Analysis Of The Necklace By Guy De Maupassant

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Chapter 2 A CRITIQUE: CHARACTER, PLOT, THEME, DIALOGUE, SPECTACLE AND MUSIC This chapter presents the data in answer to the problem statement. Dominant Element: Character Life is a matter of time: you have to make choices and take chances. What then will you choose to live? Is it wealth over contentment or contentment over wealth? This critical paper assumes that Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace has its characters as the dominant element. And so therefore, the most appropriate critical approach is the Expressive Theory. Mathilde Loisel is a woman of beauty and charm. She has been born into a family of unfavorable economic status and feels burden of her poverty. She was married to Monsieur Loisel who could only provide her a not so comfortable lifestyle. She is unsatisfied of what she have that she became nearly unaware of almost everything around her but the wealth she does not have. She keeps on imagining an extravagant existence: an elaborate feast, fancy jewels and clothing. She has a wealthy friend Madame Forestier. Mathilde is jealous of her and she will do anything in her power to reverse the mistake of destiny that made her poor. One night, her husband arrived at their house with an invitation to a formal party. Mathilde was so angry and cried heavily. She told her husband to just give the invitation to another woman who can afford to buy expensive clothes. With this act, Mathilde clearly emphasized disappointment of having that kind of social status. She believes that objects have the power to change her life. Mathilde did show up to the party with an expensive dress and a borrowed diamond necklace. She was so happy then, but her moment of happiness swift away with just a snap of the fingers. She lost the diamond necklace and must spend the next ten years paying for the pleasure of that night. Just as Mathilde was oblivious to the small pleasures
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