Mathilde Vs Della Research Paper

Mathilde and Della have M similarities between them. To begin with, both of these two main characters have a husband, who sacrifices for them. Della’s husband, Jim, who is poor, sells his ChristmasWW giftWW to buy a newWW oneX for Della. The following excerpt said by Jim “ I sold the watch to get money to buy your combs “ CITATIONreveals that he gives offX his giftWW M to buy a new oneWW toWW his wife. Moreover, Mathilde’s husband is also

Feeling trapped in a life that she does not want or appreciate because she lacks the finer things already presents the negative impact it has on her. Her life is comfortable, yet the appearance of her walls and furniture is not high-class enough for her, damaging not only her happiness but also her own self worth. Another description of Mathilde states, “She had no dresses, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that; she felt made for that. She would so have liked to please, to be envied, to be charming, to be sought after” (1). Mathilde not only wants to have money to selfishly better her own social life but in her dreams of being wealthy, she does not seem to want to do anything more impactful with it. Her focus on the material things such as dresses and jewels traps her in a bubble where she can only be the person she aspires to be if she has items that can be acquired with more money. This will never bring her true happiness or fulfillment because even if she does become incredibly wealthy, she will always want more or to be at a higher class. Mathilde’s dreams become especially impossible to reach when she accidentally loses her upscale friend’s supposed diamond necklace and goes into debt buying an identical one to return back to her friend. Mathilde’s life turns into days full of labor trying to earn back the money and the narrator states, “That dreadful debt must be paid.

Both are blinded by their thoughts and think it is easy to achieve. While the narrator dreams of the possibility of moving out, she forgets about the struggle of owning property. For this case, it is paying insurance, buying a mortgage, etc. Moving out is a huge step in the independent world and it may have its consequences. It may be positive, as it will help with her organizational skills; however, the negative is the issue of saving money. At the same time, Mathilde is oblivious by her lust for money. Thus, she forgets to notice how much of an effort her husband puts in his job. Indeed, she absent by her thoughts and uses his money to buy clothes, while he was actually “reserving [the money] to buy a gun” (Maupassant 2). Mathilde forgets to process her husband saving money rather than spending it and takes his money for her essentials. Although both character’s minds overpower them to make a decision, their ability to achieve their dreams differentiate. Mathilde attempts to feel wealthy for one night to conclude how it feels as she buys an elegant dress and borrows her friend’s jewelry. Mathilde experiences her long lasting dream as she feels “elegant [and] gracious” (Maupassant 3). On the other hand, the narrator of the poem does not attempt to achieve her dream, as she is scared to confront the landlady. Instead, she keeps quiet, dreams about independence and follows the demands

After Della sells her hair she obtains twenty dollars to purchase Jim's Present, she is ecstatic and fulfilled because now she can buy a Christmas present for Jim. But, when Monsieur Loisel tells Mathilde that they are invited to a high class party, she demonstrates no gratitude; instead, she whines that she doesn't have anything to wear. Monsieur Loisel selflessly gives the money he had kept aside for his rifle to his wife to spend on the dress. Mathilde communicates no thankfulness; rather, she later grumbles that she has no jewelry to wear with the dress. It is clear in "The Necklace" that Mathilde places material belonging above kinship and the adoration and dependability of her husband. Never in the story is there any sign that she demonstrates

The common ground that Madame Loisel and Della share is that they are very emotional when reminded of their wealth status. In “The Necklace” Madame Loisel starts to tear up at the sight of M. and Mme. Ramponneau’s invitation to an evening reception. Madame Loisel is troubled because she does not have anything glamorous to wear to the wealthy coworker’s event. Opposite of her husband’s assumption, Madame Loisel feels distraught. To his disbelief, “his wife started crying. Two big tears escaped from the corners of her eyes and rolled slowly toward the corners of her mouth” (de Maupassant 335). Of course, the first thing on Madame Loisel’s mind is that she cannot go simply because she cannot afford to have the most exquisite gown at the event. Similar to Madame Loisel, Della wails over her minimal savings towards Jim’s Christmas gift. With a miniscule amount of $1.87, it is almost impossible to purchase a gift for Jim. Their impoverishment reminds Della that there is “clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating” (Henry 261). Della’s constant crying is the result of how little she and her husband have. Clearly, the chance of affording a Christmas present for Jim with only $1.87 is highly unlikely. Not only does Madame Loisel and Della cry excessively, they become very emotional over their wealth status. If they did have jobs, then it would be less likely to have financial instability. In addition, Madame Loisel and Della spend much of their time perseverating

For instance, Della and her husband had a mutual love and respect for each other; where Mathilde was only in love with the person she wanted to be. During the gift exchange between Della and her husband, they found selling their most prized possession, the purchase of their Christmas gifts was rendered useless since Della no longer had her hair and Jim his watch. However, when Mathilde lost the necklace, both her and her husband spent ten years to pay off the debt. Additionally, Mathilde lost her beauty, “Madame Loisel looked old now. She had become like all other strong, hard, coarse women of poor households. He hair was badly done, her skirts were awry, her hands were red.” The authors in the stories demonstrated the negative effects for seeking items which one could not afford through an ironic twist. However, the irony was predictable in both

Guy de Maupassant had suggested clearly through the line of the story the difference between greed and dreams. Dreaming is pursuing and chasing a goal with passion, hopes, and huge efforts; while greed is a desire to acquire more than what one needs with a no effort. Mathilde could bring her dreams to reality by finding a job instead of deciding to stay home day dreaming of her thoughts. As the author had illustrated in many parts of the story Mathidle was never satisfied with her assets for example, when her husband offered her all of his saving to buy her a dress she asked for jewelries and when she had the chance to borrow some. She did not get contended with Madame Forestier’s jewelries, but she kept asking her to show her more until she noticed the most wonderful necklace of Madame Forestier’s jewelries. After losing the necklace, Mathidle social class was lower, but she seemed happier.

Simile will reveal the theme you should be happy with what you have. However, there are two kinds of people, ones who can live with what they have and ones who cannot live with what they have. Simile will display that Mathilde is one of those two kinds of people by providing examples in the story. Mathilde grew up in a family of clerks and considered middle class at her time. She married a minor clerk who does not fit her needs of a wealthy life. Mathilde dreams about the rich life of her own, but in reality is just an ordinary woman. A quote from the narrator states, “She dressed plainly because she could not afford fine clothes, but was as unhappy as a woman who has come down in the world.”(66). The comparison in this quote is Mathilde and an “unhappy woman who has come down in the world”, and the

Upon finding out that both she and her husband are invited to the palace, “Instead of being delighted, as her husband hoped she threw the invitation on the table,” (Maupassant 555). Mathilde does not appreciate the invitation and instead starts worrying about her lack of proper dress, or in this case her lack of an expensive dress to wear. Her poor husband had trouble getting an invitation in the first place, and only wanted one because he thought Mathilde would be happy, “But my dear, I thought you would be glad. You never go out, and this is such a fine opportunity. I had awful trouble to get it. Everyone wants to go; it is very select, and they are not giving many invitations to clerks,” (Maupassant 555). Her husband only wants what’s best for her and couldn’t care less about going to the palace, he only wants to go because he thought his wife would like the change of scenery. This shows that the husband loves Mathilde dearly and would do anything for her. He further proves his loyalty and love by sacrificing the money he put aside for himself to buy a gun, to buy Mathilde an expensive dress with. Unlike his wife, M. Loisel appreciates and is thankful for his lifestyle. He knows there’s no use in dreaming for more, and so he’s always accepted his lifestyle without having any burning desires to be wealthy. Mathilde on the other hand, spends so much of her time convincing herself that possessions only have value if they are expensive, that she loses sight of the real value

Mathilde is an example of any individual that is the situation of having hopeless dreams in their mind that transform a person into somebody else. Like, Mathilde is an example of a woman who dreams of wealth and of being envied by other women. She believes that she deserves the whole world for her. A world that having luxury is significant for a person in order to get attention from other people. Materialistic stuff that keeps happiness and confidence to the people. The envy is the worst thing that a human could do, there are people that have done awful things because of the need of the t. We all want to have the life of a king or queen; some just born lucky and live that dream without doing anything about it. Mathilde is not the option, she was born in the Third Estate class; the French social class was determined by one's birth. She is already imagining the life of a queen in a poor apartment. Regardless, She has envy for not having what others have, but she does not do anything in order to get the type of life full of luxury. Marcia Reynolds states that "Envy on the other hand is about coveting something you don't have. The person you envy has what you want. The more unfair you think the situation is, the more you will find ways to demean the person you envy. Then instead of working to achieve more, you justify the reasons for staying in an inferior

You would think by this point Mathilde would be happy with buying an expensive dress and being able to attend a party with all the rich people she fantasizes about everyday. But of course, this is not the case. Again she asks for more. We then see another interaction between her and her husband where she asks for jewels to go with the dress, and he doesn’t understand the need. By this point, Mr Loisel finally gets a little upset with Mathilde's incessant whining and shouts, “How stupid you are! … Go and see your friend Madame Forestier and ask her to lend you some jewels. You know her well enough for that.” (4). Mathilde agrees and happily goes to ask for the jewels. If only Mathilde had understood her husband’s hint that she didn’t need the jewels, her life may have remained the same.

Della and Jim were the wisest because they loved each other so much that they were willing to sell what meant the most to them just to make each other happy.But, Della and Jim, although the wisest for their love, were also foolish. Della and Jim were foolish because, already poor, each sacrificed their most prized possession to buy the other a special Chistmas gift. According to O.Henry, Della and Jim are both the wisest and foolish of their sacrifices.I quote, "And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who have most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are the wisest" (O.Henry 157). Jim and Della sacrificing their most valuable possessions is how sacrifice is depicted in the short story, "The Gift of Magi." Mathilde is extremely self-centered at first. When her husband gets her an invitation to a ball, she acts childish and asks for money to buy a new dress. Mathilde saying,"What do you think I have to go in ?" (Maupassant 29) and her husband responding by sacrificing the four hundred francs that he had set aside for himself to buy a rifle, to allow Mathilde to buy a new dress for the ball, shows that Monsieur Loisel is willing to make sacrifices for his wife.Jim and Della can relate

In the short stories, “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant and “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry both Mathilde and Della are different and alike in many ways. Mathilde is a very selfish character and does not have a lot of money. In despite of this, she still desires for a wealthy status. However, Della is the complete opposite. She is selfless and does not have a lot of money. She gives up her valuables or prized possessions just to get her husband a Christmas gift. Mathilde from “The Necklace” and Della from “The Gift of the Magi” have some similarities, but also have differences; both are poor yet Della is giving and cherishes her money while Mathilde

The two greedy parties in stories are characterised in a similar manner. Both stories begin with the women being described as beautiful, unlucky, and dissatisfied. These traits outline a common archetype for women in literature, the maiden of want. This can be used to portray a character positively or negatively, depending on what they want. Abstract wants such as love, adventure, or fulfillment are generally reserved for positive characters but concrete wants such as clothing, sex, or wealth, as is the case in these stories, are generally used to depict unlikable or villainous characters. Both authors make it very clear that both women’s heart’s greatest desire is wealth, already making them seem shallow and greedy. Next, each author adds another trait that could be viewed as despicable. Mathilde is given ungratefulness, “Instead of being delighted, as her husband hoped, she flung the invitation petulantly across the table, murmuring: "What do you want me to do with this?"’(Maupassant). She responds to what is supposed to be a sweet surprise like a rude, spoiled child, instantly adding an air of unpleasantness to her character. Hester is given what is regarded as one of the most egregious traits for a

Mathilde is a pretty and charming woman, born of simple roots and humble beginnings, relished with both the love and warmth of a family though not well-off financially yet considerably contemporary to the families in the middle of the hierarchy. She was married to Monsieur Loisel, a government clerk who works round-the-clock at the Ministry of Education. She has always dreamt of a life of luxury and leisure, with attentive maidservants, a large home decorated with coveted linens, expensive jewels and fancy silverware. Mortified of the humiliating state she’s in, she no longer visits Madame Forestier, an old friend of hers.