The Necklace

The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant is a story of a young couple with different outlooks on life. Life in the story can be compared to a coin in a toss. In every coin toss, there are two sides of the coin. The coin goes up possibly flipping from time to time during ascension, but the coin always falls to the ground. Once on the ground the coin can be picked up again. The fact remains the same that every scratch that occurs on the coin by falling on the ground becomes part of the coin forever. Different perspectives about life of a young couple can be regarded as two different sides of the coin. The two views shared by one couple eventually alter the course of both of their lives.

The first view is that of Monsieur Loisel. A man who was satisfied with the way his life has turned out so far. He had worked well in the class that may have been predetermined for him. He was a clerk who worked for the Ministry of Public Instruction that established around 1828. He married to the magnificent Mathilde. They were not very rich, but still Monsieur Loisel managed to have people to work for them doing some basic chores in the house. He did little things in his life that were solely for him. The only thing that is mentioned in the story that he had done for him was his savings to buy a rifle to go to hunting trip with his friends. The biggest factor that made his side heavier was the unconditional love he had for his wife. His love for his wife was selfless and caring. The depth of his love can be proved by the fact that, he spent all his savings to replace the lost necklace by his wife that she borrowed from her friend (Maupassant, pp. 26).

The alternative view is that of Mathilde Loisel. She was a woman that was born in a class of clerks and believed that she destined to be in a wealthier class. She daydreamed daily about the life that she should have had. When her friends climbed the stairs and reached higher social class than hers, she quietly began to avoid talking to them. This enviousness was overwhelming for her. She married a man not because she thought that she loved him, but it seems it was ...