Comprehensive Study Notes on Guy de Maupassant's The Necklace
Socioeconomic Status and the Dissatisfaction of Mathilde Loisel
Mathilde Loisel is described as a pretty and charming woman who appears to have been born into a modest family by a mistake of destiny. Due to her lack of a dowry, expectations, and any means of being introduced to or married by a wealthy and distinguished man, she accepted a marriage to a minor clerk serving at the Ministry of Public Instruction. Mathilde experienced constant personal suffering, feeling as though she was intended for a life of luxury and delicacy. She felt distressed by the poverty of her apartment, including the worn state of the chairs and the faded quality of the curtains. These domestic details, which might not have bothered another woman of her class, were a source of torment to her. She possessed no fine dresses or jewels, yet she felt these were the only things meant for her. Her heart was consumed by a longing for elegance, luxury, and the desire to be admired and sought after.
The Invitation to the Ministry Ball and Monsieur Loisel's Sacrifice
One evening, her husband, Monsieur Loisel, returned home in high spirits, holding a large envelope. This envelope contained an invitation to a formal ball at the Ministry, which he believed would delight his wife. However, instead of being pleased, Mathilde responded with tears and threw the invitation onto the table. She explained her distress by stating she had no appropriate attire for such a grand event and suggested her husband give the invitation to a colleague whose wife was better equipped. When her husband asked what a suitable dress would cost, he turned pale upon hearing her estimate of francs. He had been saving exactly that amount to purchase a hunting rifle for trips the following summer with friends. Despite his personal plans, he agreed to give her the francs to buy a beautiful dress.
The Acquisition of the Diamond Necklace from Madame Forestier
As the date of the ball approached, Mathilde’s anxiety returned. Although she had the dress, she felt she would look poor among the wealthy women because she had no jewelry. Monsieur Loisel suggested she visit her wealthy friend, Madame Forestier, to borrow some pieces. The next day, Mathilde visited her friend, who offered her a choice from her jewel box. After examining satin and gold pieces, Mathilde discovered a black satin box containing a superb diamond necklace. Her heart beat with desire as she tried it on, and she was overjoyed when Madame Forestier agreed to lend it to her. The night of the ball was a triumph; Mathilde was the most elegant woman in attendance, dancing with wild joy and intoxicated by the success of her beauty. The attachés at the ball wanted to know her name, and she felt she was floating in a cloud of success.
The Loss of the Necklace and the Initial Search Efforts
The celebration ended at in the morning. Upon leaving the Ministry, the Loisels could not find a cab and had to walk toward the Seine while shivering in the cold. They finally found an old carriage to take them home. Once inside their apartment, Mathilde stood before the mirror for a final look at herself in her glory, only to discover with a scream that the necklace was missing. They searched the folds of her dress and the cab, but found nothing. Monsieur Loisel retraced their steps across the city until dawn without success. To buy more time to conduct a search, he instructed Mathilde to tell Madame Forestier that the clasp of the necklace had broken and was being repaired.
The Decision to Replace the Jewel and the Accumulation of Debt
After a week of searching, they found no trace of the necklace. They visited the jewelers of Paris and found a replacement in a shop at the Palais-Royal. This necklace, which looked exactly like the lost one, was priced at francs, though they were told they could purchase it for . Monsieur Loisel possessed francs that he had inherited from his father, but the remaining had to be borrowed. He entered into ruinous agreements with lenders and usurers, signing notes and taking on obligations that would compromise the rest of his life. Eventually, they secured the money, bought the replacement necklace, and returned it to Madame Forestier, who did not open the box or notice the substitution.
A Decade of Toil, Poverty, and Repayment
The Loisels then entered a period of extreme hardship to pay off their debts. They dismissed their servant and moved to a small garret under a roof. Mathilde undertook the heavy, grueling work of a pauper, including scrubbing dishes, carrying water, and haggling at markets to save every sou. Her appearance changed drastically; her hair became untidy, her hands turned red, and she dressed in coarse clothing. Monsieur Loisel took on extra work in the evenings, copying manuscripts for sous per page. This brutal lifestyle continued for years until every franc, including high interest, was repaid. Mathilde had aged significantly and become a hard, weather-beaten woman of the people, though she occasionally sat by the window and remembered the glory of that one night at the ball.
The Encounter on the Champs-Élysées and the Final Revelation
One Sunday, while walking along the Champs-Élysées to refresh herself, Mathilde saw a woman walking with a child. It was Madame Forestier, who still appeared young and beautiful. Mathilde decided to approach her now that the debt was paid. Madame Forestier did not recognize her at first, gasping at how changed she was. Mathilde confessed that she had lost the original necklace and that she and her husband had spent the last years in poverty to pay for a replacement. Moved by this confession, Madame Forestier took Mathilde's rough hands and revealed the tragic irony of the situation: the original necklace had been a fake made of paste, worth at most francs.
Questions & Discussion
Monsieur Loisel: Look, Mathilde. We've been invited to a grand ball at the Ministry!
Mathilde Loisel: What do you expect me to do with this? I have nothing to wear. No dress. No jewels. I'd rather not go at all.
Monsieur Loisel: What's wrong? How much would a suitable dress cost?
Mathilde Loisel: Four hundred francs.
Mathilde Loisel: I have no jewels. No diamonds. I will look poor among the rich women.
Monsieur Loisel: Borrow something from your friend, Madame Forestier.
Madame Forestier: Choose whatever you like.
Mathilde Loisel: Will you lend me this?
Madame Forestier: Of course.
Monsieur Loisel: I'll tell Madame Forestier the clasp broke. That will buy us time to find it. Write to her that the clasp is being repaired.
Mathilde Loisel: Good morning, Jeanne.
Madame Forestier: I am sorry, I do not know you. You must have made a mistake.
Mathilde Loisel: I am Mathilde Loisel.
Madame Forestier: My poor Mathilde, how you've changed!
Mathilde Loisel: Yes. All because of you.
Madame Forestier: Me? What do you mean?
Mathilde Loisel: You remember the diamond necklace you lent me for the ball? Well, I lost it. We replaced it, piece by piece, and we've been paying for it for ten years. It's finished now.
Madame Forestier: You say you bought a diamond necklace to replace mine?
Mathilde Loisel: Yes. You never noticed? They were very similar.
Madame Forestier: Oh, my poor, poor Mathilde. But mine was fake. It was worth at most francs.