Symbol of the Necklace

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The Necklace is Symbolic The short story “The Necklace”, written by Guy de Maupassant, is set in France during the 1800’s. It’s about a selfish, unhappy woman named Mme. Loisel who is unsatisfied with the social position she holds in life. Her husband, as an attempt to make her happy, gets her invited to a ball, but she does not have the clothes to attend so she goes to her husband for the money for a new gown. To finish the ensemble, she borrows an expensive necklace from a friend, Mme. Forestier, loses it, and spends the next ten years working to pay for the replacement necklace. After the ten years are over, and she’s finished paying off her debt, she finds out the necklace was nothing but paste. The necklace being made of paste represents some fake or misleading relationships Mme. Loisel has in her life, such as, the relationship she has with herself, with her husband, and with her “friend”, Mme. Forestier. The fake relationship she has with herself is the main reason for all the troubles she goes through now and later in her life. She thinks she belongs with those of the upper-class. Because of this, she sacrifices her husband’s happiness for her own dreams of being accepted into a higher society. If she was grateful for what she has, was not so selfish, and did not think she was too good for the life she’s living now. Things would be different. She would not need to borrow the necklace; she would not lose it, and would not be spending ten years of her life working to pay for an expensive replacement for the fake necklace. It’s not a question that Mme. Loisel’s husband loves her. He does. If he did not he would not be spending the time trying to get her an invitation to the ball, or the money on the dress so she can look the part of a high-class woman while she’s there. But does she love her enough to be honest with her and tell her they really

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