I really enjoy stories that have unexpected endings. This story has quite an unexpected ending when Mathilde finds out that the necklace she borrowed, lost, and ruined the rest of her life paying for was really a fake. At the beginning of the story, Mathilde was selfish, and ungrateful. She thought only of the things that she didn't have. However, towards the end of the story Mathilde's character becomes more admirable. Her persistence in replacing the necklace, her hard work to help pay off the loans, and finally, her honesty to Mrs. Forrestier help to change the reader's view of Mathilde's character.
When Mathilde first learns that she has lost the necklace, she helps her husband retrace her steps throughout the night. As her husband goes out to look for the necklace, she stays at home ".in her evening dress, without the energy to get ready for bed, stretched out in a chair drained of strength and thought." After her husband comes home empty handed, she follows his directions and writes to her friend explaining that she broke the necklace and was having it repaired. The next day she goes out looking with her husband for an identical necklace to replace the lost one with. I found this to be very persistent for Mathilde, who in the beginning of the story seems lazy and mad at the world. I would of found it more likely of her to seem unaffected after she lost the necklace.
Mathilde under went a lot of hard work after the necklace was lost. To help pay off the loans she did her own housework, cooking, and was very frugal with money. She and her husband even moved to cheaper living quarters. This is a big change from Mathilde's character in the beginning because before she would sit around and feel sorry for herself and wishing she was filthy dirty rich. Mathilde probably now realizes that she took for granted what she had before. Perhaps losing the necklace was a life lesson for Mathilde.
