” This shows that the author intends to focus on Mathilde. By using various phrases such as “suffered,” “ugliness,” and “wretched,” Maupassant creates a skeptical tone in the mind of the reader. Later in the text, he applies alliteration and drifts the tone of the text by using words that have a rhyming pattern. Some of the words that he uses include “dainty dinner,” “shining silverware,” “delicious dishes,” and “sphinxlike smile” (Maupassant 56). All these terms ultimately make the reader have a delightful tome.
Maupassant’s choice of words to succinctly describe items in his text shows the amount of emphasis and value that Mathilde has placed on material things. The imagined oriental Drapery that the author uses in the opening part of the text creates imagery in the mind of the reader. For example, he uses short sentences such as “she returned madly toward him,” or “He stood up, distracted” (Maupassant p1) continues to create a picture in the mind of the reader. The author has also used irony in various instances; after describing how much Mathilde loves material items, he still uses irony to develop his plot.
In the conclusion part of the text, the author uses irony to show the negative impact of pride in the life of an individual. After losing the borrowed diamond necklace, Mathilde and her husband Loisel suffer as they have to purchase a new necklace to return to the owner. On returning the necklace, the owner does not take much time to check it was the original necklace. Such action indicates that the necklace was not worth it. It may not have been an original diamond necklace, but the Losels had to suffer as a result of their pride. Instead of purchasing a new necklace, she would have approached her rich friend and apologize for losing it. However, her pride subjects her to the difficult situation that she has to undergo in buying the necklace that she could not afford initially.
Due to her inability to make rational decisions and actions, the story ends with the life of Mathilde ruined. She ends up losing her beauty to the extent that Madame Forestier fails to recognize her after a long period. Maupassant has created an ironic ending, as well as an illustration that depicts the belief of Marxism. Losel, as the husband, fails to play his role in the right way and allows his wife to engage in activities that bring them a calamity. Although his wife is born among the middle class, she has failed to take a step to be of service to herself and society. Since Mathilde cannot do anything, her destiny remains doomed. Although she has a strong desire for wealth, Mathilde remains in the mood of fantasy and imagination, which limits her from helping her situation. She keeps fantasizing about the stories of the wealthy individuals and fails to accept her condition. Her pretense of coming from a wealthy family and lifestyle contributes to her entire downfall as the author successfully develops up the plot of the story.
Works cited
De Maupassant, Guy. The necklace and other short stories. Courier Corporation, 2012.