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The Necklace By Guy De Maupassant

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In Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace,” Mathilde Loisel, a young French woman, undergoes an enormous personality change when her desires turn out not to be everything she thought they would be. Mathilde is married to a clerk and cannot afford all of the luxuries that life has to offer. She longs for all the delicacies of life, but soon her longing sends her into a downward spiral. The events throughout de Maupassant’s story “The Necklace” cause Mathilde to change from selfish, envious, and materialistic to a humble and mature woman. In the beginning of “The Necklace,” Mathilde selfishly desires materialistic possessions to fulfill her want of being viewed as part of the upper class. Her husband gives up a tremendous amount to satisfy her yearning, yet she remains ungrateful of his thoughtful gestures. One day her husband enthusiastically returns home with a large envelope containing an invitation to a ball. Instead of being elated along with her husband, Mathilde responds by “ throwing the invitation on the table with disdain, murmuring: “what do you want me to do with that” (69)?” Instead of being appreciative for what her husband has done for her, she selfishly turns her nose up at his act of kindness. She is ungrateful for all the inconvenience he went through to secure the invitation to a formal ball, and snaps back at him by saying, “and what do you want me to put on my back” (69)? Just when her husband presents her a splendid gift, she relentlessly desires extra from

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