The Symbolism of the necklace in Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace
Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace is laced with symbols and motifs that represent insights about social lives, wealth, poverty, illusions, and the struggle associated with living a life beyond one’s reach. The short story not only captures the life Mathilde Loisel desired but also highlighted the suffering she and her husband went through to finance a lifestyle they lived for a day, and never enjoyed. While necklaces and expensive clothing symbolize affluence, the necklace in this story represents the deception of appearances, and the suffering chasing illusions can cause.
Appearances can be deceiving as people tend to judge others based on what they can see, and not on the value they carry. The necklace in this story causes short-lived joy for Mathilde Loisel, who was the most beautiful and elegant lady in an event at her husband’s workplace by virtue of an expensive ball-dress and a “diamond necklace.” Although she was not as affluent in real life, the necklace makes her look rich. Both Mathilde and the other people at the function are unable to look beyond the surface and see the reality of a situation. While she gets to enjoy all the attention because of the necklace, she knows that it is only for this evening, and she will go back to her normal life of want. The necklace represents the desperation that outward appearances conceal.
Jewelry represents luxury, and the material that a beauty item is made from represents the owner’s taste and position in social ranking. In this story, the necklace seems expensive as it is made of “diamond.” Although Mathilde Loisel is excited that she will have a costly necklace around her neck, she does not care to know its real value. Apparently, she realizes too late that the necklace was made of paste as opposed to diamond, and that it was less much more than she had bought her cheap dress. This symbolizes that an attractive covering may conceal ills that one would not want to be associated with. One can bet that if Mathilde knew the necklace was made of paste (given her predisposition towards affluence), she would not have taken it. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The necklace not only represents the deception of appearances but also the suffering that chasing such illusions can cause. The borrowed necklace is the beginning of all the troubles that Mathilde and her husband go through. When she loses it, they are forced to make significant changes to their lifestyle, sinking deeper into poverty than she had ever imagined. Financing the lifestyle she once yearned for takes her fortunes and reminds her that somehow, even those who do not enjoy such luxuries survive.