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The Necklace Edexcel Textbook Edited

The document provides background information and analysis of Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace". It summarizes the plot, which follows Madame Loisel, who borrows a diamond necklace from her friend to attend a ball but loses it. To replace it, she and her husband work for 10 years to pay off the debt. The document examines Madame Loisel's character and whether she is to blame for her unhappiness or a victim of her circumstances in 19th century French society. It also analyzes her husband and friend's character and role in the story.

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920 views5 pages

The Necklace Edexcel Textbook Edited

The document provides background information and analysis of Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace". It summarizes the plot, which follows Madame Loisel, who borrows a diamond necklace from her friend to attend a ball but loses it. To replace it, she and her husband work for 10 years to pay off the debt. The document examines Madame Loisel's character and whether she is to blame for her unhappiness or a victim of her circumstances in 19th century French society. It also analyzes her husband and friend's character and role in the story.

Uploaded by

api-298120057
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Necklace

Background
This story is translated from French. It was written by Guy de Maupassant, who lived from
1850 to 1893 and was famous for his short stories. It is set against the background of
19th century Paris, France, where society was divided rigidly into classes. Monsieur and
Madame Loisel (the main characters) are not poor, but neither are they rich. They
depend on the little money Monsieur Loisel earns from his minor job with the
government.
Before you start reading
1. Find out more. about Guy de Maupassant. There are many websites giving information.
His short stories are also
available online; among the most famous are 'Vendetta' and `Boule de Suif'.
2. Think of a time when you made a mistake which had serious consequences. Who or
what was to blame? What
lessons did you draw from the experience?
Understanding the text
Make sure you only use the version of the story in the current Edexcel Anthology, as
there are many other different translations available.
The story has a lot in common with 'Cinderella', but the outcome is completely different.
Everything hinges on the surprise ending, but the effectiveness of this depends on the
events which lead up to it and, in particular, on the characters involved. Of these,
Madame Loisel is the most important and the most controversial. You will need to
understand her character well in order to answer examination questions.
Characters
In the first few sentences we learn that she is young and attractive and, whilst not rich,
she is certainly not penniless. Why then, is she 'unhappy all the time' (line 23)?
Make a list of the reasons you can find for her unhappiness, drawn from the first section
(up to line 52). Three reasons are given to start you off.
Reason
Her background and
family were very
ordinary.

She has charm and


beauty but is relatively
poor.

Supporting quotation
She is one of those who
get themselves born the
daughters of very minor
civil servants.

Effect
She has no possibility of
marrying a rich or
important man.

She feels degraded and


undervalued.

She feels she is a victim


of the strict order of
society.

Most readers blame Madame Loisel for what happens; some sympathise with her. You
need to work out what your own view is. Read through the story and note all the

occasions when you consider her to be a victim, and all those when you think she is
responsible for her own problems, finding a quotation for each point.
Try to balance out the arguments for and against in the following table and add some
points for and against of your own. Find quotations to support each of your own points.
You will probably end up with more points in one column than another.
Madame Loisel
Points for

Points against

She deserves more than society offers


her - her birth is an error of Fate.

She is vain and frivolous- She had no


fine dresses, no jewellery, nothing. And
that was all she cared about

Her husband is rather boring and too


careful with his money.

She is ungrateful to a thoughtful


husband.

Her suffering is out of all proportion to


what she did; it is unfair that she loses
all her beauty whereas Madame
Forestier remains still young, still
beautiful

She is the victim of her own pride; she


could have simply told her friend the
truth but did not want to lose face.

Her hard work at the end makes her


mistake
admirable - quickly and heroically, she
resigned herself to what she could not
alter

Yes, she does make up for her


- but this does not mean she did not
deserve what happened to her.

Having considered all the pluses and minuses, what is your overall opinion of Madame
Loisel and how Maupassant has presented her?
The other characters are not so developed, although Monsieur Loisel is the most
important. Here are two candidates' views of him. With which do you agree, and why?

Monsieur Loisel is a loving husband, who


is presented by the writer as both
generous and indulgent. He goes to
great lengths to get the invitation to the

occasion and even sleeps in a separate


room while his wife enjoys the dancing.
When faced with the problems caused by
the loss of the necklace, he works hard
with his wife to pay for the new

necklace. He never criticizes her. He is


her victim.
Monsieur Loisel is only a junior clerk
without any kind of ambition. He loves
his wife but has no real understanding of
her or what her hopes must be; he is out

of his depth with her. At the end he is as


stubbornly proud as his wife and instead
of suggesting that she simply tells the
truth, he accepts their joint fate. They
are equally responsible for what
happens.

Madame Forestier, Madame Loisel's friend, is sketched in. While she shows some
kindness by loaning the necklace, she doesn't tell Madame Loisel it is an imitation and is
quite sharp when it is returned late. At the end of the story, is she really sympathetic, or
is she mocking Madame Loisel? Ironically, she is exactly the kind of woman that Madame
Loisel, at the start of the story, had hoped to be.
What can I say about language?
Bear in mind that this is a translation, so you are not commenting directly on the writer's
use of language. However, some points can be made:

Look for contrasts: for instance, between the rich and sophisticated language
used to describe Madame Loisel's dreams and her experiences at the party - 'She
danced ecstatically, wildly, intoxicated with pleasure . . . (line 128) compared
with the more blunt and direct language used to emphasise the extent of her
poverty after the necklace is lost - 'Her hair was untidy ... her hands were red'
(lines 235-236).

Dialogue is used to bring out character - for instance the homeliness of her
husband: 'Ah! Stew! Splendid! There's nothing I like better...' (line 40) - and also to
create drama. For example, look at the exchange between Madame Loisel and
Madame Forestier at the very end.

Find some more examples to illustrate these points.


Speaking and listening tasks

In a small group or with a fellow student, consider the following ideas on what
'The Necklace' is about:
The story is about fate and its unfairness and uncertainty.
This story is about vanity and shows that pride comes before a fall.
I think it is about social class; Madame Loisels problem is that she was
born into a poor family.
The story shows us that honesty is always the best policy.

Discuss these views with your partner or your group, answering these questions:

Which of these do you think is the most accurate description of 'The


Necklace'? Is the story about anything else?
Some readers say this story is cruel and shows that Maupassant is
making fun of his characters and that he hates women. Do you
agree?

Writing tasks

In the story Mathilde seems trapped by society. To what extent do you think
women in today's world are trapped by society? Write an essay explaining your
views on this subject.

Finally, here is a practice examination question: How does the writer try to make
the character of Madame Loisel interesting for the reader in 'The Necklace'?

In your answer you should write about:


o
o
o
o

the way she is presented up to the loss of the necklace


her relationship with her husband up to this time
the changes after the loss of the necklace
the use of language.

You should refer closely to the passage to support your answer: You may include brief
quotations.

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