The Necklace Critique - Essay Example

He used the main character like Mathilde who dreams of living a lavish life despite his mediocre situation. She has an ambition of becoming rich in glamorous clothes and jewelry and being appreciated by men, but she married a low-paid clerk and cannot afford her fantasies. These features of the fiction are similar to present-day reality where poor people are sometimes not contented with what they can afford. They are more concerned about looking rich than attaining wealth from hardworking. Thus, the story also describes not only the surroundings of Maupassant, the author, but also reflects the realities of poor societies today.

The better part of the story shows poverty can transform a person in a hard way. Like what Mathilde experienced, poverty has forced her to become stronger, face responsibility, and work harder. At first, she is very dependent and spoiled to her husband but her husband cannot afford all the caprices she desires. Given the chance to taste the life, she dreams of. Mathilde demands an indisputably nice dress and fabulous jewelry to attend a party. Her husband gives his savings to buy a dress, though it’s intended for buying a rifle, and Mathilde also borrows a diamond necklace from her rich friend. But, the night Mathilde fulfilled her dream turns her worst nightmare – Mathilde lost the necklace. Because of the fear that her friend might discover she lost the diamond necklace, Mathilde, with her husband, begs loans from friends and loans shark to buy a replacement. The couple spends ten years paying their debts for a necklace costing 36,000 francs. They try different jobs and Mathilde learned how to work hard. Thus, poverty can push a person to become responsible like what Mathilde experienced.

Though it seems too late for Mathilde to learn her mistake it’s not. At the end of the story after ten years, it shows a different Mathilde. She has to pay off her debts and starts to move on. Also, she learns how to be contented and appreciates what life can offer. From being a blooming lady, she now looks like a withered woman but one who endured many hardships. Suddenly, a shocking revelation Mathilde discovered. The necklace she lost the night she went to the party was a fake one! It only costs 500 francs according to her rich friend! If by that time Mathilde was honest, she might avoid being compromised with the paying. On the other hand, it’s also a fortune in disguise because she learned how to face poverty, how to become responsible, how to become stronger – characters that she can be proud of that can never be bought by all the gems in the world; characters that she can pass to her offsprings. Therefore, Mathilde can still enjoy living the lesson she learned from past mistakes and she can teach it to her children.

All in all, many people learned based on their experience; they learned from their mistakes. But, it’s not always necessary to experience mistakes to learn. People can also learn from other people’s mistakes. The experience of Mathilde is one good example to enlighten people of the present-day and become contented with what life can bring and strive hard to achieve their dreams. A fake necklace can fool the eyes but a genuine heart can endure strife.