ying that her husband has not been able to buy her the things she believes she needs to be a worthwhile human being. She is not just making herself unhappy with her selfish attitude, she is also making her husband unhappy at the same time.
Her husband is hurt by her tears, and he asks her how much she would need for a dress to go to the party. She thinks about it and tells him four hundred francs. For the husband to be able to give her that amount, he will have to give up the money he was saving to buy a gun to go hunting. But he is willing to give it up, and she buys the dress.
But this does not make her happy, because she needs some jewelry to wear with the dress. Her husband suggests that she wear flowers instead of jewelry. She rejects the idea, saying that she will look like a poor woman among rich women. Then he suggests that she go to her rich friend and borrow some jewelry from her.
Mathilde does go to the woman, who offers her whatever jewelry she would like to borrow for the party. She looks at everything and cannot decide. She wants it all. Then
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