The Necklace
In Guy de Maupassant’s, “The Necklace”, Madame Loisel’s ungrateful, materialistic, and jealous behavior completely shapes her entire life. Her admiration of the glitz and glam of the rich led to her greatest downfall. Because of her desires she is unable to appreciate the life she had and unable to live the full life of a woman which she had always desired Throughout the entire story Madame Loisel’s ungrateful behavior is well displayed. During dinner, while her husband was well appreciative of the aroma of the pot-au-few, all Madame Loisel can picture is more. Shining silverware … dishes served on marvelous plates,” (Paragraph 4) is all she could think of. She does not care that she is not on the streets eating scraps of food but a well prepared stew. Rather, she is dreaming of, “eating the pink flesh of a trout or the wings of a quail. ”(Paragraph 4) Her ungrateful behavior is also evident when her husband presents the invitation to her. Rather than being thankful that they have received an invite to the grand ball, because, “it is such a fine opportunity,”(Paragraph 15) she could only think of the theater dress that she did not want to wear.
Lastly, while looking through Madame Forestier’s jewels she continues to ask, “Haven’t you anymore? “(Paragraph 46) Instead of being appreciative that her friend is loaning her any jewels to begin with she continues to dig and rummage through the jewelry box, not finding anything to completely satisfy her. Madame Loisel’s materialistic behavior is also well portrayed through-out the short story. She claims she has, “… no dress, no jewels, nothing. And [that] she loved nothing but that. (Paragraph 5) She bases her life worth on materialistic possessions, instead of recognizing she has everything, which includes a loving husband and home with a maid. Towards the beginning, she confirms that, “she let herself be married to a little clerk. ”(Paragraph 1) She only bases her marriage on materialistic items and does not care that her husband loves her endlessly. He clearly exhibits his love for Madame Loisel by sacrificing four hundred francs to purchase a new beautiful dress for the grand ball, “the same amount [he was saving] to buy a gun. (Paragraph 26) And in return she begs him for more money only to buy jewels so that she does not, “look poor among other woman who are rich. ”(Paragraph 37) She also claims that, she suffered ceaselessly,” (Paragraph 2) because she is deprived of the luxuries of the rich. Rather than admitting she has a wonderful home with a great maid; her admiration of the rich consumes her thoughts. Madame Losiel dreamt of a beautiful home with, “antechambers hung with Oriental tapestry, lit by tall bronze candelabras. ”(Paragraph 2) Lastly, Madame Losiel’s jealous behavior is also presented in “The Necklace”.
She is jealous of her former classmate’s, Madame Forestier, riches. Madame Loisel claims that she is incapable of visiting her because, “she suffered so much when she came back. ”(Paragraph 5) Madame Losiel yearns to be a socialite with riches which causes her to envy everything Madame Forestier has. Madame Losiel eventually borrows, loses, and pays for, “a superb necklace of diamonds. ”(Paragraph 48) Also, after ten years her jealously returns. Seeing Madame Forestier who is, “still young, still beautiful, still charming,” (Paragraph 106) in the market makes her feel insecure.
Because after washing numerous amounts of dishes and doing countless pounds laundry, Madame Losiel loses her charm and beauty. All in all, Madame Losiel is unable to live a fruitful life woman of her time because of her ungrateful, materialistic, and jealous behavior. Her wants and desires completely shapes her entire life. Losing ten years of working and being poor left her incapable to have a baby. A gorgeous, charming woman, living in a wonderful home that included a maid and a loving husband, ultimately loses everything.
