Being Ungrateful

Malik Lewis
Prof. La Puma
English 1121
March 13, 2012
Being Ungrateful

The “Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, is a story about a beautiful girl, named Mathilde Loisel who was born into an unfavorable family. She then got married, Monsieur Loisel who is a common clerk, who can only provide her with little things. Unhappy with her circumstances, Mme Loisel always felt beneath herself. So to become the person she wanted to be she borrowed a friends necklace for a party, she lost it, and then had to do everything she could to pay off the debt made from the replacement necklace. Maupassant shows that she had gotten exactly what she deserves for her vanity and pride. She not only was punished, but her husband’s life was also affected. Since Mme Loisel had believed that because of her beauty she deserved to be of higher class that what she was in. She claims she had “suffered endlessly” because she felt as though she was entitled to “delicacy and luxury”. Maupassant is showing his reader how conceited Mme Loisel was being. Instead of being happy that she live in comfort, Mme Loisel dreamed of more. She dreamed of “ delicate meals” and “marvelous dishes” things that she believed she deserved just because of her beauty. Trying to make his wife happy Monsieur Loisel came home with an invitation to a party. Instead of being happy “she flung the invitation” and “was beginning to cry. The was another example, given by Maupassant, showing Mme Loisel’s vanity, and how much she hated that fact that she couldn’t afford dresses to match her beauty. Her husband, however still tries to please her by giving her money to buy a beautiful dress. However this was still not enough because she now needed jewelry to match. Thus showing more of how she thought highly of herself just because of beauty and wanted more to mach it. She borrowed her friends necklace, and unfortunately lost it on the way home. She bought a replacement and it caused her and her husband to be in debt. She began to do “the heavy work of the house”and ten years went by and she began to look old and became like all other poor women. Maupassant showed his readers Mme Loisel’s karma for her wanting so much of what she cannot have. Then what made matters worse, she found out that the necklace she borrowed was fake and was worth a lot less than the replacement. This was Maupassant’s way to punish the conceited girl. Now she is no longer the beautiful girl she once was and she now lives in poverty. This was the best way to punish Mme Loisel. Unfortunately her husband suffered too. Her husband also was punished, mainly because instead of telling his wife she should just tell her friend what happened, he told her to buy time by saying they’re getting it fixed. His punishment was using the money left from his father, and “risked his signature” by borrowing money from different people. He now had to let go of their servant, changed their flat, because now they had work to pay off the debt, and in the process they fell into more debt. The husband had to work even harder than before having to pay off the many debts. He even had to work evenings and nights. Maupassant gave his reader the right punishment for Mme Loisel. She now was old, lost her beauty and became even more poor. This was a just punishment because she should have been appreciative of what she had. Even though she wan’t rich she at least lived comfortably. She now lost her beauty trying to be someone she wasn’t and now she lives with even less luxury than before. Maupassant wanted to show his reader that you must be grateful for what you have, and don’t look for things that is not of you nature. Mme Loisel didn’t live luxury so she shouldn’t have looked for luxury.