The Necklace

Guy de Maupassant

Connect to your Life Status is defined as the standing a person

has in a group to which he or she belongs.  What are some things that give a person status? How can you tell that a person has status? What are some benefits of status? What are some possible harmful effects of concern about status?

Background "The Necklace" takes place in Paris in the second

half of the 19th century. The life of a typical French woman was dictated by the income of her father or husband. Wealthy women were upper class and lived a life of luxury. Middle-class women took care of family and home. Lower-class lived a life of poverty and hard work. A woman could improve her status by marrying someone of a higher class, however a woman needed a dowry-(money or property) to give her new husband.

SETTING 1884 Paris, France; Loisel’s apartment,

party at the Ministry of Education’s Mansion

CHARACTERS Madame Loisel - selfish (beautiful,

charming, middle class, spoiled, daydreamed)→→aged quickly, heavy, rough, harsh, shrill voice, and poor

Monsieur Loisel- kind, generous, loyal hard-working, clerk for Ministry of Education, wants to please wife, and middle- class

Madame Forestier - kind, generous, wealthy, and snobby

Literary Analysis: Plot

The plot of a story is made up of a sequence of events or actions introducing conflicts, complications and resolution. This story is about a woman who unhappy with her social life. New conflicts take place after one conflict is resolved.

Key Vocabulary Define the Word and write down the

sentence from the story 1. Incessant – 2. Chagrin – 3. Homage – 4. Vestibule – 5. Odious -

Read “ The Necklace”

Answer the following questions 1. What type of lifestyle do the Loisel’s have? 2. What type of lifestyle does Mdm. Loisel desire? 3. Why is Mdm. Loisel upset by the invitation to

the fancy party? 4. What do we learn about the moral character of

the husband when he gives his wife the 400 francs that he has saved to buy himself a

gun?

More Questions 5. After she buys a dress, Mdm. Loisel is

still unhappy. Why? 6. Explain the transformation of the Loisels

during the ten years it takes them to pay back

the debt. 7. Do you feel sorry for Mdm. Loisel at the

end of story? Why or why not? 8. Do you feel sorry for Mr. Loisel? Why or

why not?

Outline Activity Outline events in "The Necklace" that form

the rising action, the climax, and the falling action.

Summary Madame Loisel is in her apartment

dreaming of a better life. She is unhappy and dissatisfied with her social status and mediocre surroundings. Mme & Msr. L receive an invitation to a party at the Ministry. Mme. refuses to attend until she has something suitable to wear. She borrows a diamond necklace from her friend Mme. F. Mme. L is stunning and has a fabulous time, but loses the necklace somewhere on the way home.

Summary Continued They borrow the money from loan sharks

and are forced to live a life of poverty for 10years until their debts are paid off. Mme. L meets up with Mme F and tells her about the lost necklace, and her 10 years of hard labor and toil to repay the debts. Mme. F reveals the necklace is only ‘paste’, a fake and worth maybe 500 francs.

POINT OF VIEW: This short story is told from the 3rd person

limited point of view. The author focuses on Mme. Loisel’s thoughts and feelings.

CONFLICT

Internal – Mme. Loisel vs. herself (her excessive

pride, materialism and shallowness cause her emotional torture as she feels she’s been deprived of luxuries)

External – Mme. Loisel vs. Mr. Loisel (different values;

although he is tolerant of her behavior and wants to please her)

SYMBOLS Necklace = greed/desire for what one

cannot have, differences in social classes, dishonesty, Mme. L’s ‘fakeness’ or want of material things

Wrap = Mme’s station in life – insecurity- embarrassment

Dress = Mr. Loisel’s sacrifice for his wife

THEME 1. People should be happy with what they

have 2. Honesty is the best policy 3. You may pay a terrible price for greed

and desire (Mme. L’s fatal flaw, her desire for material things, her ‘fakeness’ just like the necklace)

OTHER LITERARY ELEMENTS Characterization – the author shows what Mme. Loisel is

like by concentrating mainly on the way she views her surroundings (daydreams about expensive things/lifestyle

Irony – Mme. L borrows a necklace to fit in with the rich people she envies, but the loss of the necklace results in her being poorer than she was

After Mme. L loses the necklace & must repay the debt, she endures 10 years of hardship only to find out the necklace is a fake

Mme. Loisel’s intense desire for a different life is then equally matched by her intense suffering

Foreshadowing - Rue de Martyrs the name of the street and the English word martyr- martyr means a great or constant sufferer

Her intense unhappiness cannot be lifted with one party invitation

Exposition—Plot Chart Setting

Paris, France (1800s) Characters

Mme. Loisel– protagonist -- Dynamic Character Mr Loisel Mme Forestier POV– 3rd person limited

Narrative Hook Mme Loisel dreams of luxuries and money

Rising Action Gets invited to ball Mme Loisel borrows necklace Goes to ball and she feels beautiful

Climax Mme. Loisel loses the necklace

Falling Action Borrow money to buy new necklace Works for ten years to pay off necklace Mme. Loisel becomes more appreciative

and content

Resolution Mme. Forestier tells Mme. Loisel the

necklace was fake!!

THEME You do not need material things to make

you happy

Literature Journal 1-1: Greed Write about a time when greed has personally

affected your life in your 1st paragraph. Who was involved, what happened, and what was the end result? What did you learn from this specific incident? Did it change your perspective or relationship with someone or something in any way? In your 2nd paragraph, discuss where and how you see greed influencing our world in general. Who or what represents greed? Is greed ever a positive thing? How and why?

Literature Journal 1-2

Do you think people still chase after wealth and social status today? How and why? Can you think of someone that has searched for wealth and social status? Then in your second paragraph, discuss some of the dangers and pitfalls one might face when chasing wealth and social status. Also, explain whether or not you personally think the pursuit of wealth and social status is worthwhile.

Incessant– non-stop“ She suffered incessantly,

feeling herself born for all delicacies and luxuries.”

Chagrin – feeling of embarrassment or annoyance

because one has failed or been disappointed “And she wept for whole days from chagrin, from

regret, from despair and disappointment” “Then they went from jeweler to jeweler seeking

a necklace like the other one, consulting their memories and ill both of them with chargrin and anxiety.”

Homage – anything given or done to show

honor “She danced with enthusiasm, with

passion, intoxicated with pleasure, thinking of nothing, and the triumph of beauty, in the glory of her success, in a kind of cloud of happiness that came all of this homage….”

Vestibule– small entrance room or hall“ Yes I felt it in the vestibule

when we came out.”

Odious - hatefulShe learned the heavy cares of

the household the odious care of the kitchen.”

What type of lifestyle do the Loisel’s have? Modest, not luxurious

What type of lifestyle does Mdm. Loisel desire? She wants to lead a luxurious lifestyle, full

of parties and dresses and jewels

Why is Mdm. Loisel upset by the invitation to the fancy party? She is upset because she has nothing to

wear

What do we learn about the moral character of the husband when he gives his wife the 400 francs that he has saved to buy himself a gun?

We learn that he is very giving and interested in pleasing his wife

After she buys a dress, Mdm. Loisel is still unhappy. Why? She has no jewels.

Explain the transformation of the Loisels during the ten years it takes them to pay back the debt

Your Opinion Dynamic Character Selfish to More content

Do you feel sorry for Mdm. Loisel at the end of story? Why or why not? Answers will vary

Do you feel sorry for Mr. Loisel? Why or why not? Your opinion