In this surprise devaluation, de Maupassant implies a certain hollowness in Mathilde’s pined-for lifestyle.įast-forward to today, when the universal themes and questions de Maupassant raises in “The Necklace” are every bit as fraught, with the added intensity and magnification of the internet and social media for increased speed and competition. In a trademark de Maupassant twist, the necklace is ultimately revealed to be a fake, replaceable for a pittance. Mathilde ends up misplacing the necklace, and she and her husband lose a decade of their lives in penurious debt to pay for a replacement. Mathilde is given a portal to her desired life of decadence when her husband, a lowly clerk, secures entree to a high-profile ball her metamorphosis is made complete by the borrowing of a glittering diamond necklace. Mathilde is a woman born to the “employee” class who is convinced, nonetheless, that she deserves only ornamentation and aristocratic spoils. In both pieces, readers come across questions of desirability, paucity and self-expression.ĭe Maupassant’s “The Necklace” follows Mathilde Loisel, a social aspirant tragically ruined in her pursuit of unobtainable luxury. In this Text-to-Text lesson, we pair Guy de Maupassant’s 1884 short story, “The Necklace,” about a coveted item that ruins a character’s life, with a New York Times article on Supreme, the cultishly appreciated New York City brand. Is it scarcity alone that makes luxury so desirable in the first place? If everyone had diamond rings, would people want them less? Does wearing a “rare” item demonstrate some quality of connoisseurship? And, how much is worth sacrificing for the sake of looking fashionable or affluent - or simply to express one’s individualism? Browse all our Text to Text lesson plans.
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