About Maupassant• A French writer.• Father of modern short

story.• In his stories, he

choices hero and heroines from the middle class.

• Maupassant produced 300+ stories in his life.

• Mostly focus on the realistic study of lives of the average man and woman.

Character: Mathilda Loisel

Unhappy, unable to accept her

life condition;

Daydreamed

Pretty, charmin

g A complex

and dynamic characte

rMarried to

a minor clerk, M. Loisel;Middle class Selfish,

Spoiled, never does

the housework

10 years later:Hard-working --

doing heavy housework,

changed perception

Dressed like a peasant

Aged quickly, heavy, rough,

harsh, hair untended, skirt

askew

Mathilde.

Loisel

Character: Mr. Loisel

Loisel

A clerk for Ministry

of Education

;Middle class Kind,

generous, loyal, hard-

working, unselfish, patient,

loving; wants to please his

wife

Honest & hardworking

Married to

Mathilda

“The Necklace”• Her husband is able to get a couple of

invitations to the Ministry of Education party.

•  Mathilde then refuses to go.•  Gives Mathilde 400 francs to use

from his savings.• Mathilde goes out and buys a dress.• Mathlida borrows a stunning diamond

necklace from Madame Jeanne Forestier.

•  After attending the party, Mathilde discovers that she has lost the necklace.

• She tries to find a quick way to replace it. 

• She goes to a shop and discovers the price of a similar necklace to be 40,000 francs.

• The couple has sold everything they owned and getting loans.

•  Mathilde falls into debt.

• Ten years later, she suddenly sees Madame Forestier, who barely recognizes her in her dire state.

•  Mathilde recounts the story of losing the necklace.

•  After explaining the purchase of the new necklace, Madame Forestier takes Mathilde's hands, explaining that her original necklace was a fake made of glass, and only worth 500 francs.

Theme: • You may pay a terrible price for

greed and desire.• People should be happy with

what they have. • “We do not succeed in

changing things according to our desire, but gradually our desires change.”