Costume Jewels

I found Guy de Maupassant’s short story, “The Necklace” very intriguing. This story was striking to me because I found it relatable and I strongly connected to the main character Mathilde Loisel. The ending of the story was the most surprising to me because I didn’t expect the necklace to be costume jewelry. I also learned a lot through the underlying themes about the superficiality of our society today.

Throughout the story, I assumed that Mathilde’s necklace that she borrowed from Madame Forestier was authentic. I was caught off guard when I found out the necklace was costume jewelry. I believe this has a lot to say about how society is materialistic and finds happiness only in shallow manners. I feel this relates significantly to the world we live in today because many people value items rather than personal relationships. After reading this story, I felt that I learned a lot about myself as well as others. Mathilde learned that the real value of life isn’t all about ones socio-economic status but should be focused on family and internal happiness.

During the story, I felt a lot of anger towards Mathilde because she took for granted what she had and was only centered on making herself appear better to others. The focus that she held on her outward appearance made me frustrated because it had a full effect on her husband, Monsieur Loisel. Mr. Loisel went out of his way to make Mathilde happy and it seemed like she was never satisfied. I felt a lot of sympathy towards Mr. Loisel because he was trying to fulfill her needs for high culture, but these needs were unattainable at their level of income.

This story impacted me as a reader because it taught me to never jump to conclusions before I finish the story entirely. I automatically assumed that the jewelry was real, which was obviously incorrect, meaning that a lot can change towards the end. I enjoyed the style of writing that the author used throughout his story. I also thought that Guy de Maupassant used a spontaneous writing technique of adding a twist at the end. This twist at the end of the story changed the meaning and kept me thinking even after the story was over. By the end of the story, I felt that I learned a lot about myself and the world around me. I also felt that I learned a lot about the different writing techniques that an author can use to strengthen a story.