The Necklace By Guy De Maupassant Moral Lesson
The Plot of The Necklace
"The Necklace" is a short story by the French writer Guy de Maupassant. It was first published in the French newspaper Le Gaulois on February 17, 1884. The story tells the tale of Madame Mathilde Loisel, a beautiful but dissatisfied middle-class woman who dreams of a life of luxury and elegance. Mathilde is married to a lowly clerk, and she feels trapped in her mundane life. One day, her husband comes home with an invitation to a fancy dress ball at the Ministry of Education. Mathilde is overjoyed at the prospect of attending the ball, but she realizes that she does not have a suitable dress or any jewelry to wear.
The Moral Lesson of The Necklace
The moral lesson of "The Necklace" is that honesty is always the best policy. Mathilde Loisel learns this lesson the hard way. She borrows a beautiful diamond necklace from her wealthy friend Madame Forestier to wear to the ball. Mathilde looks stunning in the necklace, and she has a wonderful time at the ball. However, on the way home, Mathilde discovers that she has lost the necklace. Mathilde and her husband are unable to find the necklace, and they decide to buy a replacement. They work hard and borrow money to pay for the new necklace. They spend the next ten years of their lives in poverty, repaying their debts. It is only at the end of the story that Mathilde discovers that the original necklace was a fake, worth only a fraction of what they paid for the replacement.
The Consequences of Dishonesty
The story of "The Necklace" shows us the consequences of dishonesty. Mathilde Loisel is not honest with Madame Forestier about losing the necklace. She and her husband go to great lengths to replace the necklace, and they suffer greatly as a result. Mathilde's dishonesty leads to her own downfall. She spends the next ten years of her life in poverty, doing menial work to repay her debts. Mathilde's dishonesty also affects her husband, who is willing to do anything to make her happy. He works hard and borrows money to replace the necklace, and he suffers just as much as Mathilde does.
The Value of Honesty
The story of "The Necklace" teaches us the value of honesty. Mathilde Loisel learns this lesson too late, but we can learn from her mistakes. Honesty is always the best policy. Honesty builds trust and respect. Honesty helps us to live a happy and fulfilling life. Mathilde's dishonesty leads to her own downfall, but her honesty could have saved her. If she had been honest with Madame Forestier about losing the necklace, she would not have had to suffer the consequences of her actions.
The Importance of Gratitude
The story of "The Necklace" also teaches us the importance of gratitude. Mathilde Loisel is not grateful for what she has. She is beautiful, intelligent, and married to a loving husband, but she is not satisfied with her life. She longs for a life of luxury and elegance. She is envious of her wealthy friend Madame Forestier. Mathilde's lack of gratitude leads to her own downfall. She loses the necklace because she is not careful with it. If she had been grateful for the opportunity to attend the ball, she would not have lost the necklace. Gratitude helps us to appreciate what we have and to enjoy life to the fullest.
The Power of Appearance
The story of "The Necklace" also shows us the power of appearance. Mathilde Loisel is not happy with her appearance. She believes that she is not beautiful enough to attend the ball. She borrows a beautiful dress and a diamond necklace from Madame Forestier to improve her appearance. Mathilde looks stunning at the ball, and she enjoys the attention that she receives. However, her appearance is deceptive. She is not really wealthy or elegant. She is a middle-class woman pretending to be something that she is not. Appearance can be deceiving, and we should not judge people based on their appearance alone.
The Futility of Materialism
The story of "The Necklace" also teaches us the futility of materialism. Mathilde Loisel believes that material possessions will make her happy. She thinks that if she had a beautiful dress and a diamond necklace, she would be happy and fulfilled. However, her material possessions bring her nothing but misery. She loses the necklace and spends the next ten years of her life in poverty, repaying her debts. Mathilde's pursuit of material possessions leads to her own downfall. Material possessions are not the key to happiness. Happiness comes from within, from our relationships and our experiences.
The Importance of Contentment
The story of "The Necklace" also teaches us the importance of contentment. Mathilde Loisel is not content with her life. She believes that she deserves more than what she has. She is envious of Madame Forestier's wealth and elegance. Mathilde's lack of contentment leads to her own downfall. She loses the necklace and spends the next ten years of her life in poverty, repaying her debts. Contentment helps us to appreciate what we have and to enjoy life to the fullest. We should be grateful for what we have and not always be striving for more.
The Lesson to be Learned
The story of "The Necklace" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of dishonesty, envy, and materialism. Mathilde Loisel learns these lessons the hard way. She loses the necklace and spends the next ten years of her life in poverty, repaying her debts. However, we can learn from her mistakes. We can learn to be honest, grateful, and content. We can learn to appreciate what we have and to enjoy life to the fullest. The moral lesson of "The Necklace" is that honesty is always the best policy, and that material possessions are not the key to happiness.
