Literary Analysis Essay On The Necklace
Introduction
The Necklace is a short story written by the French writer Guy de Maupassant. It was first published in the French newspaper Le Gaulois on February 17, 1884. The story has become one of the most famous short stories in the world and is often taught in literature classes.
Summary
The story is about a woman named Mathilde Loisel who dreams of a life of luxury and wealth. She is married to a clerk and lives a modest life. One day, her husband brings home an invitation to a fancy ball. Mathilde is excited but realizes that she has no dress or jewelry to wear. Her husband gives her money to buy a dress, but she spends it on a necklace instead. She wears the necklace to the ball and is the most beautiful woman there. However, she loses the necklace on the way home and spends the next ten years of her life paying off the debt to replace it. When she finally does, she realizes that the necklace was a fake and her life has been ruined for nothing.
Characters
The main character in the story is Mathilde Loisel. She is a beautiful woman who dreams of a life of luxury and wealth. She is married to a clerk and lives a modest life. She is also selfish and ungrateful, and her desire for material possessions leads to her downfall.
Mathilde's husband is a clerk who is content with his modest life. He loves his wife and tries to make her happy, but he cannot understand her desire for wealth and luxury.
Madame Forestier is a wealthy friend of Mathilde's who lends her the necklace for the ball. She is kind and generous, but Mathilde does not appreciate her kindness.
Themes
The Necklace explores the themes of materialism, greed, and the dangers of living a life of illusion. Mathilde's desire for material possessions leads her to make a foolish decision that ruins her life. She is never satisfied with what she has and always wants more. Her greed blinds her to the true value of the things she already has.
The story also explores the theme of the dangers of living a life of illusion. Mathilde dreams of a life of luxury and wealth, but her dreams are just illusions. She does not appreciate the life she already has and is never satisfied.
Analysis
The Necklace is a satire on the French middle-class society of the 19th century. It exposes the hypocrisy and materialism of the society and the dangers of living a life of illusion.
The story is also an example of irony. Mathilde's desire for material possessions leads her to make a decision that ruins her life. She spends ten years paying off the debt to replace the necklace, only to find out that it was a fake. The necklace that she thought was so valuable was worthless.
Critical Reception
The Necklace has been widely praised for its realism and its exploration of the themes of materialism, greed, and the dangers of living a life of illusion. It has been taught in literature classes all over the world and is considered one of the most famous short stories in the world.
However, some critics have criticized the story for its portrayal of women. They argue that Mathilde is a stereotypical female character who is obsessed with material possessions and has no agency. They also argue that Madame Forestier is a symbol of the patriarchal society that oppresses women.
Conclusion
The Necklace is a powerful short story that explores the themes of materialism, greed, and the dangers of living a life of illusion. It is a satire on the French middle-class society of the 19th century and exposes the hypocrisy and materialism of the society. The story has been widely praised for its realism and its exploration of these themes and is considered one of the most famous short stories in the world.
