Page 27 - DENG105_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_II

Elective English–II

Notes “What do you mean? You brought it back.”

“I brought you back another exactly like it. And it has taken us ten years to pay for it. You
can understand that it was not easy for us, for us who had nothing. At last it is ended, and
I am very glad.”
Madame Forestier had stopped.
“You say that you bought a necklace of diamonds to replace mine?”
“Yes. You never noticed it, then! They were very similar.”

And she smiled with a joy that was at once proud and ingenuous.
Madame Forestier, deeply moved, took her hands.
“Oh, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste! It was worth at most only five hundred
francs!”

2.2 Plot Overview

Mathilde Loisel is “pretty and charming” but feels she has been born into a family of unfavourable
economic status. She was married off to a lowly clerk in the Ministry of Education, who can
afford to provide her only with a modest though not uncomfortable lifestyle. Mathilde feels
the burden of her poverty intensely. She regrets her lot in life and spends endless hours
imagining a more extravagant existence. While her husband expresses his pleasure at the
small, modest supper she has prepared for him, she dreams of an elaborate feast served on
fancy china and eaten in the company of wealthy friends. She possesses no fancy jewels or
clothing, yet these are the only things she lives for. Without them, she feels she is not desirable.
She has one wealthy friend, Madame Forestier, but refuses to visit her because of the heartbreak
it brings her.

One night, her husband returns home proudly bearing an invitation to a formal party hosted
by the Ministry of Education. He hopes that Mathilde will be thrilled with the chance to attend
an event of this sort, but she is instantly angry and begins to cry. Through her tears, she tells
him that she has nothing to wear and he ought to give the invitation to one of his friends
whose wife can afford better clothing. Her husband is upset by her reaction and asks how
much a suitable dress would cost. She thinks about it carefully and tells him that 400 francs
would be enough. Her husband quietly balks at the sum but agrees that she may have the
money.

Did u know? Mathilde Loisel, the main character of “The Necklace,” is a 19th century
French version of a desperate housewife. Because she’s a woman in a man’s
world, she has almost no control over her life.

As the day of the party approaches, Mathilde starts to behave oddly. She confesses that the
reason for her behaviour is her lack of jewels. Monsieur Loisel suggests that she wear flowers,
but she refuses. He implores her to visit Madame Forestier and borrow something from her.
Madame Forestier agrees to lend Mathilde her jewels, and Mathilde selects a diamond necklace.
She is overcome with gratitude at Madame Forestier’s generosity.
At the party, Mathilde is the most beautiful woman in attendance, and everyone notices her.
She is intoxicated by the attention and has an overwhelming sense of self-satisfaction. At 4
a.m., she finally looks for Monsieur Loisel, who has been dozing for hours in a deserted room.

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