The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant

Thesis Statement

“Materialism can distort your view of happiness and fulfillment”

Introduction

The short story, The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant, is a creative and intriguing tale which reveals a person's dreams of a luxurious lifestyle with countless materialistic possessions. The writer has beautifully developed the story into a mystery which reveals itself at the end. The main point in the story is that materialism can distort your view of happiness and fulfillment. It is wrong to be materialistic to the extent that you disregard what you already have and lose everything. Mathilde Loisel, a character who dreams of riches, but at the expense of losing everything else. She is discontent with the life she leads as the wife of a humble clerk who cannot afford the luxuries she wants.

Discussion

Thankless Nature

Mathilde's materialistic nature can be seen in the very beginning of the story, “feeling herself born for every delicacy and luxury”, “She thought of quiet antechambers with their Oriental hangings… She thought of large drawing rooms hung in old silks, of graceful pieces of furniture carrying a bric-a-brac of inestimable value” (Maupassant, 1885, pp. 08). Due to this, she did not feel happy with the fact that she had a maid servant who came to do her housework. Mathilde wanted numerous servants working around the house, “the sight of the little Breton girl, who made this humble home, awoke in her sad regrets and desperate dreams” (Maupassant, 1885, pp.08). Little did she know that soon she would be deprived of this as well, due to her thankless nature and want for materialistic possessions.

Disrespect

Mathilde disrespects her husband when he comes home with the invitation to the ball and makes him unhappy. She does not feel she has a nice dress to go to a fancy ball. When her husband excitedly gives her the invitation, she tosses it and rudely remarks, "What do you suppose I want with that?" (Maupassant, 1885, pp. 11). Her husband felt shocked and hurt with her reaction, “Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she threw the invitation spitefully upon the table…He stopped, stupefied and utterly at a loss…” (Maupassant, 1885, pp. 13). She has a doting husband, but still she wants to have jewels and other materialistic things.

Low Stature

Moreover, when Mr. Loisel brought the invitation to the ball, Mathilde did not want to go as she did not possess a fancy ...