... through to become one. In The Necklace, Mathilde Loisel, the main character, is symbolic for many reasons. Primarily, she represents a woman living a common lifestyle of the nineteenth century. Maupassant stated, "For women have no caste or class,"(103) which notes the lack of stature that women, like Mathilde, endured. Mathilde felt herself "Born for every delicacy and luxury" (103). In today's society ... her appearance change, but also she changes as a person and finally learns the meaning of hard work. For once in her life, she takes responsibility for her mistake. So in a sense, Ma...

• Word Count: 874
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... a stooped old lady in the space of one sentence. The author communicates that the monotonous nature of the woman's life seemed to suddenly age her considerably. He touches on the common theme of immortality. That which is young can so suddenly and unexpectedly appear old. "She was a slight thing, and when she had been married for three or four years, and ... with the coldness and bitterness that emanates from the woman's life. The title of the story "death in the woods" creates a sense of foreboding as the woman travels home through the dark, cold woods. The reader is filled with a sens...

• Word Count: 1060
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... good, so he had to appraise the wine himself. Another point of symbolism that is expressed by Kenneth Silverman in his book Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. Silverman notes that the Montressor motto, Nemo me impune lacessit, is the national motto of Scotland. He thinks that Poe chose this motto not only because of the appropriateness, but because of ... a deeper look at the story, we see that Fortunato represents fortune, which is the ultimate influence on how good or bad a man's life is. The difference between Montressor and the common men who he may be compared to ...

• Word Count: 1180
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School