The Necklace Symbolism Essay
The symbol of the necklace plays a crucial role in the short story, indefinitely setting the main character on her fate. In Mme. Loisel’s case, it turned out for the worse, with her living a life of poverty. The necklace represents greed, selfishness; and wealth/power. The ideal of greed can be seen in the beginning paragraphs of the short story. “She suffered endlessly, feeling herself born for every delicacy and luxury” (Guy de Maupassant, pg. 1). In this quote, it shows that Mme. Loisel has a quenching thirst for the splendours of luxury. Her desire for more is then embodied into the necklace when she wears it to the ball. This is because, at first when Mme. Loisel received the invitation, she broke down in tears. Mme. Loisel explained that since she had no fancy
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Her desire for luxuries is never ending causing her everlasting greed. In Mme. Loisel’s she believes she lives in poverty due to her husband’s poor job. However in reality, she and her husband live a modest life, which is not very rich, but by no means poor. The necklace also represents the ideal of selfishness throughout the story. This can be seen as Mme. Loisel hastily rushes out of the ball, wearing modest garments over top of her ball – room outfit. “He threw over her the garments he had brought for them to go home in, modest everyday clothes, whose poverty clashed with the beauty of the ball dress. She was conscious of this and was anxious to hurry away, so that she should not be noticed by the other women putting on their costly furs” (Guy de Maupassant, pg. 4). In this quote, Mme. Loisel is rushing away in an attempt to protect the perception of her as a wealthy lady. She does this with no thought or care in what others may feel, such as her husband. M. Loisel, who works to support his wife, works as a clerk, labouring all day. Although the job may not pay very well, he works hard to give his wife all the luxuries she
Her desire for luxuries is never ending causing her everlasting greed. In Mme. Loisel’s she believes she lives in poverty due to her husband’s poor job. However in reality, she and her husband live a modest life, which is not very rich, but by no means poor. The necklace also represents the ideal of selfishness throughout the story. This can be seen as Mme. Loisel hastily rushes out of the ball, wearing modest garments over top of her ball – room outfit. “He threw over her the garments he had brought for them to go home in, modest everyday clothes, whose poverty clashed with the beauty of the ball dress. She was conscious of this and was anxious to hurry away, so that she should not be noticed by the other women putting on their costly furs” (Guy de Maupassant, pg. 4). In this quote, Mme. Loisel is rushing away in an attempt to protect the perception of her as a wealthy lady. She does this with no thought or care in what others may feel, such as her husband. M. Loisel, who works to support his wife, works as a clerk, labouring all day. Although the job may not pay very well, he works hard to give his wife all the luxuries she