Summary The Necklace By Guy De Maupassant
Introduction
The Necklace is a short story written by Guy De Maupassant in the late 19th century. It is a story about a woman named Mathilde Loisel and her desire for material possessions and social status. The story is set in Paris, France, in the 1800s.
Plot
The story begins with Mathilde Loisel, a beautiful and charming woman who is married to a clerk. Mathilde, however, is unhappy with her life because she feels that she is meant for a higher social status. One day, Mathilde's husband comes home with an invitation to a fancy ball. Mathilde is excited but realizes that she has nothing to wear. Her husband suggests that she borrow a necklace from her friend Madame Forestier.
At the ball, Mathilde is the center of attention and feels like she belongs to the upper class. She dances, flirts and enjoys the attention of the men. However, when she returns home, she realizes that she has lost the necklace. Mathilde and her husband decide to buy a new necklace to replace the lost one. They spend all their savings and borrow money from others to purchase a new necklace.
Mathilde returns the new necklace to Madame Forestier, who is surprised that Mathilde had borrowed a diamond necklace instead of a simple one. Madame Forestier tells Mathilde that the necklace she had borrowed was a fake and worth nothing. Mathilde and her husband are left with a debt they cannot pay and are forced to live in poverty for the rest of their lives.
Themes
The Necklace explores various themes that are still relevant today. One of the main themes is the danger of materialism and the desire for social status. Mathilde's desire for material possessions and social status led her to borrow a necklace that she could not afford and ultimately led to her downfall.
The story also explores the theme of honesty. Mathilde's dishonesty about losing the necklace and then replacing it with a fake one led to her downfall. Had she been honest from the beginning, she would not have had to suffer the consequences of her actions.
Conclusion
The Necklace is a cautionary tale about the dangers of materialism and dishonesty. It teaches us that true happiness cannot be found in material possessions or social status but in being honest and content with what we have. It is a story that is still relevant today and reminds us to be grateful for what we have and not to be obsessed with material possessions and social status.
