Mathilde Loisel's The Necklace

Mathilde Loisel always longed for wealth and riches in “The Necklace.” She thought the only way she could be truly happy was if she lived in a lavish home, had all of the clothes and jewelry she could ever dream of, and had multiple servants and maids. Although she had always dreamed of being rich, in reality, she is poor and married to a clerk in the French Ministry of Education. Because his wife had always dreamed of being at lavish parties, he worked very hard and obtained an invitation to a party at the house of the Minister of Education. Mathilde, instead of being happy, is extremely disappointed as she feels she will be disrespected at the party because she is not rich. This is a common theme is “The Necklace,” whether one is rich or

However, when she finally receives an invitation “she is "utterly miserable" and seriously contemplates not going to the Ministry because she lacks jewelry and the appearance of elegance and wealth” (Pierce 2). Note she is miserable not only because she is not wealthy but because she lacks the appearance of wealth. This is shown in Madame Loisel’s reaction when she receives the invitation to the party from her husband. She says, “I have no dress and consequently I cannot go to this affair. Give your card to some colleague whose wife is better fitted out than I am” (Maupassant 290). By “fitted out” Madame Loisel is already referring to how she will be received at this party! She does not believe she is “ready” to go to this party as she is worried that the men and women will see her as poor and therefore will not want to dance or interact with her at all. She then asks her husband to buy her a dress and she borrows a necklace from a friend, Madame Forestier, and goes to the party. After the party, she is in such a hurry to get away from the other wives and husbands so they will not see her putting on a shabby coat, instead of their expensive furs. This is an unnecessary response by Madame Loisel that shows truly how much she cares about how she is seen by others. Most likely, she will never see any of these people again

As put by Jason Pierce, “Whereas before [Madame Loisel had the necklace] she was filled with grief, regret, despair, and misery, but with Madame Forestier’s jewels on her neck she is elegant, graceful, and smiling, and quite above herself with happiness” (2). Although everything Maupassant (and therefore Pierce) mentions about her without the necklace is negative and with the necklace is positive, there is something to notice. Although Madame Loisel can control whether she is “happy or miserable,” she cannot control whether she is “graceful and elegant.” Her gracefulness and elegance are merely an implication of the fact that she has nice clothes, and nice necklace and people want to dance with her. It can be argued, however, that because, she has achieved her greatest dreams for her whole life, at least for one night, she has an aura of confidence and is happy and therefore looks graceful and elegant. Although that is probably slightly correct, most likely the main reason she looks elegant is because she is very pretty and looks at least respectable, if not rich. But what happens after the