Professor Young
English 1101
October 2, 2017
"The Necklace" - Did Matilde "Do the Right Thing"?
An Analysis on Character Intentions
In "The Necklace", a short story by Marjorie Laurie, Mademoiselle Matilde Loisel is a young maid who is born into a family of clerks, but aspires have something more in her life. She desires riches, attention, and wants to, in a way, escape from her present life of poverty. Matilde is a lady described as having "Natural fineness (Laurie 39)", and beauty, but still wants more to obtain a "better" image of perfection, to not only please herself, but fulfill the destiny she believes she has always deserved since the start of her career.
In the beginning, Matilde is described as a "pity princess", someone who has the exact necessities in order to survive in the world, but still chooses to complain more about her life, praying and hoping that all her pleas will someday come true and be handed to her. Laurie states, "She (Matilde) dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was as un-happy as though she had already fallen from her proper station, since with women there is neither caste nor rank, and beauty, grace, and charm act instead of family and birth (Laurie 39)." Laurie indicates through this quote that women, have this set of rules engrained in their minds because it was more prevalent during this period of time. This is an allusion (Glossary of Literary Terms) to many cultures today. Like in both the past and today's Indian tradition, there are set Caste Systems for both men and women, both genders made to follow the same sets of rules. For example, Brahmins are labeled as priests and teachers, who are likely to earn more for their social status in the hierarchy, while dahlits (outcastes) are labeled as street sweepers and latrine cleaners, who are considered the "scum of the Earth" who will not amount to any success, and are assumed as past criminals or jobless thieves. "For centuries, The Caste System dictated almost every aspect of the Hindu religion and social life, with each group occupying a specific place in their complex hierarchy. Traditionally, the system bestowed many privileges on the upper castes while sanctioning repression of the lower castes by privileged groups (BBC News/Alamy)". However, even though this story takes place around the 1880s with different ideas of culture, there were other symbols (Glossary of Literary Terms) besides one's position in the hierarchy that identified wealth and status amongst someone.
Mademoiselle Matilde Loisel desires both physical and social wealth, particularly materialistic items that she can show off to others so that they, in turn, will essentially bow down to her. Matilde also desires the potential affection that she could receive from others when wearing her physical wealth. This includes expensive dresses, jewelry, and shoes. Although she is married, she still expects attention from other men when she enters a room. She secretly envies the women whom receive this attention from other possibly married men while the women themselves keep their rings on their fingers to display to the world.
Matilde's character type is also prevalent in today's society. Nowadays, many women have accustomed themselves to believing this type of behavior is okay; where one should desire to be like someone else because they believe they have a better life than themselves. For example, in many high schools, there are girls who are considered more "popular" for having more lavish items than the rest of the other girls in schools, such as more expensive clothes and jewelry. There are also unspoken rules in these types of environments, especially parties, where if one does not have these items, they are considered weirdos, outcasts, delinquents, and fools. I can understand Matilde's point of view, knowing that similar people experience these situations in real life, and feel the only way to reach the top of the food chain, the hierarchy, or the throne, is to succumb to avarice and be a carbon copy of all the other "rich" people in said environments. There is no originality because of this, which also creates a false image that today's youth blindly follows, believing it is okay to act in this manor.
In the short story, Matilde is given an invitation to the palace of the Ministry by the Minister of Public Instruction, as a gift from her husband, who attempts to use his act of kindness as a way to push Matilde out of her comfort zone and attend the parties she's always wanted to go to, despite not having the luxuries the other guests may have, as it was a prestigious event, like many others near their home (Laurie 39). Monsieur Loisel, hoping to see his wife happy, puts his disappointment aside when Matilde, despite receiving the opportunity to go to a lavish party of her dreams, is enraged, knowing that she does not have a dress to wear to the grand event. After Matilde's husband gives her the suggestion to ask her dear friend Mademoiselle Jeanne Forstier if she could borrow a piece of jewelry from her, in which she agrees. Matilde searches through M. Forestier's vast jewelry collection when her eyes get caught on an expensive looking piece, immediately triggering Matilde, who believes she could wear it to the party. M. Forstier lends the necklace to Matilde, who wears it to the party, immediately receiving attention from the other guests, especially the men. All seems right in the world until Matilde and her husband go home and discover that M. Loisel's necklace is lost. Matilde decides to lie to her friend about the whereabouts of her precious jewelry, while Matilde and her husband search the corners of their town trying to find a replacement necklace, but the one they find is too expensive. They buy it anyways, promising to pay the money back as soon as they can. They give the necklace to M. Loisel, and spend the next 10 years earning all the money to pay back the shopkeepers for the necklace. Over this period of time, Matilde grows old while M. Forstier does not seem to have aged as drastically. When they reencounter, Matilde explains to M. Loisel what happened to the precious piece of jewelry she lent Matilde many years ago, while M. Loisel explains that it was a fake piece, not being more than a few francs. The ending of Laurie's story is up to interpretation, as it leaves us with a raining question - "Did Matilde do the right thing?"
I believe that Matilde did not do the right thing, and should have told the truth to her friend, M. Losiel. As a society, we are conditioned by mass media, our peers, and on occasion, even our parents to lie to one another. Lying is used by many as a protective shield to hide the ugly truth from the knowledge of others. I believe that we should be more open with each other, as it creates more trustworthy relationships amongst others, and engages more positivity in everyday life.
Growing up in a more laid-back household, my parents still enforced my younger sister, Brinda, and I to always tell the truth, even if it means losing someone you care about or hurting another's feelings. Since we were kids, when we lied, my parents would not speak to Brinda and I until we came forth about our wrongdoings. Sure, they would not pry information out of us, but they were patient enough to figure out what was bothering us and would not interrogate or yell at us for making a wrong decision.
Though Matilde had faced a bigger problem than one usually does, it would still morally be the correct thing to tell her friend what happened in a calm and collective manor. Since Matilde was panicking when she discovered the necklace had disappeared, she could have waited for a few hours and came to a more rational conclusion, rather than immediately thinking she could fool her friend into believing she gave the exact same necklace back. After cooling down, she could have either called, or better yet, visited M. Loisel and calmly explained the situation to her, without (possibly) accusing her of losing the necklace being her fault, or being derogatory towards her. If she did that, Matilde could have avoided the many conflicts she made along the way while trying to solve this huge conflict. Matilde and her husband would not have had to search the entire town they lived in in a limited amount of time so that they could find a replica of the necklace, which was fairly overpriced. Matilde also could have had a clean conscious (not that it is expressed in the story that she had one at this point of time) and felt better to not have put her husband under so much pressure, by having him walk on foot in order to retrace her steps, figuring out where she might have dropped the necklace. "He went to Police Headquarters, to the newspaper offices, to offer a reward; he went to the cab companies - everywhere, in fact, whither he was urged by the least suspicion of hope (Laurie 52)."
If I were Matilde, I would owe my life to anyone who decided to do good deeds and help me out of the kindness of their hearts.
In the short story, Matilde is perceived as more of an antagonist, but we later discover she is a dynamic character and changes direction in her perception of life and success. In the introduction, Matilde is described as snarky and materialistic, with the desire for objects and affection she cannot afford. Using her grotesque attitude, she disrespects her husband, who still decides to stay by her and help her through her tough situation. By the end of the story, she helps her husband earn back every penny they spent on the necklace, which they must return to the shopkeeper who sold Matilde the necklace replica.
"The Necklace" by Marjorie Laurie shows how far one can go with lying, and how succumbing to avarice is the biggest weakness of oneself, which can lead to bigger and more troubles when not handled correctly. It also shows how one must be honest with whomever they have issues with, so conflicts can be solved more easily and more healthy relationships and friendships can form in society.
Articles Used:
"The Necklace" By Marjorie Laurie
"The Indian Caste System" By BBC News/Alamy
"Glossary of Literary Terms"
In the beginning, Matilde is described as a "pity princess", someone who has the exact necessities in order to survive in the world, but still chooses to complain more about her life, praying and hoping that all her pleas will someday come true and be handed to her. Laurie states, "She (Matilde) dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was as un-happy as though she had already fallen from her proper station, since with women there is neither caste nor rank, and beauty, grace, and charm act instead of family and birth (Laurie 39)." Laurie indicates through this quote that women, have this set of rules engrained in their minds because it was more prevalent during this period of time. This is an allusion (Glossary of Literary Terms) to many cultures today. Like in both the past and today's Indian tradition, there are set Caste Systems for both men and women, both genders made to follow the same sets of rules. For example, Brahmins are labeled as priests and teachers, who are likely to earn more for their social status in the hierarchy, while dahlits (outcastes) are labeled as street sweepers and latrine cleaners, who are considered the "scum of the Earth" who will not amount to any success, and are assumed as past criminals or jobless thieves. "For centuries, The Caste System dictated almost every aspect of the Hindu religion and social life, with each group occupying a specific place in their complex hierarchy. Traditionally, the system bestowed many privileges on the upper castes while sanctioning repression of the lower castes by privileged groups (BBC News/Alamy)". However, even though this story takes place around the 1880s with different ideas of culture, there were other symbols (Glossary of Literary Terms) besides one's position in the hierarchy that identified wealth and status amongst someone.
Mademoiselle Matilde Loisel desires both physical and social wealth, particularly materialistic items that she can show off to others so that they, in turn, will essentially bow down to her. Matilde also desires the potential affection that she could receive from others when wearing her physical wealth. This includes expensive dresses, jewelry, and shoes. Although she is married, she still expects attention from other men when she enters a room. She secretly envies the women whom receive this attention from other possibly married men while the women themselves keep their rings on their fingers to display to the world.
Matilde's character type is also prevalent in today's society. Nowadays, many women have accustomed themselves to believing this type of behavior is okay; where one should desire to be like someone else because they believe they have a better life than themselves. For example, in many high schools, there are girls who are considered more "popular" for having more lavish items than the rest of the other girls in schools, such as more expensive clothes and jewelry. There are also unspoken rules in these types of environments, especially parties, where if one does not have these items, they are considered weirdos, outcasts, delinquents, and fools. I can understand Matilde's point of view, knowing that similar people experience these situations in real life, and feel the only way to reach the top of the food chain, the hierarchy, or the throne, is to succumb to avarice and be a carbon copy of all the other "rich" people in said environments. There is no originality because of this, which also creates a false image that today's youth blindly follows, believing it is okay to act in this manor.
In the short story, Matilde is given an invitation to the palace of the Ministry by the Minister of Public Instruction, as a gift from her husband, who attempts to use his act of kindness as a way to push Matilde out of her comfort zone and attend the parties she's always wanted to go to, despite not having the luxuries the other guests may have, as it was a prestigious event, like many others near their home (Laurie 39). Monsieur Loisel, hoping to see his wife happy, puts his disappointment aside when Matilde, despite receiving the opportunity to go to a lavish party of her dreams, is enraged, knowing that she does not have a dress to wear to the grand event. After Matilde's husband gives her the suggestion to ask her dear friend Mademoiselle Jeanne Forstier if she could borrow a piece of jewelry from her, in which she agrees. Matilde searches through M. Forestier's vast jewelry collection when her eyes get caught on an expensive looking piece, immediately triggering Matilde, who believes she could wear it to the party. M. Forstier lends the necklace to Matilde, who wears it to the party, immediately receiving attention from the other guests, especially the men. All seems right in the world until Matilde and her husband go home and discover that M. Loisel's necklace is lost. Matilde decides to lie to her friend about the whereabouts of her precious jewelry, while Matilde and her husband search the corners of their town trying to find a replacement necklace, but the one they find is too expensive. They buy it anyways, promising to pay the money back as soon as they can. They give the necklace to M. Loisel, and spend the next 10 years earning all the money to pay back the shopkeepers for the necklace. Over this period of time, Matilde grows old while M. Forstier does not seem to have aged as drastically. When they reencounter, Matilde explains to M. Loisel what happened to the precious piece of jewelry she lent Matilde many years ago, while M. Loisel explains that it was a fake piece, not being more than a few francs. The ending of Laurie's story is up to interpretation, as it leaves us with a raining question - "Did Matilde do the right thing?"
I believe that Matilde did not do the right thing, and should have told the truth to her friend, M. Losiel. As a society, we are conditioned by mass media, our peers, and on occasion, even our parents to lie to one another. Lying is used by many as a protective shield to hide the ugly truth from the knowledge of others. I believe that we should be more open with each other, as it creates more trustworthy relationships amongst others, and engages more positivity in everyday life.
Growing up in a more laid-back household, my parents still enforced my younger sister, Brinda, and I to always tell the truth, even if it means losing someone you care about or hurting another's feelings. Since we were kids, when we lied, my parents would not speak to Brinda and I until we came forth about our wrongdoings. Sure, they would not pry information out of us, but they were patient enough to figure out what was bothering us and would not interrogate or yell at us for making a wrong decision.
Though Matilde had faced a bigger problem than one usually does, it would still morally be the correct thing to tell her friend what happened in a calm and collective manor. Since Matilde was panicking when she discovered the necklace had disappeared, she could have waited for a few hours and came to a more rational conclusion, rather than immediately thinking she could fool her friend into believing she gave the exact same necklace back. After cooling down, she could have either called, or better yet, visited M. Loisel and calmly explained the situation to her, without (possibly) accusing her of losing the necklace being her fault, or being derogatory towards her. If she did that, Matilde could have avoided the many conflicts she made along the way while trying to solve this huge conflict. Matilde and her husband would not have had to search the entire town they lived in in a limited amount of time so that they could find a replica of the necklace, which was fairly overpriced. Matilde also could have had a clean conscious (not that it is expressed in the story that she had one at this point of time) and felt better to not have put her husband under so much pressure, by having him walk on foot in order to retrace her steps, figuring out where she might have dropped the necklace. "He went to Police Headquarters, to the newspaper offices, to offer a reward; he went to the cab companies - everywhere, in fact, whither he was urged by the least suspicion of hope (Laurie 52)."
If I were Matilde, I would owe my life to anyone who decided to do good deeds and help me out of the kindness of their hearts.
In the short story, Matilde is perceived as more of an antagonist, but we later discover she is a dynamic character and changes direction in her perception of life and success. In the introduction, Matilde is described as snarky and materialistic, with the desire for objects and affection she cannot afford. Using her grotesque attitude, she disrespects her husband, who still decides to stay by her and help her through her tough situation. By the end of the story, she helps her husband earn back every penny they spent on the necklace, which they must return to the shopkeeper who sold Matilde the necklace replica.
"The Necklace" by Marjorie Laurie shows how far one can go with lying, and how succumbing to avarice is the biggest weakness of oneself, which can lead to bigger and more troubles when not handled correctly. It also shows how one must be honest with whomever they have issues with, so conflicts can be solved more easily and more healthy relationships and friendships can form in society.
Articles Used:
"The Necklace" By Marjorie Laurie
"The Indian Caste System" By BBC News/Alamy
"Glossary of Literary Terms"
