Essay: English 202 - Analysis on “The Necklace”
Sep 20th, 2007 by Neyno
In case you didn’t gather I’m using this blog as a personal resource of reflection and expression. In the past I’ve used different mediums to collect my thoughts and expand on them. I feel this will definitely aid me in my life in a big way…. I’ll speak more upon these concepts and past experiences at a later date.. But - for now.. I intend to share my first essay I’ve written for my return to school.
I was to read either Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” or Guy De Maupassant’s “The Necklace” and write an analysis of it. I chose “The Necklace.”
Click Here to Read “The Necklace”
Click Here to Listen to “The Necklace”
-START ESSAY-
The Choker
Written by Guy De Maupassant in 1884, “The Necklace” is a short story about a woman, her husband, a necklace, and the impact it has on their lives. The reader is presented with a scenario which many lessons can be derived from. However, I feel that one theme in particular stands out above the rest. I feel that Guy De Maupassant was trying to present the idea that one’s belief is the creator of one’s experience rather than the external reality itself.
At the outset of the story we’re presented with Mathilde Loisel who is clearly unhappy with the hand she’s been dealt in life. She wistfully dreams about being of a higher social class. Her fantasies are filled with beautiful dresses, elaborate balls, and opulent luxury. While she may feel “as if she had gone through bankruptcy” her life is far from it (Maupassant 4). She enjoys the stability and luxuries that come along with a woman of her status in that time. She has a modest home, a maid, a seemingly loving and supportive husband, food to eat, clothes on her back, and enjoys perks from time to time such as the invitation to the dinner at the Ministry of Education. It could be argued that her quality of life surpasses that of the average person of this time. As a result, the stress she experiences would be a manifestation of the mind rather than one of external circumstance.
As we go deeper into the story and life of Mathilde we find her at the home of an old friend who enjoys the experience of being of a higher social class. Mathilde is looking through her friend Jeanne’s collection of jewelry trying to find the perfect piece to wear with the new dress her husband graciously paid for. After going through much of her jewelry she stumbles upon what she perceives to be a beautiful necklace of diamonds. Mathilde’s perception was based solely upon her friend’s status rather than any sort of expertise in regards to the stones themselves. People of wealth enjoyed extravagant and expensive belongings so she naturally assumed the stones reflected this belief. To her surprise, Jeanne allowed her to borrow the necklace for the party. Now possessing the jewels herself, she went away in a state of joy which would carry on long after her departure.
The day of the party finally arrived and Mathilde felt as if she was finally prepared. The elation she felt upon receiving the necklace had yet to fade. In fact, as the evening progressed she grew more prideful in herself due to her perceived success. No longer did she appear to these people as a woman who had come from a modest home and married to a simple clerk. On the contrary, Mathilde was admired by all, man and woman alike. Even “the Chancellor himself eyed her” as the evening progressed (Maupassant 7). It no longer mattered what her true status was. She appeared as a woman of wealth and intrigue, so she was accepted as such. The fact that she was an average wife of an average social standing was overshadowed by the image she now projected and experienced. Only after a simple twist of fate did her mood and ideas in regards to the necklace and her current experience change.
Upon arriving home Mathilde noticed she had somehow lost Jeanne’s necklace, instantly transforming it into a symbol of stress and concern rather than one of wealthy status and joy. An unsuccessful search for the necklace left Mr. and Mrs. Loisel in a state of despair and financial ruin. Rather than telling Jeanne what happened and risking the potential judgments she may make about the Loisels due to their social status, Mr. Loisel decided to use his savings and take out loans to purchase a replacement. Mathilde’s own thoughts and feelings surrounding the necklace are a clear example of how someone’s different ideas in regards to the same physical possession can alter one’s mood and experience. In one moment the necklace is a symbol of class, respect, beauty, and joy. In the following moment it is a symbol of anger, disappointment, lost dreams, and the hard life to come. This hard life would last for 10 long years.
After the decade long struggle to pay off their debt a lot had changed for the Loisels. They no longer lived in a house, had a maid, or had even the modest clothes of the past. Instead these luxuries were replaced with hard work, cheap and practical clothing, an aging appearance, and a constant struggle to make ends meet. Even while being consumed with a life of housework she still found time to fantasize as she had in the past of a finer life. Her external situation had changed, yet her internal experience and discontent had continued on throughout. In the end Mathilde found out that the original necklace was nothing more than costume jewelry. The appearances that she herself hoped to acquire from possessing the necklace had in turn possessed her.
Regardless of whose perception is spoken of the concept is the same. The underlying belief one has is what truly will create and color the experience of an individual. The idea about a single thing, false or not, can be the sole creator and driving force in one’s experience. Constantly looking to other horizons for a better external reality will not change one’s experience if they cannot also change their mind. Mathilde helped prove this point by showing us that her perspective and feelings throughout the story, regardless of her ups and downs, remained consistent. Chances are that even in a life of higher status Mathilde would continue to look towards farther horizons for something better. However, something better may not be over the horizon. Or, as in the case of Mathilde, a beautiful necklace seen from afar may become a choker when viewed up close.
-END ESSAY-
Word.