The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant - Essay Example This essay discusses that the author cleverly represents a lot of elements through the diamond necklace, most prominent of which is the high social statuses and wealth. While a diamond necklace represents beauty in the real world, within the novel it is representing the evils of the society. The satirical reference is clearly visible during the story as Madame Loisel is not content with her dress which is worth 400 francs, but would rather have the necklace too. She considers it unruly and humiliating for herself to go amidst rich women with a dress but no expensive jewelry. When she is asked to select between the different jewelry items by her friend, she skips on the Venetian cross, pearl necklace, and bracelets, and selects a diamond necklace instead. This shows her thirst for wealth and needs to belong to the upper class. She clarifies it herself when she states that the party will be attended by many riches and she doesn’t want to feel left out because of her social statu s. In the late 1800s, wealth was a factor that many people cared about, and social class even more. Maupassant uses situational irony and the social satire to deliver his message that money is not always wealth. Maupassant learned from his seniors about observation and reporting of daily life occurrences in a biting way. Very rarely would he show the sympathy for his characters? The Necklace was also inspired by his clerical work experience in the Public Instructions Ministry.