The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant is an intriguing story with an unexpected ending that any average reader might find at least interesting. The author is highly esteemed for the skillful structuring of his writings’ composition as well as for their plot. A massive part of his legacy comprises the short stories, which amount to nearly 300 works. Maupassant made genuinely impressive contributions to the corpus of critical realism literature, manifesting the details of French people’s lives around the 1870s in abundance (Wang, 2017). In The Necklace, Maupassant not only elaborated an amusing narrative but also imbued it with a philosophical meaning that might seem to be concealed, tricking the reader into taking the story for a purely entertaining piece.
Distinctive Features of Guy De Maupassant’s Writings
One of the methods used by Maupassant in the story is making it similar to a traditional fairytale. Warner (2018) describes this genre and its obligatory components. Particularly, the short length of a story serves as a typical characteristic. The next feature is a striking affinity of tales between each other that evokes parallels in the mind of a reader on a conscious or subconscious level. Another attribute of the genre is “the necessary presence of past makes itself felt through combinations and recombinations of familiar plots and characters, devices and images” (Warner, 2018, xxv). Finally, the language of fairytales contains symbols, concise imagery urging to remember the motifs of a story told or read. To conclude, a fairytale obtains certain peculiarities that make it distinctive from any other genre and, therefore, functions in its own way.
The Characteristics Present in The Necklace
As previously stated, the style of The Necklace somewhat corresponds to these characteristics. According to Chomiuk (2017), “the author applied an innuendo to the fairy tale about Cinderella in order to demonstrate the discrepancy between reality and daydreams” (p. 205). The plot of the well-known tale intrinsically penetrates the narration. Precisely, the main character Madame Loisel is a beauteous and miserable woman simultaneously, who dreams about a sumptuous house full of exquisitely decorated furniture and gets an invitation to a ball, but, unfortunately, has nothing to wear for it (de Maupassant, 2003b). In addition, the author provides his short story with a vivid, memorable symbol—the necklace. Thus, the work encompasses allusion to an old one and corresponds to the fairytale genre length and language.
Realism: The Style of Guy De Maupassant
Nevertheless, The Necklace still has the uniqueness inherent to all writings of Maupassant. As Cinderella, Loisel is complemented about her necklace and dress at the ball, rejoicing at the moment her dreams came true; yet, her story has no happy ending. The loss of the precious decoration assigns years of constant toil to her and her husband, which presents a realistic turn in the plot (de Maupassant, 2003a). Realism, as well as the amplitude of details, pertains to Maupassant’s main style. In regards to Wang (2017), he uses it to “[describe] in depth the mundane life of some ordinary characters in the real world, or the daily trivialities that occur around ordinary people” (p. 144). In brief, the writing manner of the author is distinguished by the presence of realistic and naturalistic motifs.
Significance of Guy De Maupassant’s Writings
Notably, the talent of Maupassant has set in motion the tradition of writing. Firstly, his influence can be seen in the works of James, although indirectly. Furthermore, the collection of his books made an impact on Hemingway’s literary style, which consequently shaped “the pattern for the American short story”; the aftersound of his approach to narration is seen even in the sphere of movie production (Gopnik, 2003, para.5). In this view, Maupassant can be safely reckoned as an important figure in literature, a founder of Modern.
Motifs of a Catastrophe
Considering the significance of Maupassant’s legacy, his stories start to look less simplistic, hence the presence of hidden meaning may be assumed. The tale of Loisel, now weary and exhausted, ends with her realizing that seemingly deserved suffering and an eternity of miserable existence have been endured in vain: “how little it takes to doom you or save you!” (de Maupassant, 2003b, para. 101). This catastrophe, as it is conceived by a reader, appears to be uncommon only at first; in fact, life is full of similar occurrences. Such realistic depiction of human essence resembles the motifs present in works of those writers adherent to existentialism, “an eclectic philosophy which deals with responsibility and commitment to humankind (Agarwal & Cruise Malloy, 2000), (as cited in Canavan, 2019, p. 2). The absurdity fills the story from its beginning: the woman having no dowry, later living with a poor husband, starts to dream about luxurious life instead of accepting the burden of her social status. Therefore, Maupassant’s work can be regarded as not only a fairytale with an unprecedented ending but also an important existential work, portraying life as it is.
The Trick of The Necklace
It follows thence that The Necklace has a symbolical meaning, deliberated by the author intently. Canavan (2019) observes that Maupassant expresses the despair and disappointment experienced by humans, as well as desolation, even before enunciation of these motifs in the field of philosophy (p. 2). However unfair, terrible, and frightful life is to Loisel, she takes responsibility for her actions just as in Sartre’s (1948) perspective every man should do consciously “to be happy, to be oneself” (as cited in Canavan, 2019, p. 3). The pithiness, spurious plainness, and fairytale-like structure are all misleading, or parts of the refined delusion created to bestow even more joy to a reader that manages to decipher the author’s thought. Under such circumstances, the methods selected by Maupassant may be declared special, intended for both entertaining the mass audience and soothing the literati.
Conclusion
In summary, The Necklace is a remarkably ambiguous, complex work with various aspects of style, structure, and meaning that make it an unadulterated masterpiece of Modern literature. Maupassant’s efforts to extract as much point of the surrounding reality, acquaintance with the writings of his predecessors and contemporaries, and his own thoughts are highly valued. The generations of authors read his stories and inevitably consumed the sapience of his words, transmitting them even further, rendered by their observations. The complexity hidden behind the “inartificial” plot and straightforward language incorporates the pre-existential awe before the irrationality of life and its true absurdity. The impossibility to change this does not implicate an excuse for inertia and refusal to maintain the function to which one might be assigned, as could be concluded from Loisel’s example. Although the style of Maupassant is not of much concinnity, his ideas are profound and far-reaching.
References
Canavan, B. (2019). Tourism-in-literature: Existential comfort, confrontation and catastrophe in Guy De Maupassant’s short stories. Annals of Tourism Research, 78(102750), 238–247.
Chomiuk, A. (2017). Anti-fairy tale in a novel like frame. On The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant [Abstract]. Czytanie Literatury, 1(6), 195–205.
de Maupassant, G. (2003a). Introduction. In Gopnik. A. (Ed.), The Necklace and Other Tales. (Neugroschel, J., Trans.). Modern Library.
de Maupassant, G. (2003b). The Necklace and Other Tales. (Neugroschel, J., Trans.). Modern Library.
Wang, H. (2017). On the writing style of Maupassant’s short stories. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 144, 144–146.
Warner, M. (2018). Fairy Tale: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press.
Analysis Of Madame Loisel Character Traits
Madame Loisel Character Traits: Personality Analysis Essay Introduction
Guy de Maupassant’s short story “The Necklace” describes the life of a lady dwelling in nineteenth-century France and experiencing the difficulties associated with her desires to be an aristocrat and her real average life. Desiring to look wealthier than she is, Mathilde Loisel borrows a necklace from her friend, but loses it and has to sacrifice her beauty, working with her husband for many years to repay the loans. The protagonist is presented as a selfish and frustrated person at the beginning, but later she experiences changes in her character when she accepts her social status and helps her husband to repay the debt.
Madame Loisel Character Traits: Analysis Essay Main Body
Madame Loisel is a selfish person who ignores the feelings of others and aspires to achieve her desires at all costs. The woman’s husband invites her to the ball expecting that she will be satisfied. However, Monsieur Loisel understands that he has to abandon his personal wish to buy a new rifle to make the wife happy and buy her a new dress. Irawan notices such features as “materialistic obsession and envious resentment” (6). This description demonstrates that the woman focuses on her desires to be financially prosperous. Consequently, this situation displays that the protagonist disregards the wishes of the beloved person and focuses only on her needs.
The main character is emotionally unsatisfied with her life, considering that she is not wealthy enough to make her beauty sparkle as it deserves. Mainly, at the beginning of the story, the author characterizes the woman as a person dissatisfied with the level of life, “feeling herself born to enjoy all delicacies” (De Maupassant 2). This description reveals that Mathilde’s primary feelings are associated with resentment and frustration. In particular, Sari notices that the psychological and sociological dimensions of the life of the character differ and even conflict with each other (66). Although Madame Loisel is psychologically disposed to be wealthy, her social status proves that she has no sufficient means even to dress appropriately for the ball. This conflict proves that the lady is frustrated and depressed because she cannot enjoy what she owns and aspire to belong to a class that is higher than the social class of her family.
Madame Loisel experiences changes that alter her character in the course of life. In the beginning of the story, the woman considers that she is destined to belong to a higher class, which makes her disappointed with the reality of “bareness of the walls” and “the shabby chairs” (De Maupassant 2). However, ten years later, the circumstances leave her no alternative and she has to live in a shabby apartment and work hard to return the debt. This situation makes her forget about her dreams and become a strong and enduring person. For instance, Yadav emphasizes that she “learned to work hard, become down-to-earth” (649). This statement reveals that Mathilde Loisel experiences transformations throughout the story. The lady changes her perception of reality, accepting her social position and learning how to appreciate her life.
Mathilde Loisel Character Traits: Analysis Essay Conclusion
Thus, the protagonist of the story, Madame Loisel, experiences the changes in her character evolving from a selfish and discontented person into a sensible and appreciative woman. In particular, being a young lady, she considers that her dreams and desires are the most significant elements of her life, which should be fulfilled at all costs. However, the predicaments demonstrate to her that she should be a moderate individual, behaving according to her social status. Mathilde’s readiness to help her husband to repay the debt displays that she learns this life lesson properly.
Works Cited
De Maupassant, Guy. The Diamond Necklace. Translated by Albert Marian Cohn-McMaster, Saga Egmont, 2020.
Irawan, Bambang. “Three Dimensional Aspect of a Main Character Mathilde in Guy De Maupassant’s The Necklace.” Morphosis: Journal of Literature, vol. 1, no. 1, 2019, pp. 1-7.
Sari, Yunita. “The Analysis of the Characters in Maupassant’s The Necklace.” English Prose Analysis. From Theories to Practices 1, edited by I Gusti Agung Gde Sosiowati and Ni Luh Nyoman Seri Malini, Cakra Press, 2017, pp. 53-73.
Yadav, Shubham. “Character Analysis of ‘Mathilde Loisel’ in the Maupassant’s “The Necklace””. International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, vol. 4, no. 3, 2019, pp. 647-649.
Essay Voice-over
The Theme Of Deception In The Necklace By Guy De Maupassant
Despite Guy de Maupassant’s ‘The Necklace’ being written in the late XIXth century, this story successfully transports its moral lessons to modern life. The author engages symbolism around the main object of the story, the diamond necklace, and the deep character portrayal of two heroines to reveal the common deceptiveness of human appearance. Situations of Mathilde and Madame Forestier described in the story demonstrate two psychologically different origins of deception. By analyzing motivation, attitudes, and consequences of deceit in this story, it becomes evident that the difference between clever dishonesty and open hypocrisy affects public perception and grows into major social stratification even nowadays.
Condemned by de Maupassant, Mathilda, the protagonist, represents a hypocritical origin of deception for which she receives the punishment of living in poverty. Irawan characterized her as ‘full of envious resentment’, having ‘materialistic obsession’ and ‘unappreciative and selfish tendencies’ (6). Thus, heroine strives to obtain a luxurious look deceitfully with the intention to lie and brag about her social status. Matilda’s greed and vanity is punished with deprivation her of both her wealth and recognition. During the ball ‘All the men were watching her, asking her name, trying to get introduced’ while ten years later Madame Forestier replies to her ‘You must be mistaken!’ (de Maupassant 15-19). Two situations of Matilda being around people depict, that earlier multiple men would wish to talk to her, but then even a former friend does not recognize her. This strong contrast indicates the author’s disapproval of her behavior and states the moral: vain deception is improper and socially unacceptable.
On the contrary, in the story’s ending, it is exposed that Madame Forestier has resorted to dishonesty regarding her possessions. Of course, the initial motive for buying a fake diamond necklace was similar to Mathilda’s – to get beauty and attention, but Madame Forestier’s image allows to state that her intention was not to imitate a higher social class. De Maupassant gives a description of her feelings in the end as ‘deeply moved’ that shows her sincerity (20). Moreover, she admits the necklace being an imitation with notable ease which indicates that Madame is not ashamed of this act. Equally important to notice is the ‘implications’ of her attitude after ten years: she is ‘still young, still beautiful, still attractive’ (de Maupassant, 19). Unlike Mathilda, she had not lost any of her charm and pride, which leads to a conclusion that small deceit can be harmless and comply with the rules of morality.
Although the character’s experiences may be controversial, the premises of their actions can be reasoned within their cultural background. As de Maupassant lived in the XIXth century France, for modern people most of his stories ‘retain an exotic allure’ and ‘characters and settings are strangely unfamiliar as those in any traditional folk tale’ (Lloyd, 83). However, the social and psychological aspects of events convey reality, in this case, ‘The high standard of life which brought the self-destruction of woman in French’ (Nurmalasari and Samanik 3). The society of that time would require women to have a certain grade of outer beauty, unattainable without either wealth or its forgery. Interestingly, similar trends can be noticed these days with media promoting life standards beyond reach for most people. As a result, ladies continue to engage in deception commonly, which is considered both immoral and respective at the same time.
To sum up, “The Necklace’’ is a demonstration of different approaches to deceit. A greedy, selfish motive is inappropriate and punishable; a minor, open and not conceited intention is not shameful. However, both of them are accepted by society and, therefore, inevitable throughout history and until the present day. The supposed lesson for the reader to learn is to be happy with things they have and not pursue goals they cannot reach.
Works Сited
Irawan, Bambang. “Three Dimensional Aspect of a Main Character Mathilde in Guy De Maupassant’s The Necklace.” Morphosis: Journal of literature. vol 1, no 1, 2019, pp. 1-7. openjournal.unpam.ac.id/index.php/MPS/article/view/3193
Lloyd, Christopher. Guy de Maupassant. Reaktion Books, 2020, pp. 81-107
De Maupassant, Guy. The Necklace and Other Stories: Maupassant for Modern Times. Translated by Sandra Smith, WW Norton & Company, 2015.
Nurmalasari, Uning, and Samanik Samanik. “A Study of Social Stratification in France in 19th Century as Portrayed in The Necklace ‘La Parure’ Short Story by Guy De Maupassant.” English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Proceedings. vol 2, 2018, pp. 445-449.