The Necklace Essay by Kaitlyn

In the short story “The Necklace” by the French author Guy de Maupassant, an egotistical woman by the name of Madame Mathilde Loisel envies the rich. Even though she has a kind husband, she takes him along with everything else she has for granted because they aren't high enough class for her. Many women are similar, selfish people just like Mathilde. If they read "The Necklace," maybe they would understand a little more. People need to learn not to be self-absorbed.


Many women today are egocentric, caring for nothing but their own selves. In my life, my grandfather's wife, Ariel O'Hera, is an egotist. She leaves my grandfather to suffer while using his money to buy designer things and travel...WITHOUT HIM! I can compare Ariel to Madame Mathilde Loisel because she is selfish as well. She pushes her huband out of his way so she can get whatever she wants. He got her a ball invitation, but she refused to go unless he bought her a fancy gown. Hadn't he gone through enough trouble already?!? A lot of husbands wouldn't even try to get to the ball. He must have tried for weeks to get invited since they are a mere clerk's family! And when she lost her friend's necklace, it was HIM that did most of the work to pay for a new one. Both of these women are incredibly rude, and don't deserve such kind husbands.

The struggle to afford the nechlace was her fall. Her tragic flaw was being so selfish and foolish, not simply being honest that she had lost it, because soon after her poverty years, Madame Forestier tells her that the neckace was worth only 500 francs, a tiny percentage of what she had paid to replace it! Worst of all, she blamed her suffering on the innocent woman! Envy is not the answer to anyone's problems. As expressed in this short story, it digs you in a deeper hole. Respect that other people are more fortunate than you, and that you are more fortunate than others. Mathilde takes everything for granted. Even ten years of being poor didn't teach her any respect. We don't need stubborn people like her in this world. They are weighing us down; not letting us progress in anything. All they do is try to get their way.

This is in the tragic mode because it follows the mode line. It starts in chaos when Mathilde's husband tries to get her to go to the ball while she refuses to go without luxury. She rises to power when she goes to the ball and is the most beautiful woman there. Her flaw is when she is to self-absorbed to be honest to her friend, and her fall is her poverty. The loss is the loss of 10 years.

Some women in this world are very egotistical and envious. Mathilde Loisel suffered for her egotism, and she deserved it! "The Necklace" shows this. Maybe if the self-centered people read this short story, they would realize that they are wrong and correct themselves before it is too late.

Journal 1/19/10

An example of one of the three short stories my class read for Language Arts that reflects the Man VS Himself theme is the story "The Necklace." In "The Necklace," a woman named Mathilde is very egotistical and envies the rich. Her kind and selfless husband makes a nice gestire to Mathilde and gets her a very rare ball invitation. She makes him buy her an expensive gown, then demands jewels. She ends up borrowing some jewelry from a very high-class friend of hers. She attended the ball with the diamond necklace she had borrowed and lost it after the ball. She and her husband purchased a similar one, which caused them to live in poverty for ten years. Later, the rich lady told her that the necklace she had borrowed was worth far less then the one she and her spouse had replaced it with. Then Mathilde blamed her misfortune on the rich lady! This is clearly themed with Man VS Himself. If Mathilde had not been so egotistical and jelous, she wouldn't have dug herself in this hole. It was a terrible fate.

Writing Goals for Today

For today, I know that I need to expand my ideas. I know I can do this, because I am the most creative person I know!

Journal 1/18/10

In Jack London’s “To Build A Fire,” the ironic theme is “Man VS Wild.” Even though the mode in “To Build A Fire” is tragedy, it shows the theme. The man is trapped in a blizzard and dies. The wild conquers the man. His life is stolen. Jack London adapted this theme perfectly into the story! The other ironic themes are Man VS Man, Man VS Society, and Man VS Himself. Try to see if you can find these themes in other short stories!