Moral Values In The Necklace

Today’s society regards wealth as being a major factor in determining one’s value. Materialistic possessions have become a hot commodity because people are convinced that their worth or social class is defined by the material items they own. Maupassant presents this idea in his short story to show that society in the 19th century had these views as well. (developed the idea of value). The saying “money cannot buy you happiness” would appropriately describe the moral of the 1884 short story “The Necklace”. The necklace itself is the key symbol used to develop the primary theme that material items are only as valuable as someone perceives them (PV) to be and that a person’s value is not based on (WC) their material possessions. In Guy de Maupassant’s

Maupassant says, “she suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries” (33). Upon first reading this sentence, it may seem like Mme. Loisel is physically suffering, but really she is mentally and emotionally suffering. This wording allows for the readers to feel how much Loisel suffers when she is not surrounded by wealth and elegance (PV). However, once Mme. Loisel receives the grand items she so desired, Maupassant states, “she danced with intoxication, with passion, made drunk by pleasure…” (35). Even though Mme. Loisel is not actually drunk, the use of the words “intoxication” and “drunk” give the reader an image of the bubbly feeling that Mme. Loisel experienced upon adorning herself with her new

Loisel’s greedy behavior leads (WC) to her demise, as well as her husband’s too. She focused on obtaining the finest jewels and having everyone believe her to be of higher social status. However, the jewels she thought would make her elegant, turned out to be fake and worthless. This becomes ironic because she felt superior when wearing the necklace but, in fact, it was of no real value. (Combined paragraphs). Maupassant’s effective use of irony helps to strengthen the themes of misplaced value that are found throughout “The Necklace”. Guy de Maupassant writes in an eloquent style that captivates the reader through his use of diction and simplistic yet descriptive sentences. Maupassant effectively portrays the symbolism of social value versus materialistic value through the use of the necklace itself. Guy de Maupassant subtly and effectively illustrates the theme in his short story that one cannot assign a value to someone based on his or her material