The Necklace Themes

Samreen Anjum
 The Necklace Themes

Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace" surfaces many

important themes people during his time would have
related to. As the public became more and more
literate, fiction was geared more toward the middle
class. The stories featured issues of social status and
struggle the lower and middle classes could connect
with.
 Greed and Vanity

The primary theme in “The Necklace” is how greed and

vanity are corrosive. Mathilde and her husband live a
comfortable life. They have a modest home, but she “felt
herself born for every delicacy and luxury.” Mathilde is
beautiful but detests her social status and wants more than
her station can provide. She is overly concerned with her
outward appearance, fearful of what others will think of her
simple clothing. Although she has youth, beauty, and a loving
husband, Mathilde's obsession with material things robs her
of a life she could have had.
 Appearance vs. Reality

Guy de Maupassant uses “The Necklace” to explore the theme of

appearance versus reality. At the beginning of the story, we are introduced
to Mathilde. She appears beautiful, youthful, and charming. But, being
from a family of “artisans,” she has limited marriage prospects and is
married to a clerk who is devoted to her. Under the beauty, Mathilde is
unhappy, critical of her own social and financial status, and always yearns
for more. She is blind to the wealth of love, youth, and beauty she has,
constantly searching for material wealth. Mathilde is jealous of her school
friend, not realizing what others have may be simple imitations. The
borrowed necklace itself is a fake, although it appears real. As Mathilde
dons her fancy clothing and borrowed necklace for a night, she too
becomes fake, an imitation of what she thinks others want and admire.
 Pride

Madame and Monsieur Loisel exemplify how pride can be destructive to the
individual and society. Not satisfied with living within her means, Mathilde
strove to appear wealthier than her social and economic status allowed.
Despite deep suffering, the two characters accept their fate and the
responsibility to replace the necklace. The sacrifice Monsieur Loisel makes in
the name of love and to stand by his wife, whether it be depriving himself of a
rifle or his own inheritance, is heroic. Mathilde accepts her fate as a worthwhile
price to pay for a valuable piece of jewelry.
However, their life of rationing and privation is all for naught. Had Madame
Loisel simply admitted her mistake and spoken with her friend, their quality of
life could have been different. This inability to communicate, even amongst
friends, reveals the disconnect between the social classes in 19th century
France.