Short Story Analysis: THE NECKLACE by Guy de Maupassant

I, THE NECKLACE
by Guy de Maupassant
II. SYNOPSIS /SUMMARY
A young woman named Mathilde Loisel is married to a little clerk of the
Ministry of Public Instruction. They live a poor life, which Mathilde hates. One day,
they are invited to a grand ball where the rich people will be. Mathilde buys a new
gown from her husbands savings intended to buy him a gun for shooting larks, for
his hobby. To go with that very elegant gown, she borrows a diamond necklace from
her friend Madame Forestier. At the ball, Mathilde is prettier than any woman there.
When they arrive home after that ball, she discovers that the borrowed necklace is
gone. She and her husband try to find it, but are not able to, so they buy another
one exactly the same, for thirty-four thousand francs, from its original price of forty
francs; such a very big amount of money for the couple. They use up Mathildes
husband's inheritance, borrowed from usurers, and they work odd jobs for ten years
just to make up for that amount. After a decade, Mathilde sees Madame Forestier by
chance, and after those years, finally confesses that the necklace she returned was
a replacement. Madame Forestier is shocked, and tells her that the necklace she
lent her was fake, worth at most five hundred francs.
III. SHORT STORY ELEMENTS
A. CHARACTERS
There are three main characters in this short story:
1. Mathilde Loisel, the wife
2. The little clerk of the Ministry of Public Instruction, the husband
3. Madame Forestier, the friend who lent Mathilde a diamond necklace
B. PLOT
a) Introduction
Mathilde, the main woman character in this short story, is being described as
unhappy because of her and her husbands being poor.
b) Rising Action
The complication starts when she and her husband are invited to a rich peoples
ball. She buys a new gown, and to go with it, she borrows an elegant diamond
necklace from her friend Madame Forestier.

c) Climax

The peak of this short story iswhen Mathilde discovers that she lost the diamond
necklace.
d) Falling action
To replace the lost diamond necklace, Mathilde and her husband buy another one
exactly the same, for thirty-four thousand francs, from its original price of forty
francs, such a very big amount of money for the couple. The eighteen thousand
francs was inherited by her husband from his father, and the rest of the amount he
borrows from various sources.
e)

Denouement

The problem resolves itself, though in a negative manner, when Mathilde and
Madame Forestier meet again after ten years, and the latter tells the former that
the diamond necklace she borrowed was fake.
C. SETTING
a) place in Paris
b) time- sometime in the 18th century
c) weather conditions - good
d) social conditions- Mathilde Loisel and her husband were poor
e) mood or atmosphere Mathilde is not contented of her poor life. When she loses
the borrowed diamond necklace, she and her husband become anxious. Then they
buy a new one to replace the lost one, and they live a stressful life in order to pay
their debts incurred to buy such necklace.
D. POINT OF VIEW
The Point of View used in this short story is the Omniscient Limited - The
author tells the story in third person (using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc). We
know only what the character knows and what the author allows him/her to tell us.
We can see the thoughts and feelings of characters if the author chooses to reveal
them to us.
E. LITERARY DEVICES
In my opinion, the literary devices used in this story are Symbolism and Irony.
For Symbolism, the borrowed necklace symbolizes being wealthy, which Mathilde

has been longing to be. While wearing it, she feels so superior. Meanwhile, for Irony,
such borrowed necklace looks so sophisticated but is actually fake.
F. THEME
For me, the theme Things are not always as they appear to be and also Be content
on what you have are applicable to this story.
G. CONFLICT
The conflict here are of Man vs. Himself, and Man vs. SocietyMathilde has been
struggling as a poor woman because of her desire to fit in the society.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Guy de Maupassant
1. Biography of Guy de Maupassant Prepared by Miss Rose June Vargas Locsin
2. Name: Henri-Rene-Albert Guy de Maupassant Date of Birth: August 5, 1850
Birthplace: Dieppe, Normandy, France Date of Death: July 6, 1893 Place of Death:
Paris, France Father: Gustave de Maupassant Mother: Laure Le Poittevin
3. started schooling when he was 13 years old finished at a Rouen boarding
school studied law at the University of Paris became a soldier in Normandy
during the Franco-Prussian War worked as a clerk in the Education Ministry
resigned in 1880 and began a literary career imitated the style of his godfather
Gustave Flaubert
4. published his first story Boule de Suif (Ball of Fat) in 1880 established
himself as a prominent writer of short stories and novels wrote all of his great
literature, including 6 novels and over 300 short stories within a decade (18801890) published La Parure (The Necklace) in 1884
5. Alongside his flourishing literary career, de Maupassants health declined as a
result of syphilis, which he contracted in the 1870s. He attempted suicide on
January 2, 1892 but was unsuccessful; consequently, he was placed in a sanitarium.
He died there a year and a half later.
6. De Maupassant as Literary Genius A. Theories of Realism and Naturalism
influenced by Flauberts leaning toward realism in his writings influenced by his
friend Emile Zola and his naturalistic perspective
7. B. Characters Many of his characters are unhappy victims of their greed, desire,
or vanity. C. Writing Style He presents the characters lives without sermonizing. He
would usually show us, not tell us.

THE SLANDERERThe settings of the slanderer story:

Place : drawing room (a formal reception room), in the kitchen, Akhineyevs home,
in the dining room
Time : midnight
The characters are:
Mayor:
Sergey Kapitonich Akhineyev : stubborn, grumpy
Vankin : liar, slanderer
Minor:
Marfusha : patient
Akhineyevs director : inadvisable, indecisive
Akhineyevs wife : easy to believe what people say, impatient.
The themes of the slanderer story is: slander will bring adverse effects to others
and ourself and an honesty will lead us into peace alive.
Summary of the slanderer story:
It is a story about a schoolteacher enjoying himself at the wedding reception he has
arranged for his daughter is caught in a scandal while surveying the food to be
served in the kitchen. Akhineyev is holding a wedding dinner for his daughter, and
he goes into the kitchen to check on the supper. He is in the middle of smacking his
lips while admiring a delicious looking sturgeon when a guest walks in with the
assumption that Akhineyev has been kissing the cook. In his attempt to stop this
guest from spreading such a rumour Akhineyev decides to stem the tide of gossip
by telling the story of how Vankin had mistaken his smacking his lips for his kissing
the cook. The result of this is exactly what Akhineyev had been attempting to avoid.
summary of the slander by anton Chekhov

1. Dr.AntonChekhoRussian, Physician, Author

2. Russian Society in the 19thCentury Intensely Hierarchical The poor
Peasantryand Industrial workscomprise more than4/5 the population Educated
middleclass wastiny, especially whencompared to itscotemporaries1800-1899
3. Born in Russia 1860Died in Germany 1904
4. Emancipation Reform of 1861 A manifesto issued byEmperor AlexanderII,
accompanied by 17legislative acts that freedthe serfs of the RussiaAn attempt to
put thenation on an equalfooting with theWestern and EasternTsar Alexander II
5. Boyhood & Youth Chekhovs father was struggling grocer who had beenborn a
serf. He compelled his son to serve in his shop. Spent youth under the shadow of
fathers religiousfanaticism. Anton received the best standard education
available(10 years) on Latin and Greek classics, lived aloneduring his final three
years. Moved to Moscow in 1879,his father had relocatedthere after going
bankrupt. Anton enrolled in Medicaluniversity graduated as a physician in 1884.
Anton Chekhov was the economic mainstay of his
6. Dr. Anton Chekhov the Author While in medical school he began to sell comic
short stories tosupport his family. By 1886 Chekhov had gained wide spread fame
as anauthor, and master of comical shorts. During his time practicing medicine and
acting as a regularcontributor to St. Petersburg Daily he developed hisstyle,
dispassionate, non-judgmental author His medical and scientific experience is
evidenced in hiswriting though many of his characters apathy towardstragedy. The
lack of critical social commentary in his work earned himsome detractors, but his
commitment to his style earned himpraise from many including the literary giant
LEO TOLSTOY (
7. Anton Chekhov As an Author he would often produce his shortstories in an hour
or less. He authored several hundred stories over hislifetime He was not
recognized as a playwright until after hisdeath Though a celebrated figure in
Russian literature atthe time of his death he was not internationallyknown until after
World War I when his works weretranslated to English.
8. In the End He began to show signs of tuberculosis atage 24, by his early 30s his
health haddeteriorated The Cherry Orchard opened in1904, tuberculosis had
ravaged hislungs, all knew the end was near and theopening night became a tribute
to theauthor filled with speeches and a heartfeltthanks to Russias greatest
playwright.
9. LastWords On July 14th 1904 after working late onyet another short story he
suddenlyawoke and summoned a doctor. The physician could do nothing for
himbut offer him a glass of champagne. Reportedly his final words were, Itsbeen a
long time since Idrank champagne.Then, after drinking the beverage, hedied.