Necklace by Guy De Maupassant

Necklace by Guy De Maupassant

Guy de Maupassant's short story, "The Necklace," deals with many different themes. This work of literature examines notions of beauty and youth, class and money, and a liveliness and zest for life that is contrasted with the conception of aging. Despite all of these thematic issues, it appears to the shrewd reader that the principle theme that this work of literature is based upon, and which all of the other themes hinge upon, is the relationship between beauty and money. Quite simply, the main character, Mademoiselle Mathilde Loisel, equates beauty and attractiveness to money and all of the material trappings it affords. Consequently, the poor woman forfeits what true beauty she possessed -- independent of money -- due to an unfortunate financial situation.

It is fairly apparent that Mrs. Loisel believes that physical attractiveness and beauty is largely based on the amount of money that a woman has to pamper herself with. This fact is perhaps true because the young lady was born without a lot of money. Actually, she is considerably poor, and regrets the fact that she does not have enough money to buy all of the intricate things (clothes, jewels, fashionable art) that typically surround women who have money and who are thought of as beautiful. The following quotation certainly demonstrates this fact. "She had no dresses, no jewelry, nothing. And she loved nothing else; she felt herself made for that only. She would so much have liked to please, to be envied, to be seductive and sought after" (Maupassant, 1907). What is notable about this quotation is not the lack of material items that Mrs. Loisel had. Instead, what is most eminent is the fact that this woman loves all of the things that she does not have. Furthermore, she believes that these things are necessary for others to be attracted to her, proving that she is "in passion none too well informed" (Galilei 1).

The most interesting part about this particular theme is the fact that the author, although "impersonal and detached" (Sullivan 136), does not appear to agree with Mrs. Loisel on this point. He certainly indicates that beauty is one of the determining factors for a woman's desirability. But he also lists a lot of other characteristics in the following quotation. "…women have no caste and no descent, their beauty, their grace, and their charm serving them instead of birth and fortune. Their native keenness, their instinctive elegance, their flexibility of mind, are their only hierarchy…" (Maupassant). It is of the utmost importance to analyze the attributes that Maupassant helps to determine the particular "caste" of a woman. The author -- who was considered "the most popular artist oof his day" (Artinian 9) explicitly states that a woman's fortune does not determine what her position in life is. Instead, he cites a number of attributes that are intangible and non-material -- such as their intellect ("keenness"), their mental capacity, and their "grace" which are what truly determines a woman's attractiveness. Even beauty is something that is contrasted with a woman's money. However, Mrs. Loisel does not see things this way, which is why her story -- in which she loses a worthless necklace that she believes is very expensive, and forfeits all of the attributes that she did have (many of which are listed above) to pay for it -- helps to prove that beauty and attractiveness is not synonymous with money, and may very well be part of "the ills of society" (Johnson 1).

Another theme that is found within this story and which relates to that of money and beauty pertains to the relationships between beauty and youth. Both in this story and in life itself people tend to equate youth with beauty. However, it is worth noting that the beauty associated with youth can fade in some cases, and remain in others. In Maupassant's story, the crucial determinant in whether beauty will fade or remain is money. Once Mrs. Loisel attempts to buy a necklace well beyond her means to replace the necklace she lost (and which she does not know is a fake diamond necklace), she becomes a course, hard working woman to try to scrape up the funds to pay for it. This process causes her to look older than she actually is. The following quotation, in which Mrs. Loisel meets the friend who leant her the fake diamond necklace, Mademoiselle Forester, illustrates this point. "Then one Sunday, as she was taking a turn in the Champs Elysees, as a recreation after the labors of the week, she perceived suddenly a woman walking with a child. I was Mme. Forester, still young, still beautiful, still seductive." This passage compares the two women. Mrs. Forester still has all of her beauty in tact, which is why the author describes her as "young" and "seductive." These qualities, however, no longer apply to Mrs. Loisel, a fact which is indicated by the fact that her physical appearance has changed so much that Mrs. Forester can no longer recognize her. The most important thing about this comparison, however, is that biologically, the women are still relatively the same age. The only difference between them is that Mrs. Loisel has little money and working for it altered her appearance, her youth, and her beauty, while Mrs. Forester still has money and is able to maintain her physical appearance, which is equated in this tale with beauty and youth.