The Necklace
Jealousy and envy are among the greatest of sins and have been the down fall of many.
Maupassants “The Necklace” is the story of a woman who is overcome with jealousy and envy.
Mathilde Loisel feels she has been cheated by life from all of the wonderful things it has to offer.
The reader learns how these qualities in Mme. Loisel come back to haunt her for many years as
the story unfolds with an ironic ending.
Mathlide Loisel is a character who has much pride in her. It is her motivation to act
throughout the story, and it is the key to her downfall. Mathlide?s downfall comes into place
when she does not tell Mrs. Forrestier that she lost her necklace. Mathlide does not gush out
confessions and prostrating herself while pleading for forgiveness, she takes the responsibility
for her mistakes by replacing Mrs. Forrestier?s necklace. De Maupassant shows her qualities in
the introduction, the incident, and the poverty she endures.
At the beginning of the story Mathlide pride is so strong that she does not want to face
reality. Reality meaning the husband she has and the small household she resumes in. So in order
to reject reality she
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