The Necklace Essay

Jealousy and envy are among the greatest of sins and have been the down fall of many. Guy De Maupassant’s short story “The Necklace� is the story of a woman who is overcome with jealousy and envy. It tells about a woman’s intense desire of becoming associated with the upper class and how it ultimately brings about her downfall into poverty. Mathilde Loisel feels she has been cheated by life from all of the wonderful things it has to offer. The reader learns how these qualities in Mathilde Loisel come back to haunt her for many years as the story unfolds with an ironic ending. The protagonist, Mathilde Loisel, shows many characteristics that bring about her downfall. Her selfishness, unwillingness to accept her social role, and excessive pride lead her into a life far from her dreams.
Mathilde Loisel, as the main character of the story, is truly believable. She is described as "one of those pretty and charming girls who are sometimes, born into a family of clerks". The author describes how she suffers from her lifestyle of being middle-class. There is a stereotypical "rich man, poor man" quality as Mathilde Loisel longs for the material things that her old schoolmate Madame Forester has. The main character's life, as

, as well as her husband's, takes a dramatic turn and the author describes the physical and emotional changes in great detail. The theme of the story is that through the woman’s downfall to poverty, she makes the realization to appreciate what she has. Throughout the story of “The Necklace” Mathilde Loisel’s discontent with her average life is evident. She proves to be obsessed with having a wealthy lifestyle by her thoughts and actions. “She had no dresses, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that.” She shows no regard for anyone but herself. Although her husband sacrifices his whole life and earnings for her, Mathilde shows him no appreciation. She is an intensely jealous woman of anyone who has more money that her. “She had a friend, a former schoolmate at the convent, who was rich, and whom she did not like to go and see anymore.”

Thus to prevent injury to her pride she makes a gamble in which winning will bring little, and losing, although the chance of such is overlooked, has drastic consequences. Thus Mathilde Loisel takes on the debt to strengthen her pride, the same pride which puts her into her dilemma, and refuses to let her out. She takes it on "with heroism," to convince herself that she is a good person. In her eyes it is the honorable solution. She speaks again to Madame Forestier, after the debt is paid. At this point Loisel feels safe. Forestier can neither pity Loisel, who would feel patronized, nor can she scorn Loisel, in which case she would be offended. She returns triumphantly to her old friend smiling "with a joy which was both proud and naive at once". She tells Forestier