The Necklace Guy de Maupassant

Important Information  Protagonist – Mathilde Loisel  Antagonist – vanity, Parisian society  Conflict – person v/s self  Point of View – third person omniscient  Setting – Paris, late 1880’s

Class Roles A wealthy woman of the upper class could look forward to a life of luxury. A middle-class woman was expected to find happiness in taking care of her family and modest home. A woman of the lower class could expect a life of poverty and hard work. The only way a woman could improve her status was by marrying someone in a higher class.

Cause and Effect Mathilde has an outburst of temper because she is vain and does not think that she has the right clothes for the party.

Theme  Appearances can be deceiving

Setting  Apartment is adequate, but not good enough for Mathilde

Conflict  Mathilde’s dreams of a finer life v/s the reality of her true life

Characterization  Husband is content with life, but Mathilde wants more.

Foreshadowing The Loisels live on a street named “Rue des Martyrs” or “the street of the martyrs.” Foreshadows the tragedy and suffering they will endure. –Martyr - One who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principle. (Dictionary.com)

Irony  Mathilde does not react as her husband expected toward the invitation.  Because of her evening of glamour, her life is changed for the worse.  The necklace that Mathilde borrowed was fake, but the one she replaced it with was real and very valuable.