Things Are Not Always What they Seem in The Necklace by...

The well-known proverb says, â€Å"Things are not always what they seem.† The line betwixt perception and reality can not only be hard to discover, but can hide major differences between the two. What we believe about our world, both on a material and philosophical level, can be far from the truth. Nowhere is this fact more evident than in the classic short story, The Necklace, written by Guy de Maupassant. The Necklace successfully shows that ones perception and reality often are not even close to being the same. This essay will prove this to be true by exploring the theme of perception versus reality through the three literary elements of character, irony, and symbolism. The most obvious way that the theme is found in the story is†¦show more content†¦She believes that she must look equal to all the others at the party, and thus must dress the same, down to the necklace. This prideful aspect of her character once again demonstrates the theme of the story. The reali ty is that the Loisels are a simple middle class family. Yet Madame Loisel attempts to make those around her at the party perceive her as wealthy, higher class, and therefore â€Å"happy.† In chasing after one falsehood she perpetrates another. Thus, a careful look at the character of Madame Mathilde Loisel reveals the underlying theme of the story. She is either herself confused with reality due to her perceptions of the classes and happiness, or she is trying to fool others into thinking she belongs to the upper crust and is thus hiding the reality of who she really is. The idea of the way things are perceived versus the way they actually are is also exposed by the use of irony within the story. Firstly, we can see clear examples of dramatic irony, which combats the characters expectations against what the reader can see to be the truth. Madame Loisel sees the higher classes as happier and better, while whenever she thinks of her own level, she feels miserable. Her very attempts to become more like the upper classes is the very means by which she falls even lower than before. This ironic situation just shows that while she perceived that being more like the wealthy would make her happier, in reality it just led toShow MoreRelatedA Wasteful Fashion in The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant1149 Words   |  5 Pageslife used to pay back a debt that was worth ten thousand dollars. Was it worth it? Guy de Maupassant was a popular French writer who is known as one of the fathers of modern short stories. Many of Maupassant’s stories are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870’s. Maupassant ended up writing about three hundred short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse. In his short story, ‘The Necklace’, the main character, Mathilde Loisel, feels as if she should have been born richRead MoreThe Necklace by Guy De Maupassant1367 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Being Honest is Always Best† Telling the truth will always prevent future conflicts. Author Guy De Maupassant who lived from 1850 to 1893 proves in the story of â€Å"The Necklace,† that no matter how bad a situation is, speaking with the truth is always best. Now, this author does not prove this theme directly. Instead, throughout various situations in the story the main characters are faced with a long-term conflict because decisions were not made with honesty. Mathilde and Loisel who is her husbandRead MoreThe Necklace By Guy De Maupassant934 Words   |  4 Pagesduring this time period was Guy de Maupassant, who wrote one of the most influential short stories of this century. â€Å"The Necklace†, written by Guy de Maupassant, illustrates elements of fiction such as the symbolism of the necklace because of Mme. Loisel’s desire to be rich, irony due to the twist ending, and a powerful theme. Firstly, the necklace Mme. Loisel borrows and her perspective symbolizes the desire she has towards being wealthy and important in society. Maupassant describes effectively theRead More Guy De Maupassants Works2329 Words   |  10 PagesIn examining the influence of Guy de Maupassant’s â€Å"The Necklace† and â€Å"Piece of String†, a similar form of figurative language is found. Situational irony, where an outcome is different from what was expected, is found in Maupassant’s short stories’ surprising and cruel endings. In â€Å"The Necklace† the protagonist, lost a diamond necklace, and ten years after struggling to pay off the replacement, she found the original was a fake. In Maupassant’s â€Å"Piece of String† the main character picked up a pieceRead MoreThe Necklace By Guy De Maupassant1093 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the short story titled â€Å"The Necklace† by Guy de Maupassant, it is clear that the main t hemes being stressed are pride versus greed, and that things are not quite what they appear. Each of these things are represented throughout the story in some way, whether it be using animated language or symbolism. It is also clear that background information clearly aided the development of the themes Maupassant incorporated throughout the passage. It is seen throughout the story that the main characterRead MoreSymbolism in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi and Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace800 Words   |  4 Pagescan be shown in many different ways, but what exactly is it? Symbolism directs meaningful equation between a specific object, scene, character, or action and ideas, values, people, and the ways of life. In Life of Pi by Yann Martel, many symbols are used, the lifeboat, the tiger, the name of the tiger, and Pi himself. Each of those symbols are more than just a name or an object, they all have multiple meanings behind them. In â€Å"The Necklace† by Guy de Maupassant, symbols are also used to tell the storyRead More The Necklace Essay1346 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"The Necklace† Around the world, values are expressed differently. Some people think that life is about the little things that make them happy. Others feel the opposite way and that expenses are the way to live. In Guy de Maupassant’s short story, â€Å"The Necklace†, he develops a character, Madame Loisel, who illustrates her different style of assessments. Madame Loisel, a beautiful woman, lives in a wonderful home with all the necessary supplies needed to live. However, she is very unhappyRead MoreExposition of Plot in Maupassants The Necklace1354 Words   |  6 Pagesunpredictable, disparate, and contradictory elements,† according to Guy de Maupassant. â€Å"It is brutal, inconsequential, and disconnected, full of inexplicable, illogical catastrophes† (â€Å"The Writer’s Goal 897). Utterly to the point with his words, Guy de Maupassant’s fame as a writer stemmed from his â€Å"direct and simple way† of telling readers what he observed ( Chopin 861). His short story, â€Å"The Necklace,† is no exception. â€Å"The Necklace† is evidence of the literary realism that dominated literatureRead MoreBiography of Guy De Maupassant1033 Words   |  4 Pages Guy De Maupassant was born on August 5th, 1850 at the Chà ¢teau de Miromesnil. He was born to his mother and father Laure Le Poittevin and Gustave de Maupassant. At a young age his parents divorced, he and his brother lived with his mom for most of his life. Laure was highly involved in his life, she is the first person to show him the love for classical literature. As he grew up that love grew stronger and stronger. After he graduated college, he enlisted into the Franco- Prussian War. AlthoughRead MoreAnalysis Of The Necklace By Guy De Maupassant1405 Words   |  6 PagesOne of Guy De Maupassant s literary influences was Gustave Flaubert, who taught him to write. Flaubert s teaching principles suggested that the writer must look at everything to find some aspect of it that no one has yet seen or expressed,. Maupassant succeeded in being a writer He wrote realistic fiction and greatly influences writers still The Necklace was written in the 19th century Literary Realism period. The story focuses on everyday events, lives, and the relationships of middle/lower