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The necklace
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The author was a great French writer
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He was one of the best short story writers in the world
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He depicted human lives often in pessimistic terms
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The story of “The Necklace” is a satire that gives a strong message on human values
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The first moral that this lesson teaches us is that everyone should be content in life with whatever little that he has
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One should live within one’s means or else he invites unnecessary problems, anxieties and confusion in life
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The important message of the story is, false pride is the cause of our sufferings
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The story tells us about the negative effects of pride and vanity and emphasizes the importance of being content with what one has
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The Necklace was written by Guy De Maupassant in France around 70 years
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Matilda Loisel was a pretty young lady who was born into a middle class family who worked as clerks
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Her family did not have any means to arrange dowry for her marriage
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She did not have any other means by which she could befriend a rich man to be loved or married to him
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So, due to these circumstances, she had to marry a clerk in the office of the board of education and because of this she was unhappy
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She used to think that destiny was unfair to her and that she deserved much better than what she had got
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She used to get angry and was tortured by the condition of her apartment
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The dirty walls and torn furniture used to irritate her
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She used to think about elegant dinners being served in marvellous dishes when her husband used to praise the home made food served in a simple dish
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She did not have fancy jewels or good dresses
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She had a school friend whom she did not like to meet as she was a rich lady
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After meeting her, she used to cry for days together, looking at the condition of her life
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One day, her husband came back home from work in happy mood, holding an envelope in his hand
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He informed her that the envelope was for her and asked her to open it
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She quickly pulled out the printed card as she was excited to know what it was about
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It was an invitation from the Minister
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The couple had been invited to a dinner party at the house of the minister of public instruction
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She was supposed to be delighted as her husband expected
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But she got really angry and threw the card while murmuring something
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She asked her husband what did he want her to do with the card
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He replied that he had thought that she would be happy as she never went out and this was a rare occasion to which not many employees were invited
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He also told her that she would be meeting a lot of people from his office there
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Matilda asked him what could she wear to such a grand party
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He stammered as he had thought of that
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He first asked her to wear the dress that she wore when they went out for movies but then as she was weeping, he asked her about the matter
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She wiped her tears from her wet cheeks and replied calmly that she could not be a part of such a grand affair and that he should give away the card to some other colleague who’s wife was better than her
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He felt bad for his wife as he saw her crying and asked her the cost of a simple dress that could be worn by her on other occasions as well
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She thought of an amount that would neither be refused by him nor scare the poor clerk
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Then she said that she would be able to manage a dress in 400 francs
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Mr. Loisel was reluctant as he had saved only that much money to buy a gun for himself so that he could join the hunting parties next summer along with his friends
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He told his wife that he would give her the money and asked her to buy a good dress
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The day was approaching and Matilda was still not fine, even though her dress was almost ready
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One day, her husband asked her again that why she had been acting strangely for the past few days
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Matilda replied that although she had the dress, she did not have any kind of jewellery or anything else to make herself look even more attractive
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She said that without any jewellery, she would look like a poor person in such a big party
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She again said that she would like a poor person in such a big party
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To this, her husband replied that she could wear some natural flowers over the dress as they looked really nice and attractive
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She replied that it will look really cheap in a party of rich people
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Then her husband suggested that she could go to her friend Mme. Forestier and ask her to lend some jewellery
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Matilda became happy again as she heard the idea
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She went to Mme. Forestier’s house the next day and said that she was stressed about the party and the jewellery
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Mme. Forestier went to her closet and brought out her jewel box
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Mme. Forestier asked her to choose for herself whatever she wanted
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She first saw some bracelets, then some pearl collars and then a Venetian cross of gold and jewels
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She was not able to decide what to take and what to leave, so she asked Mme. Forestier if she have anything else that she could wear
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To this Mme. Forestier replied that she could herself take a look and choose something suitable
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She then saw a superb diamond necklace kept in a black satin box
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She took it out with her trembling hands and wore it
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She was overjoyed with the necklace as it looked very beautiful
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She asked her friend if she could lend her the diamond necklace, Mme. Forestier agreed
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She fell upon the neck of her friend, embraced her with passion, then went away with her treasure
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The day of the ball arrived. Mme. Loisel was a great success.
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She was the prettiest of all – elegant, gracious, smiling and full of joy
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All the men noticed her, asked her name, and wanted to be presented.
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She danced with enthusiasm, intoxicated with pleasure, thinking of nothing but all this admiration, this victory so complete and sweet to her heart
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She went home towards four o’clock in the morning
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Her husband had been half asleep in one of the little salons since midnight, with three other gentlemen whose wives were enjoying themselves very much
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He threw around her shoulders the modest wraps they had carried whose poverty clashed with the elegance of the ball costume
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She wished to hurry away in order not to be noticed by the other women who were wrapping themselves in rich furs
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Her husband asked her to wait as he was going to call a cab
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But she wouldn’t listen and descended the steps rapidly
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When they were in the street, they found no carriage and they began to seek for one, hailing the coachmen whom they saw at a distance
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They walked along towards the river, hopeless and shivering.
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Finally, they found one of those old carriages that one sees in Paris after nightfall
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It took them as far as their door and they went wearily up to their apartment
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They were very tired. And it was all over for her.
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And on his part, he remembered that he would have to be at the office by 10 o’clock
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She removed the wraps from her shoulders before the glass, for a final view of herself in her glory
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Suddenly, she uttered a cry. Her necklace was not around her neck
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Her husband panicked, he arose in dismay and they looked in the folds of the dress, cloak, pockets
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They could not find it. He asked her whether she was wearing it while leaving the party
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Matilda said that she remembered having it on as she had felt it while leaving the house of the minister
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She also added that if it would have fallen on the street, then they would have heard the sound of it falling but they did not hear anything which meant that it must have fallen in the cab
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Matilda asked her husband if he had noted the number of the carriage
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Both of them had not seen the number of the carriage
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They were let down by what had just happened and Matilda’s husband dressed up to go and look on the tracks where they were walking
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She remained at home wearing her evening gown
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Her husband returned at around 7 am in the morning and announced that he had not found anything
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He also went to the police and cab offices asking about it and gave an advertisement about it in the newspaper, offering a reward
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Matilda was waiting for her husband for the whole day and when he returned, he announced that he had not been able to find the necklace
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He told Matilda to write to Mme. Forestier that they had given the necklace for repairing as the hook of the necklace had broken
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After searching the necklace for a week, they decided to buy another necklace for Mme. Forestier as they were not able to find the original one
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Then the Loisel couple started looking for a necklace for Mme. Forestier as they were not able to find the original one
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They found one in a shop at Palais Royal
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The price of the necklace was 36000 francs with a discount of 4000 francs
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Matilda’s husband had about 18000 francs which were given to him by his father before his death
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He borrowed the rest of the money from different money lenders
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He then bought the new necklace from the shop by paying the full amount
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When Matilda took the necklace to her friend, her friend told her that she should have returned it earlier as she too needed it
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Mme. Forestier didn’t open the box as Matilda had feared
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What would she think if she should perceive the substitution
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Would she take her for a robber ?
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Now it was the time to pay the frightful debt
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Matilda understood the horrible life of necessity
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They sent away the maid, they changed their lodgings, they rented some rooms in the attic
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She learnt the odious work of a kitchen. She washed the dishes.
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She washed the soiled linen, hung them on the line to dry.
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She dumped the trash bin every morning and brought up water.
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While bringing water she stopped at each landing to catch her breath
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She wore clothes like a woman of the people, she went to the grocer’s, butcher’s, baker’s, fruiterer’s with her basket on her arm
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The husband worked evenings and nights he often did copying at five sous a page
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And this life lasted for ten years. At the end of ten years they restored all.
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Matilda seemed old now. She had become a strong, hard woman, the crude woman of the poor household
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Her hair badly dressed, her skirts awry, her hands red, she spoke in a loud tone, and washed the floors with large pails of water
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But sometimes when her husband was at the office, she would seat herself before the window and think of that evening party f former times, of that ball where she was so beautiful
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One Sunday as she was taking a walk in the Champs-Elysees to rid herself of the cares of the week, she suddenly saw her friend
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Still young, still pretty and still attractive, Matilda was affected.
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She thought now that she had paid the debt she should tell all
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Mme. Forestier asked if she bought a diamond necklace just to replace her lost necklace
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Mme. Forestier was touched and she revealed that it was a artificial piece not more than 500 francs
