Theme of the Story:
The story of ‘The Necklace’ is a satire where one cannot deny the idea of how the writer tries to show us the mirror that shows our reality.
1. Contentment is a highlighted theme in the story.
2.One’ss Perception
Added value to the things you own
3. Selfishness vs selflessness
4.vanity
5.greed
6.Jealousy
7.Lies and deceit
8. Needs and wants
9. Empathy
10.Love
11.Sacrifice
12.Friendship
Summary of The Necklace
The story
‘The Necklace’ is about a character named Matilda Loisel who was married to a clerk. Matilda considered herself way beautiful to be married to a clerk. Which led to her unhappiness as she desired a life of luxury but the reality was different as the money her husband earned was only enough to keep them within basic comfort(theme: need) rather than the luxury she wanted.(theme:wants) (highlights the theme of discontentment)
Her misery adds up when her husband bring an invitation to a dinner party organized by his office. She complained that she had nothing suitable to wear to such a great occasion. Her husband generously agreed to give her four hundred francs that he had saved to buy a new rifle to get herself a dress.(theme: sacrifice, selfless love) Matilda became agitated in the week of the party. On asking her she told her husband that she had no jewelry to go with her gown. He suggested that perhaps she could borrow something from her friend Jeanne Forestier. Jeanne heard her story of distress and she generously opened her box of jewels.(theme: friendship) Matilda borrowed a sparkling diamond necklace which she perceived to be a real one only because she borrowed it from a very rich friend and according to her why would Jeanne have a fake one when she is so rich? ( Theme: One’s Perception )
Matilda and her husband attended the gala and had a great time. Matilda felt like she is on top of the world and felt very pretty, elegant, and graceful to an extent that she did not want to be associated with her husband or be seen with him, the person who has nothing to offer but true love, which makes him put her first. The same man who is going out of his way to make her happy.(theme: vain, selfishness). They arrived home in the early hours of the morning. When Matilda viewed her glory in the mirror, she realized the necklace was missing. They searched for it everywhere in the house. They wondered if it fell in the cab but neither of them noticed the number. Matilda’s husband went out to search the streets but returned empty-handed. He also went to the policeman and to the cab offices to raise a complaint. He advertised in the newspaper and offered a reward. To buy some time from Jeanne, Matilda wrote a letter that she broke the clasp of the necklace and so she sent it for repair. In the meantime, they found a similar kind of necklace (theme: lies, deceit). The cost of the necklace was thirty-six thousand francs. Her husband inherited eighteen thousand francs from his father and he borrowed the rest of the amount from the moneylenders.(theme : empathy, love) Finally, they purchased the necklace and Matilda gave it to Jeanne who did not care to look at it for she knew it was fake one and would have never grieved the loss of it or would have expected her friend to repay with a new one.( theme: we add value to the thing we own, we assume things according to our perception)
Matilda’s life changed drastically in the next ten years. They moved to a much smaller apartment where she cooked and cleaned herself. Her husband did multiple jobs and she also did other work to pay all the money they had borrowed. After ten years, they were able to pay all the money back but by then Matilda had aged a lot.
One day, Matilda met Jeanne Forestier. She decided to confess the truth about the necklace. Jeanne was surprised to see Matilda’s state. Matilda told her that she had lost the necklace that she borrowed from her and had to pay a huge amount for the replacement. Jeanne was shocked to hear the entire story behind the necklace and she confessed that the necklace Matilda borrowed was a fake, which was not more than worth five hundred francs.
Conclusion
Had Matilda been satisfied in the first place and looked at the bright side that she had what most her friends didn’t; a very loving husband a peaceful and secure home. But she lost all these just for a necklace and a few hours of fame she ended up paying with so much more than that what she could afford to. We couldn’t expect Matilda to be honest with her friend when we know she wasn’t honest with herself to begin with. If Matilda honestly told her friend the truth about the necklace, she would have learned that the necklace wasn’t made of real diamonds and that would have saved her from living a miserable life for ten years.
Life has to have principles, people without principles tend to lose track and end up in pain. Had she had the principle of honesty, satisfaction, empathy things would have been different for her. Sometimes we tend to take things for granted and know its value only when it gets lost. Be it things, moment or people.