In a word, she gives an impression of a person who is not capable of appreciating anything. No doubt, Mathilde is selfish and spoilt. Therefore, based on the description of her character, a reader expects that there will be some situation which will force Mathilde to change her views. Indeed, loosing an incredibly expensive necklace becomes a life-changing event for Mathilde. The readers probably feel some kind of moral satisfaction because deep in their hearts they want Mathilde to be punished for her wrong views of appreciating only material things.
The writer portrays Mathilde Loisel as a beautiful woman: ‘she was one of those pretty and charming girls.’ Although she has a comfortable home and a devoted husband, she is unsatisfied and she is oblivious to everything except the fact that she doesn’t have much wealthy: ‘she was unhappy, feeling that she was destined for better things in life.’ Her lust for wealth is a constant pain. The write also shows her as a woman of envy as she can’t help but feel jealousy towards her wealthy friend and the thought if going to a party without expensive clothes makes her cry; ‘two large tears were running slowly down her face.’ This shows that Mathilde doesn’t want to be seen in a place full of rich people in her old ragged clothes. The only time the writer shows Mathilde as happy is on the night of the party. This is because her new dress and jewellery make others think that she is one of the wealthy people: ‘all the top ministry officials wanted to dance with her.’ This shows that she blended in with the wealthy crowd but at the same time stood out as well as she looked beautiful. She forgets her old life and imagines herself in a new one.
She married for love, and the love turned to dust. She had bonny children, yet she felt they had been thrust upon her, and she could not love them.” Even though she has everything she needs, a stable family and enough money to support her needs, she still wants more. She says that she is “very unlucky” because she “married an unlucky husband”. Instead of taking the responsibility upon herself that she is unlucky and does not have everything she wants, she blames others for her lack of happiness. In the end she turns out to be the luckiest character in the story because with Paul’s luck she gains all of the money he won.
Mathilde’s character flaws readily contribute to her own downfall. Caught up in the world of perception, she creates her own demise with the obsession with materialism, appearances, and lack of responsibility. First, many people want to have material things because they think it will make them happy. People crave to have goods that can be bought like gowns, jewelry, cars, and even houses. It is also the case with Mathilde who wants nothing more than to have fancy objects.
Mrs. Loisel is introduced through a daydream. She dreams of marrying a rich man, having oriental décor, rooms filled with expensive silks and furniture that couldn’t be matched with a price. After Mrs. Loisel has finished daydreaming, reality sinks back in and the extent of her unhappiness is emphasized. The life of luxury is what Mrs. Loisel claims “to only be born for.” She may have the looks to seem like she belongs in the higher class, but looks aren’t everything. Mrs. Loisel needs to learn to accept the life she has been giving and not think so low of it.
With the ironic twist at the end, the author, all in all, perhaps wanted to put forward the idea that vanity ruins us all. “The Necklace” began with the description of Mathilde’s misery that “she suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries”. Her vanity was clearly portrayed through her desire for expensive goods to accentuate her beauty more.Her desire for expensive materials, here vanity, made her unhappy and never satisfied with the life that her husband provided her. Never acknowledging her husband’s love for her, she denounced his immense appreciation for her ordinary cooking and his endeavor to manage an invitation to the Minister’s party. Mathilde directly exposed her vanity when she fell all over herself to show off how pretty both she and the necklace were, and she lost herself in the fleeting moment at the minister’s party.She suddenly came back to the world only after losing the necklace.
This point perhaps can be taken as referring to Nora’s weak decision power as she always expects Helmer to help finding the solutions of her problems as for the Fancy Dress Ball she could not decide what to wear so she asks Helmer that what she should wear and that how must she dance. It shows that women have no self-identity or decision making power. A woman has always been man’s dependent. The character of Mrs. Linde manifestly depicts this idea and so does the character of Nora. Mrs. Linde is shown as a lady who sacrifices her love and marries a rich man
If a woman told a man that they love him they were considered as whores, and their life would be completely destroyed. Elizabeth was in love with Mr. Darcy but she couldn’t tell him about her feelings. Being enclosed by the rules of society Elizabeth was considered as a normal Girl from a Normal family, who didn’t have to do hard work to survive, and do labor to feed her family. Elizabeth’s father was not too wealthy but he had recourses to keep his family fed. Elizabeth is a proud girl of her own.
The character of Isobel in “Precious,” by Nalo Hopkinson, loses her voice, one of the most valuable treasures in her life, because she never stood up for herself. Her marriage with her husband becomes a failure due to the fact that she permits herself to be his object of abuse for sex and wealth. However, the protagonist in “Jonnieruth” by Becky
Den, Barbara’s awkward and shy ex-lover, reappears in her life and provides a route to wealth for Barbara (in her own eyes). Her dogged determination and persistence to better herself sees Den as a way of paying for a deportment diploma to assist her with gaining employment at the swanky new hotel being built in town. Due to the negative circumstances her character is placed in, it has resulted in her deserting her mentally challenged daughter, Verge. Economic rationalism seemed to have only negative implications on Barbara’s life as she constantly struggles with relationships and self worth. Whilst focusing on the central metaphor – ‘diving for pearls’ it is made clear that for Barbara, pearls are not represented through spiritual wealth, rather economic wealth.