Upon reading Guy De Maupassant's "The Necklace" and Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour", I have come to a striking conclusion. Although these two stories offer two totally different morals they do, however, offer many of the same ideas and points of view. Both Mathilde, and Louise are two strong women with many of the same problems. Each is lacking the freedom they desire and are discontent with their prospective social statures. The primary reason being their marital commitment to their husbands who control most of the power in the household and leave them stifled. In comparison both authors, without a doubt, share the same negative views about the institute of marriage and colorfully express them each in their own unique ways.
Guy De Maupassant's "The Necklace" is a satirical short story about a young woman named Mathilde who is unhappy with her social stature. For example, Maupassant clearly states, "She daydreamed of large, silent anterooms, decorated with oriental tapestries and lighted with two elegant valets in short culottes dozing in large armchairs under the affects of forced-air heaters" (Maupassant 5). In contrast to Mathilde"s desire for grandeur, her husband is a simple man who is happy with "old boiled beef" and his middle class stature which left Mathilde endlessly dreaming of, "Expensive banquets with shining place setting, and wall hangings portraying ancient heroes and exotic birds in an enchanted forest" (Maupassant 5). Unfortunately, Mathilde's reality is to be forever stuck with her round, little table, with the dirty cloth which had not been washed for three days. It was as if, Mathilde was trapped with nowhere to go because of her marriage to her husband which, brought her middle, social and economic status.
In the same manner, Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour" is an ironical story which, pertains to another strong woman named Louise Mallard, who is also tied down because of her marriage to Brently Mallard.
