The Necklace 1
"The Necklace"1
Learning objective: Comprehension, Vocabulary, Initial Interpreation, and Summary
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"The Necklace"1
Learning objective: Comprehension, Vocabulary, Initial Interpreation, and Summary
Who is the main character in ''The Necklace''?
In lines 11–20, the narrator says Mathilde “grieved incessantly” over her apartment. What specific details cause her grief, and what do these details reveal about her values?
Exposition – Discontent & Dreams
We meet Mathilde Loisel, a pretty but unhappy woman born into a family of clerks. She has no dowry, no prospects, and marries a minor clerk. She suffers constantly because she feels she was meant for luxury. She hates her shabby apartment, worn chairs, and ugly curtains. She daydreams of elegant halls, fine furniture, and wealthy admirers. Her husband’s humble servant only makes her more miserable.
Why did Mathilde marry a minor clerk?
She wanted to work in the Ministry.
She loved him deeply.
Her family arranged the marriage.
She had no dowry and no prospects.
What does disconsolate most nearly mean?
Angry and aggressive
Joyful and carefree
Indifferent and bored
Unable to be comforted; miserable
What does Mathilde dream about while watching the Breton girl?
Traveling to Brittany
Becoming a servant herself
Silent chambers with Oriental tapestries
Opening her own business
How does the narrator feel about Mathilde?
Admiring and envious
Angry and judgmental
Completely indifferent
Sympathetic but critical
What does Mathilde's family background suggest?
Her own fault
Happily accepted
A result of random chance rather than choice
Easily changed
Conflict in "The Necklace" – A Closer Look
Guy de Maupassant builds the entire story around multiple conflicts, but the most important one is internal.
Internal Conflict: Mathilde vs. Herself
Mathilde Loisel’s deepest struggle is between who she is and who she wishes she were.
She was born into a middle‑class family of clerks.
She believes she deserves luxury, wealth, and admiration.
She cannot accept her actual life – a small apartment, a kind but modest husband, no fine jewels.
Conflict in "The Necklace" – A Closer Look
The Hidden Conflict: Character vs. Character (Minor, but important)
Mathilde and her husband have different values:
He is content with simple pleasures (the rifle, the modest dress).
She constantly wants more.
Conflict in "The Necklace" – A Closer Look
External Conflict: Character vs. Circumstances (Fate/Society)
Mathilde also fights against external forces:
Poverty / Lack of money – She cannot afford a dress or jewels.
Social class – She was born into the wrong family; no dowry, no connections.
Unfair expectations for women – The story says women have “no family rank or social class” – only beauty and charm matter. This pressures Mathilde to appear rich even when she is not.
Fill in the blanks
Mathilde Loisel’s main internal conflict in “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant is the struggle between who she is and who she believes she should be; although she is born into a modest middle-class family, she feels she deserves luxury, wealth, and admiration, and cannot accept her simple life with a kind but ordinary husband, which creates a constant sense of dissatisfaction and longing, shown when she daydreams about elegance and grieves over what she lacks rather than a single event. Alongside this, she faces external conflict against circumstances such as poverty, limited social class, and societal expectations that value women based on beauty and status, all of which prevent her from achieving the life she desires and push her to pretend to be someone she is not. Additionally, there is a smaller but important conflict between Mathilde and her husband, as he is content with simple pleasures while she constantly yearns for more, creating tension in their relationship, especially when he sacrifices his own desires to try to make her happy.
The Invitation & The Dress
Mathilde’s husband brings home an invitation to a fancy ball at the Ministry of Education. Instead of being happy, she is angry because she has nothing nice to wear. She weeps dramatically. Her husband offers to buy her a rifle with saved money, but instead gives her 400 francs for a new dress. Even after the dress is ready, Mathilde remains moody – now she is upset because she has no jewelry to wear. Her husband suggests borrowing jewels from her wealthy friend, Mme. Forestier.
He is generous.
He is weak.
Is Monsieur Loisel generous or weak? Use at least one detail from the text to support your opinion.
When her husband suggests wearing flowers instead of jewels, Mathilde says, “There’s nothing more humiliating than to look poor among a lot of rich women.” What does this line reveal about her understanding of status and self‑worth?
How does Mathilde first react to the invitation?
She immediately asks for money.
She throws it in the trash.
She weeps and says she has nothing to wear.
She jumps for joy.
Monsieur Loisel originally saved 400 francs to buy:
A rifle for shooting larks.
Tickets to the theater.
A gift for his mother.
A new coat.
Which situation best illustrates vexation?
Receiving an unexpected compliment.
Enjoying a peaceful nap.
Winning a lottery.
Being stuck in traffic when you’re already late.
After getting the dress, Mathilde becomes moody again because:
c) Her husband took back the money.
a) The dress does not fit.
d) The party was cancelled.
b) She has no jewelry to wear.
What does Monsieur Loisel’s reaction to his wife’s tears suggest about his character?
He secretly wants her to fail.
He is willing to sacrifice his own desires.
He is cruel and dismissive.
He does not care about the party.
Reread lines 56–80, focusing on the dialogue between Mathilde and her husband. Write a paragraph analyzing how their different attitudes toward money and status create tension. Use one quotation from Mathilde and one from her husband. Then share with a partner: does Monsieur Loisel enable her materialism or simply love her?
