ôThe Necklaceö by Guy de Maupassant (1) focuses on the life of Mathilde Loisel, a woman who we are told was ôborn by a blunder of destiny in a family of employees.ö Pretty and charming, Mathilde is married to a husband who is attentive and tries with all his means to provide her happiness. However, Mathilde is unhappy with her simple, unadorned existence, primarily because she ôsuffered intensely, feeling herself born for every delicacy and every luxuryö (De Maupassant 1). MathildeÆs feelings of entitlement result in her borrowing a necklace from her wealthy friend, Mme Forestier. Though it brings her an evening of happiness, she loses the necklace and she and her husband must endure years of back- and spirit-breaking labor to repay the high interest loans required to repurchase the necklace. In the end, Mathilde discovers from Mme Forester that the original necklace was merely cheap imitation glass. De MaupassantÆs story and characterization of Mathilde demonstrate that pride and self-centered behavior cause far more unhappiness than poverty ever could.
Despite having a decent life, Mathilde Loisel believes she was born for better things than her husbandÆs simple income can provide her. She suffers endlessly from her perception of the poverty of her existence, things which ôanother woman of her caste would not even have noticedö but ôtorturedö Mathilde and ômade her indignantö (De Maupassant 1). MathildeÆs feelings of entitlement for better things stem from her pride. Mathilde has a caring husband, a roof over her head, and lives as well as any other woman of her station. However, she feels she is above her station in life. As we are told, ôShe had no dresses, no jewelry, nothing. And she loved nothing else; for she felt herself made for that onlyö (De Maupassant 1).
MathildeÆs husband cares for her deeply. He does his best on his small income to provide her with things to make her happy. Howev...