“The Necklace” By Guy de Maupassant

Protagonist and Antagonist Protagonist: main character, often hero of the story The protagonist of “The Necklace” is Mathilde Loisel. Notice how she isn’t really a hero or even a likeable character, yet she is still a protagonist because she is the MAIN character. Antagonist: character against the protagonist, often villain of the story The antagonist of “The Necklace” is Mathilde’s greed and materialism. Notice how the antagonist isn’t a person in this story, but it is Mathilde’s own vices (faults) that work against her.

Direct Characterization Direct characterization: an author overtly reveals a character’s personality by directly telling you about him or her In “The Necklace,” Mathilde is directly characterized as a charming young woman: “She was one of those pretty, charming young women who are born, as if by an error of Fate, into a petty official’s family.” At the end of the story, Mathilde is directly characterized once again, but as a very different kind of woman: “Madame Loisel looked old now. She had become the sort of strong woman, hard and coarse, that one finds in poor families.”

Indirect Characterization Indirect characterization: textual clues show a character’s motivation and intent In “The Necklace,” Mathilde is indirectly characterized through her thoughts and actions: “She suffered constantly, feeling that all of the attributes of a gracious life, every luxury, should rightly have been hers.” “She tried on the jewelry before the mirror, hesitating, unable to bring herself to take them off, to give them back.” Through indirect characterization methods, the narrator reveals how unhappy Mathilde is and how materialistic she is.

Narrator Narrator: the "voice" that speaks or tells a story The narrator of “The Necklace” is an outsider—someone who is not a character in the story.

Mood Mood: the atmosphere of a literary work intended to evoke a certain emotion or feeling from the reader The mood of “The Necklace” shifts over the course of the plot. It starts off as annoyed/frustrated, even judgmental. It ends with pity and sympathy.

Tone Tone: the attitude a writer takes toward the reader, a subject, or character. The tone of “The Necklace” is detached and nonjudgmental. Despite the fact that we as readers may judge Mathilde for her faults, de Maupassant does not.

Alliteration Alliteration: the repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close to one another, typically occurs at the beginning of words When Mathilde visualizes what she wishes her dinners were like, the following examples of alliteration are used: “fairy forest” “sphinx-like smiles”

Surprise Ending Surprise ending: the reader doesn’t expect the ending, but it is still both logical and believable. The surprise ending of “The Necklace” is that the necklace is a fake, which shocks both Mathilde and the reader. However, as shocking as this is, it is believable and possible.