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the necklace

 

            "The Necklace," written by Guy De Maupassant, is a short story about a woman, Mme. Mathilde, who through her own greed must pay for her vanity. The central theme, which helps to drive the story, is selfishness. The story is told from the vantage point of Mme. Mathilde. Through the selfish acts of Mme. Mathilde and her dishonesty, she creates a conflict for herself that must resolved. .
             The main character, Mme. Mathilde, can be described as selfish: "I think I can manage with four hundred francs." This is the exact amount of money her husband saved to buy a gun so he can go hunting. Another characteristic of Mme. Mathilde is she is dishonest: "She wrote at his dictation." When the necklace could not be found, Mathilde writes a letter to her friend to say she has broken the clasp of the necklace and is replacing it. Mathilde is a dynamic character. The reader can see she changes from the beginning to the end of the story: "Mme. Loisel now knew the horrible existence of the needy." This shows she has experienced an emotional growth. Another example of Mathildes" change is when, "she came to know what heavy housework meant." The reader can see Mathilde experiences another growth. .
             "The Necklace" is written in third person omniscient. The omniscient point of view means the narrator is able to recount all the actions of the characters in addition to entering their mind to expose thoughts and feelings. Two advantages of the omniscient point of view are the narrator can not identify with a particular character and the narrator is able to reveal the characters thoughts and feelings. An example of the omniscient point of view is when Mr. Loisel gives the money he has saved to his wife: "All right. I will give you the four hundred francs." This quote reveals Loisel's attitude towards his wife: to make her happy. Another example of this point of view is after the ball, Mr. Loisel threw his wrap over Mathilde: "She felt this, and wanted to escape so as not to be remarked by the other woman.


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