The Necklace And The Landlady By Margaret Atwood

“A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” - Colin Powell. A dream is incredibly dependant on one’s own imagination and their perception of reality. Dreams are also a way for people to experience their unconscious desires. Throughout the texts read in the semester, dreams have had a strong influence on one’s own

In The Necklace, Madame Loisel was embarrassed by her poverty which made her state of being even worse with her self-centered actions. Characteristics to describe her actions would be materialistic, ungrateful, and unappreciative. Evidences from the story, about these characteristics, are given to support them. Madame Loisel have plenty of traits that describes her, but the three that stood out the most was materialistic, ungrateful, and unappreciative. With a simple, loving, and caring husband didn’t stop her self-centered actions.

While focusing on the disappointments in Mathilde’s life, de Maupassant outlines the depressing, wasted life of a once healthy and well off woman. During the time period in which this story takes place, most people would have viewed Mathilde and her husband as upper- middle class. They were not poor by any means. Mathilde comes from a family of clerks and her husband has a solid job, which allows them to live comfortably. Some people may consider them to be a part of the upper class due to the fact that they have a maid.

Mathilde never seemed satisfied with what she had. She envied the upper class and felt she should have what they have. “She suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries. She suffered from the poverty of her dwelling” (Maupassant). This desire to belong in the upper class caused her only to focus on what she did not have. When her husband surprises her with the invitation to the ball the only thing she can think about is not having the proper dress for the occasion. “She looked at him with an irritated eye, and she said, impatiently: “’And what do you expect me to put on my back?’” (Maupassant). It seemed

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.

Do you know a materialistic person, who only cares about money? Do you like this person? Usually, people like this are not so friendly, just like Mathilde was. But in this case, Mathilde was able to change, and we can see this by some facts in the text; she was arrogant and materialistic, then became a motivated and comprehensive, and also she was lazy, but in the final she became a very hard worker woman. Mathilde actions and attitudes changes are very complex, but with these two things as support, it is possible to make this change very clear to understand.

Thereafter, by learning a lesson from her doings there was a great transformation in Mathilde’s character from beginning to end of the story. After giving the diamond necklace to Forrestier she knew they have to live a “horrible” (5) life “of the needy.” (5) . Thus “with sudden heroism” (5) she decided to repay the debt taken for that necklace and “dismissed their servant, changed their lodgings and rented a garret under the roof.” (5) The woman who valued her youth and beauty the most lost it and became the woman of “impoverished household-strong and hard and rough.” (5) But sometimes she

This financial pressure Hester brought upon herself is also sensed throughout the family, explaining the constant whispers of “we need more money”. In comparison to “The Necklace”, the circumstances described through the setting of Mathilde’s life is very similar. Mathilde has a very comfortable life- always having food on the table and having her own servant. However, like Hester, she is not content with what she has and desires more, always comparing herself to others’ financial state. Guy de Maupassant describes Mathilde’s situation to be neither wealthy nor part of social class. She feels as though she deserves to be a member of the more lavish society. Thus, does everything in her power to create a wealthier lifestyle for herself as “she was one of those pretty and charming girls, born by a blunder of destiny in a family of employees” (Maupassant, pg.1).This shows Mathilde’s confidence in herself to believe she was born to be wealthy. However, “She had no dowry, no expectations, no means of being known, understood, loved, married by a man rich and distinguished” (Maupassant, pg.1). In the first couple of lines of the story, Guy De Maupassant introduces Mathilde, whom internally believes is destined for a wealthy and luxurious life. Yet, Mathilde was born in a middle class family and is unsatisfied with her lifestyle

She was always dreaming and seeing things as if it was fantasy. “She suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born with all the delicacies and all the luxuries” (Maupassant). The author allows the reader to foreshadow that her ways brings her into a devastation. She had everything she needed: a husband, a nice income, and she even had the looks. She just wanted more. Mathilde didn’t understand how with such great looks why she couldn’t have riches. Even though her husband bought the both of them tickets to a ball, Mathilde still refused to go because she had not one thing to wear. However, when she easily convinces her husband into buying a dress that cost four-hundred francs, even though her husband had other plans to do for the money. Now, she had a dress, but, with greed, she still demanded she needed something else. “It annoys me not to have a jewel, not a single stone, to put on. I shall look like distress. I would almost rather not go to this party” (Maupassant). Maupassant clarified that even though her husband went and bought her a dress, she still wanted something

Working hard is important, however, Mother should have considered her situation, along with Mathilde, who never did anything but fantasize and grumble. For instance, Maupassant said “(looking at the

Just as our current society; many individuals during Mathilde’s era follow the trends of clothing, decorating, and even technology. In the story, Maupassant elegantly describes the “Antechambers hung with Oriental tapestry, illuminated by tall bronze candelabra.”(Maupassant 42) Equally important, Mathilde allowed for the influence and ideas of what would make her appealing to the rest of society affect her everyday life. For example, she frequently daydreamed of a life of grandeur in her head such as the “ Long reception halls hung with ancient silk.”(Maupassant 42) Moreover, she frequently would compare herself to those who were better off financially allowing for her to feel unsatisfied and place a sense of false guilt on her husband. The author made it clear as to what she valued by including “She had no gowns, no

The author characterizes the lady as a self-centered one. Frequently, Mathilde complains that she does not have the things she wants, for she was “feeling herself born for every delicacy and luxury…” as if she was in the high class. She plunges herself too far into the depths of comparison to the upper class to the point greed is able to blind her away from

Guy de Maupassant’s short story “The Necklace” and M.Atwood’s poem “The Landlady” both suggest fairly similar topics. “The Necklace” portrays how a woman borrows an expensive necklace after experiencing a once and a life time night and loses it, while having no money to replace it. Similarly, the poem “The Landlady,” shows a person wanting ownership of a home and does not enjoy renting, but cannot afford a house. Between these two pieces, the wanting of money and being poor s a common feature, while having minor aspects of contrast. Although the nature of being poor differs between the short story and poem, both the main character and narrator forms levels of dreaming.

Instantly the story starts with Madame Mathilde cringing at the fact that she was not having a fancy dinner like she would like, and sitting imagining having fancy silverware and wonderful tapestry covering the walls. At this point in the piece of writing, Maupassant clearly uses extremely vivid vocabulary to enhance the readers ideas on the type of lifestyle Mathilde would prefer. The narrator’s vocabulary is very vivid and shows the life she would like, but the words themselves are also decorated. The reader gains a sense of elegance just from the word

Maupassant reveals Mathilde’s true character throughout the story when they go to the formal party and she borrows Madame Forestiers necklace and the way Mathilde treats her husband. Mathilde was never happy with anything she received from her husband, she