THE NECKLACE

Guy de Maupassant

Guy de Maupassant

Maupassant grew up with wealthy parents in North-West France. He spent almost every Sunday with the great French novelist, Gustave Flaubert, who inspired him to begin writing. In his teenage years, he served in the Franco-Prussian War. He got promoted to become a government clerk and he spent most of his free time writing. Between 1880 and 1890, Maupassant had successfully written 300 short stories, 6 novels, 3 travel books, and his only volume of verse. A lot of his stories were about “inexplicable, illogical, and contradictory catastrophes”. Also, many of his stories were humorous and warm-hearted. Guy de Maupassant is one of the most indispensible authors of French Literature, thanks to his many great short stories like this one, “The Necklace”.

Short Story Summary

TITLE: “The Necklace” AUTHOR: Guy de Maupassant SETTING (Time and Place): 1884 Paris,

France Loisel’s apartment, party at the Ministry of Education’s Mansion.

CHARACTERS (List and describe on separate lines):

Madame Loisel - selfish (beautiful, charming, middle class, spoiled, daydreamed)→→aged quickly, heavy rough, harsh, shrill voice, poor

Monsieur Loisel- kind, generous, loyal hard-working, clerk for Ministry of Education, wants to please wife, middle class

Madame Forestier - kind, generous, wealthy, snobby

SUMMARY

Madame Loisel is in her apartment dreaming of a better life. She is unhappy and dissatisfied with her social status and mediocre surroundings. Mme & Msr. L receive an invitation to a party at the Ministry.

Plot Summary cont’d

Mme. refuses to attend until she has something suitable to wear. She borrows a diamond necklace from her friend Mme. F. Mme. L loses the necklace somewhere on the way home.

Summary continued…

They borrow the money from loan sharks and are forced to live a life of poverty for 10 years until their debts are paid off. Mme. L meets up with Mme F and tells her about the lost necklace, and Mme. F reveals the necklace is fake.

POINT OF VIEW:

This short story is told from the 3rd person limited point of view. The author focuses on Mme. Loisel’s thoughts and feelings.

Conflicts: Internal – Mme. Loisel vs. herself: her

excessive pride, materialism and shallowness cause her emotional torture as she feels she’s been deprived of luxuries.

Conflict cont’d

External – Mme. Loisel vs. M. different

values (although he is tolerant of her behavior and wants to please her)

Elements of the Story’s Plot

Characters : Madame Mathilde Loisel, Madame Jeanne Forestier, Cabinet Officials, Madame Loisel’s Husband, and the Jeweler.

Setting : Set in Paris, France, in the late 1800’s.

Basic Situation: Madame Loisel loses the diamond necklace that her friend, Madame Forestier, lent her when she was invited to a ball.

Internal Conflict: Madame Loisel has to decide whether or not to tell Mme. Forestier the truth.

Complications: The couple doesn’t have enough money to buy a replacement necklace.

Climax: When Mme. Loisel loses the necklace.

Resolution: Mme. Loisel and her husband borrow money to buy a new necklace.

Protagonist: Mathilde Loisel

Dynamic Character: Mathilde Loisel.

Static Character: Mme. Forestier, Mme. Loisel’s Husband.

Other Literary Elements cont’d Irony – Mme. L borrows a

necklace to fit in with the rich people she envies, but the loss of the necklace results in her being poorer than she was.

Other Literary Elements cont’d

Foreshadowing - Rue de Martyrs the name of the street and the English word martyr- martyr means a great or constant sufferer.

Her intense unhappiness cannot be lifted with one party invitation.

PLOT DEVELOPMENT CHART

EXPOSITION: We meet Mme. Loisel in her apartment as she is described as extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with her social status

NARRATIVE HOOK: Mme. Loisel receives an invitation to the party.

Plot Development Chart cont’d

RISING ACTION: Mme. Refuses to attend the party without a suitable dress/borrows a necklace/loses it/borrows money to buy a new one/lives life of poverty to pay debt.

Plot Development Chart cont’d CLIMAX: 10 years later relieved

of the debt Mme. L. confesses all to Mme. F. who reveals the necklace is a fake.

Quote Interpretation: Quote – “We do not

succeed in changing things according to our desire, but gradually our desires change.”

– Marcel Proust

Quote cont’d… In your own words, explain

what this quote means to you –

We cannot always get what we want when we want it. Eventually, our priorities change and what we want changes at the same time.

Quote Interpretation cont’d How does this quote relate to

the story you just read? Madame Loisel is very self-

centered at the beginning of the story. She is focused on material possessions. By the end of the story, her perspective changes.

Quote cont’d Foreshadowing- Madame and

Monsieur Loisel live on “Rue des Martyrs” street. A martyr is someone that suffers a great deal and never recovers after their loss. The author foreshadows the suffering that Madame and Monsieur Loisel will have.

Quote cont’d Mood- The mood of this story

changes as the characters and their priorities change. In the beginning, Madame L is disappointed, but then she has a great time at the party and the mood shifts to one of excitement and enjoyment.

Mood cont’d…

After losing the necklace, Madame L’s priorities change and the mood changes to one of tragedy and loss.