By Guy de Maupassant

Prepared by: Loren Haramae M. Alcordo

BAMM - 303

Short Story Summary:

• Title: The Necklace

• Author: Guy de Maupassant

• Setting (Time and Place): 1884

Paris, France Loisel’s

apartment, party at the Ministry

of Education’s Mansion

Characters:

• Madame Loisel – selfish, aged

quickly, heavy rough, harsh, spoiled.

• Monsieur Loisel – kind, generous,

loyal hard-working, clerk for Ministry

of Education, wants to please his wife.

• Madame Forestier – kind, generous,

wealthy, snobby.

Mathilde Loisel is miserable as the wife of a middle-class

Parisian clerk Monsieur Loisel. She suffers constantly from what

she views as a life of poverty.

Although her husband’s income from his position as a

clerk at the Ministry of Public Instructions sufficiently meets the

couple’s needs, Mathilde dreams of attending the local salons,

which host intimate gatherings of the upper class. She assumes airs

at the dinner table, fantasizing that she is eating a higher quality of

food and imagining herself dining with the wealthy. Mathilde

focuses on her lack of jewels and fine clothing rather than on

enjoying her life.

She is jealous of one acquaintance in particular with whom

she attended convent school, Madame Jeanne Forestier, who has

made a good marriage to a wealthy man.

Thinking Mathilde will be

pleased, Monsieur Loisel brings

her an invitation to a ball at the

Palace of the Ministry. Mathilde

surprises him by throwing down

the invitation.

Because Mathilde lacks a beautiful gown and

jewels, she does not feel she can attend the ball.

Monsieur Loisel reluctantly agrees to finance

the purchase of a four-hundred-franc gown,

understanding that he must sacrifice a planned

hunting vacation with friends to do so.

Mathilde buys the dress but complains that

she has no jewels. Monsieur Loisel suggests that she

visit her friend Madame Forestier and ask to borrow

some jewelry. For once, Mathilde is pleased by a

suggestion made by her husband.

Madame Forestier offers Mathilde the

choice of her jewels. Mathilde selects a superb

diamond necklace from a black satin box. She

feels euphoric when she tries it on. When

Madame Forestier immediately agrees to let her

borrow the necklace, Mathilde kisses her in

gratitude.

At the ball, Mathilde’s beauty attracts much attention. She is ecstatic when many men ask her name.

She dances with all of the attachés from the cabinet and is even noticed by the minister. Intoxicated with

pleasure and passion, Mathilde exists for a time in a fantasy haze. She believes she has at last succeeded in

her quest to excel in high society.

Monsieur Loisel finds a room in which to sleep while Mathilde enjoys dancing and socializing.

At 4:00 a.m., she is ready to leave. As Monsieur Loisel places her everyday wrap over his wife’s

shoulders, it contrasts so much with her beautiful gown that she hurries to depart before the other

women notice.

The Loisels arrive home at the Rue des

Martyrs, and Mathilde pauses to enjoy her reflection in

the mirror. She screams when she sees that the

necklace is missing. She and Monsieur Loisel search

frantically, but they cannot find the necklace.

Monsieur Loisel volunteers to walk back to

the ball’s location, searching as he goes. He returns

home exhausted and without the necklace. At his

instruction, Mathilde writes a letter to Madame

Forestier, explaining she will delay in returning the

necklace. She lies, claiming that its clasp broke so she

is having it repaired. This ruse allows them time to

continue the search.

When the Loisels are unable to find the necklace, they use its jewel box to search

for a jeweler from whom it might have been purchased. They discover the value of the

necklace to be forty thousand francs; a jeweler offers to sell them a duplicate for thirty-six

thousand francs.

They buy the necklace using Monsieur Loisel’s inheritance of eighteen thousand francs

and borrowing the balance, imperiling their future security. Still hopeful of finding the necklace,

they secure a promise from the jeweler to buy back the duplicate for thirty-four thousand francs if

they return it within three months.

However, they do not find the necklace, and

they assume crippling debt that forever changes

their lives. Monsieur Loisel anticipates a “black

misery” that will befall them as a result not only of

future physical sacrifice but also of “moral

tortures.”

When Mathilde takes the newly purchased necklace to Madame

Forestier, she fears her acquaintance will discover that the necklace is a

replacement. Her greatest concern is that her friend would consider her a

thief. Although Madame Forestier scolds Mathilde for delaying the

necklace’s return, she never opens the case to inspect it.

The next years are torturous for

Mathilde, who works like a servant, her own

servant having been dismissed. The Loisels

move to poor housing.

Mathilde dresses in work clothing

suiting her position and assumes all the

family’s “odious” housekeeping duties.

Monsieur Loisel works a second job

at night. They work for ten years to repay

their debts.

The strain of deprivation exacts a toll,

and Mathilde ages rapidly. Occasionally, she

fantasizes, remembering the wonders of the

ball.

Finally, after 10 years their debt is

paid in full.

"Oh my poor Mathilde! How you have changed."

Yes, I have had days hard enough

since I have seen you, days wretched

enough, and all of that because of you!"

"Of me! How so?"

"Do you remember that diamond necklace,

which you lent me to wear at the ministerial

ball?"

"Yes, well?"

"Well, I lost it."

"What do you mean? You brought it back."

“I brought you back another just like it.

And for this we have been ten years paying.

You can understand that it was not easy for us

who had nothing. At last it is ended, and I am

very glad."

Mme. Foresteir had stopped. “You say that you

bought a necklace of diamonds to replace

mine?”

"Yes. You never noticed it then! They

were very alike."

And she smiled with joy, which

was proud and naive at once. Mme.

Forestier takes Mathilde’s hands in her

own and tells her the truth.

The necklace that she had loaned

Mathilde was mere costume jewelry

worth no more than five hundred francs.

“Oh! My poor Mathilde! But mine was a

fake. It was worth no more than five hundred

francs!”.

Moral Lesson:

The End.