The Necklace: Mathilde Loisel Essay

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The Necklace: Mathilde Loisel The story of “The Necklace” shows how people shows how people should enjoy what they have in life and to not fantasize on what they do not. With this kind of mindset, they will inevitably lose everything all together. Mathilde Loisel, in the story, exhibits this by having an unpleasing attitude and being extremely insecure; after all she goes through Mathilde is a static character. Mathilde Loisel is very hard to please, which directly ties into the conflict. Throughout the story, Mathilde is not happy with what she has and always wants more than what she receives. Her hard to please attitude can be seen from the reaction she gives when her first husband gets the invitation to a grand ball. “Instead of being delighted, as her husband hoped, she flung the invitation petulantly across the table, murmuring: ‘What do you want me to do with this?’ ‘Why, darling, I thought you'd be pleased. You never go out, and this is a great occasion. I had tremendous trouble to get it. Every one wants one; it's very select, and very few go to the clerks. You'll see all the really big people there.’ She looked at him out of furious eyes, and said impatiently: ‘And what do you suppose I am to wear at such an affair?’” (de Maupassant 555). Normally people of their status do not get invited to a fancy ball and all Mathilde does is fantasize about going to one. Even though her husband worked hard to get the invitation, she is sill not satisfied because she does not have a dress to wear. She did not even show some compassion to her husband after receiving a gift, regardless of whether she liked it or not. It is clear that she is not going to be pleased without having a dress. Then, when her husband buys her an expensive dress and she is still upset because she does not have jewelry to wear. “’I'm utterly miserable at not having any jewels, not a single stone, to wear,’ she replied. ‘I shall look absolutely no one. I would almost rather not go to the party”’ (de Maupassant 555). Mathilde’s husband has sacrificed a great deal to make her happy. Yet, Mathilde is too blinded by her desire to have nice things to see this. After all he has done, she dares to say that she would not want to go without jewelry. It would seem that this unpleasing attitude is only directed at her husband but it is also shown when Mathilde interacts with her friends. Mathilde turns to her friend, Madame Forrestier, about borrowing jewels and her flawed characteristic comes to play. “First she saw some bracelets, then a pearl necklace, then a Venetian cross in gold and gems, of exquisite workmanship. She tried the effect of the jewels before the mirror, hesitating, unable to make up her mind to leave them, to give them up. She kept on asking, “‘Haven't you anything else?”’ (de Maupassant 556). Mathilde had a once in a lifetime opportunity to try on expensive jewelry and yet she is still not satisfied with what her friend presents her with. She does not seem to care about others until she is happy. All these instances of wanting more than what she has, stems from Mathilde caring about what others think. Her insecure nature, as seen in her concern over what people think about her, has a huge impact on her downfall. Here, Mathilde shows how much she cares about what others think by not wanting to go to the ball. “‘Nothing. Only I haven't a dress and so I can't go to this party. Give your invitation to some friend of yours whose wife will be turned out better than I shall.’ He was heart-broken” (de Maupassant 555). Mathilde indeed has clothes to wear to the ball, however she believes that they are not presentable enough and she is unworthy of going. She does not want to seen as different amongst the other women, so her insecurity is the reason why she refuses to go. Another example of Mathilde showing her insecurity is when she wants to wear jewelry to the ball. “’Wear flowers,’ he said. ‘They're very smart at this time of the year. For ten
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