The Necklace
Guy de Maupassant
About the Author
Guy de Maupassant (1850 –1893) was a French
writer, who wrote some 300 short stories, six
novels, three travel books, and one volume of
verse.
Theme
• A mild satire or ridicule to expose and criticise
people's vices.
• Ridiculous for people of ordinary means to
copy the rich.
• One should live within one’s means.
Otherwise, he or she invites unnecessary
problems, anxieties and confusion in his or her
life.
Message
The main message of the story is that we should
be what we are. False pride is the cause of our
sufferings.
Word Meanings
• Incessantly: constantly
• shining silver: Shining silver utensils
• Stupefied: stunned
• Lark: a bird
• Vexed: frustrated
• ruinous promises: disastrous promises
• Usurers: a person who lends money at
unreasonably high rates of interest.
• Odious: extremely unpleasant
Extended Vocabulary:Proverbs
•Many hands make light work:
Meaning: a task is soon accomplished if several people help.
•Strike while the iron is hot.
Meaning: make use of an opportunity immediately.
•Honesty is the best policy.
Meaning: even if one finds lying an easier option, telling the
truth is the best course of action.
•Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Meaning: said to emphasize that you cannot expect to do
important things in a short period of time
•Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Meaning: you act badly toward the person who is helping or has
helped you.
Why was Matilda married to a clerk?
Matilda belonged to a family of clerks. Her
parents were not rich. They could not provide a
big dowry for Matilda. Hence, she could not be
married to a rich and famous man. So she was
married to Loisel who was a clerk.
What was the greatest mistake of Mme. Loisel?
The greatest blunder that Matilda committed
was that she was not truthful and did not tell
her friend, Madame Forestier, that she had lost
the necklace. If she had, she could have learnt
that the necklace was a false one at the very
beginning and could have avoided all the
hardships that she went through.
Why did Madame Loisel leave the ball in a hurry?
Madame Loisel left the ball in a hurry because
her wrap or shawl was a very cheap one. She did
not want to be noticed by the other women who
were wrapping themselves in rich furs. It shows
the nature of Matilda Loisel. It shows her
dissatisfaction, anger and frustration with the
life that she was leading.
How was Mr. Loisel able to arrange 36,000
francs?
• Inherited18,000 francs,
• The rest of the money (18,000 francs)
borrowed from usurers and other lenders.
• Loan had to be repaid
• Loisels had to change their house
• Matilda had to do all the tedious housework
• They could no longer afford a maid.
How had Matilda Loisel’s sacrifices all
been in vain?
Matilda Loisel’s sacrifices proved to be all in
vain as Madame Forestier, when she met her
after ten years, told her that the necklace was of
fake diamonds worth only 500 francs. The poor
Loisels had wasted ten years of their lives to
repay the loss of a fake necklace.
Matilda’s husband is kind and loving. Do you
agree? Give examples to support your answers.
• Yes, Matilda’s husband, Loisel, is kind and loving.
He wants her to be happy. He spends his savings
(400 francs) that he had saved for years to buy a
gun for his hobby of shooting larks, for buying a
pretty dress for his wife so that she could attend a
big party and enjoy it. When the costly necklace is
lost, he spends all his inherited money (18,000
francs) and even borrows to repay it. He works
day and night but never creates any trouble with
his wife.
What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin?
• Matilda’s aspiration and unrealistic dreams
were the cause of her ruin. She paid a lot of
importance to materialistic things. She could
have easily avoided if she had remained within
her means. She was not a practical lady and
did not understand her husband’s feelings.
• Sequencing of Story
• Reflection
