The Cause of Mathilde Loisel Downfall in the story The Necklace - Essay Example

Maupassant in his story, “The Necklace” portrays Mathilde Loisel as a woman of the middle class. However, Loisel’s fantasy is to lead a life similar to that of the wealthy class. This is depicted from a proud nature in the story, “…born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries" (Spack 46). Right from the beginning, we get to know that Loisel was born by a middle-class family and hence she has never enjoyed the lifestyle of the upper-class life she so desperately yearns and imagines in life.

However, according to Loisel, since she is beautiful, and hence a wealthy man will marry her. Through this, she will rise to the rank that she has yearned for in society. From the story, we get to learn of Loisel’s jealousy and discounted nature for the upper class. -This is clearly portrayed when she stops seeing Forestier, one of her former wealthy schoolmates, we are told that "…because she suffered ceaselessly when she came back" (Spack 47). This is despite the fact that she, Loisel, had initially viewed Forestier as a peer regardless of their differing social class in society.

Loisel’s inability to rise to the upper-class status makes her disgusted and develops a negative attitude towards her friend, Forestier, who belongs to the upper class. To bridge the gap between reality and her perception, Loisel attempts to make a disguised outlook appearance of herself to others. For instance, we are told that she dresses pleasingly, note, in a similar manner like the wealthy, to cling to her dream. “Natural fineness, the instinct for what is elegant, suppleness of wit, are the sole hierarchy, and make from women of the people the equals of the very greatest ladies" (Spack 46).

According to the article by Pierce, Maupassant manages to keep the reader in a mystery up to this point, as the reader keeps on wondering what will happen of Loisel’s impersonation of the class that she does not belong to (Gale Online Encyclopedia). For instance, will she manage to rise to the next class? Will she continue suffering mentally for the rank she yearns for and which she will never achieve? Alternatively, what will happen to her?            However, Maupassant breaks the mystery when he describes how the necklace Loisel borrows from Forestier transforms her life.

The diamond necklace initially transforms Loisel’s living into a better one as she feels contented for possessing the necklace. The reader at this point is forced to believe that Loisel has found her answer in life. However, the dramatist twist is that the necklace gets lost. This is the beginning of a worse living condition and class to Loisel. This is because of the necklace debt. While in the search for the necklace, Loisel is presented with a number of occasions to solve her problems with the necklace, however, her unrealistic approach to living cannot allow her.

She fails to humble her proud nature and probably solves her problems with the necklace. Here the reader continues to learn that Loisel cannot see the problems her unrealistic nature or actual approach to living is causing her. This is similar to individuals who encounter life-changing events in their lives but fails to internalize and recorrect themselves from such experiences. Suffering becomes part of their daily life. Loisel’s lack of acting accordingly and as expected of her is wholly based on her proud nature.

She fails to accept the fact that she belongs to the middle class and that she can find joy and the meaning of life through her appreciation of her own class. She gets the chance to correct her unrealistic way of life but she fails to acknowledge that her suffering in life is wholly to blame on her unrealistic perception and approach to life. This makes her plunge deep and deep into poverty and problems as well.