Mathilde Loisel is unhappy with her middle-class life and borrows a diamond necklace from her wealthy friend to wear to a ball. She loses the necklace and she and her husband work for 10 years to repay the 40,000 franc cost, ruining their lives. In the end, Mathilde's friend reveals the original necklace was fake and only worth 500 francs.

1. By Guy de Maupassant
Prepared by: Loren Haramae M. Alcordo
BAMM - 303

2. Short Story Summary:
• Title: The Necklace
• Author: Guy de Maupassant
• Setting (Time and Place): 1884
Paris, France Loisel’s
apartment, party at the Ministry
of Education’s Mansion

3. Characters:
• Madame Loisel – selfish, aged
quickly, heavy rough, harsh, spoiled.
• Monsieur Loisel – kind, generous,
loyal hard-working, clerk for Ministry
of Education, wants to please his wife.
• Madame Forestier – kind, generous,
wealthy, snobby.

4. Mathilde Loisel is miserable as the wife of a middle-class
Parisian clerk Monsieur Loisel. She suffers constantly from what
she views as a life of poverty.
Although her husband’s income from his position as a
clerk at the Ministry of Public Instructions sufficiently meets the
couple’s needs, Mathilde dreams of attending the local salons,
which host intimate gatherings of the upper class. She assumes airs
at the dinner table, fantasizing that she is eating a higher quality of
food and imagining herself dining with the wealthy. Mathilde
focuses on her lack of jewels and fine clothing rather than on
enjoying her life.
She is jealous of one acquaintance in particular with whom
she attended convent school, Madame Jeanne Forestier, who has
made a good marriage to a wealthy man.

5. Thinking Mathilde will be
pleased, Monsieur Loisel brings
her an invitation to a ball at the
Palace of the Ministry. Mathilde
surprises him by throwing down
the invitation.

6. Because Mathilde lacks a beautiful gown and
jewels, she does not feel she can attend the ball.
Monsieur Loisel reluctantly agrees to finance
the purchase of a four-hundred-franc gown,
understanding that he must sacrifice a planned
hunting vacation with friends to do so.
Mathilde buys the dress but complains that
she has no jewels. Monsieur Loisel suggests that she
visit her friend Madame Forestier and ask to borrow
some jewelry. For once, Mathilde is pleased by a
suggestion made by her husband.

7. Madame Forestier offers Mathilde the
choice of her jewels. Mathilde selects a superb
diamond necklace from a black satin box. She
feels euphoric when she tries it on. When
Madame Forestier immediately agrees to let her
borrow the necklace, Mathilde kisses her in
gratitude.

8. At the ball, Mathilde’s beauty attracts much attention. She is ecstatic when many men ask her name.
She dances with all of the attachés from the cabinet and is even noticed by the minister. Intoxicated with
pleasure and passion, Mathilde exists for a time in a fantasy haze. She believes she has at last succeeded in
her quest to excel in high society.

9. Monsieur Loisel finds a room in which to sleep while Mathilde enjoys dancing and socializing.
At 4:00 a.m., she is ready to leave. As Monsieur Loisel places her everyday wrap over his wife’s
shoulders, it contrasts so much with her beautiful gown that she hurries to depart before the other
women notice.

11. The Loisels arrive home at the Rue des
Martyrs, and Mathilde pauses to enjoy her reflection in
the mirror. She screams when she sees that the
necklace is missing. She and Monsieur Loisel search
frantically, but they cannot find the necklace.
Monsieur Loisel volunteers to walk back to
the ball’s location, searching as he goes. He returns
home exhausted and without the necklace. At his
instruction, Mathilde writes a letter to Madame
Forestier, explaining she will delay in returning the
necklace. She lies, claiming that its clasp broke so she
is having it repaired. This ruse allows them time to
continue the search.

12. When the Loisels are unable to find the necklace, they use its jewel box to search
for a jeweler from whom it might have been purchased. They discover the value of the
necklace to be forty thousand francs; a jeweler offers to sell them a duplicate for thirty-six
thousand francs.

13. They buy the necklace using Monsieur Loisel’s inheritance of eighteen thousand francs
and borrowing the balance, imperiling their future security. Still hopeful of finding the necklace,
they secure a promise from the jeweler to buy back the duplicate for thirty-four thousand francs if
they return it within three months.

14. However, they do not find the necklace, and
they assume crippling debt that forever changes
their lives. Monsieur Loisel anticipates a “black
misery” that will befall them as a result not only of
future physical sacrifice but also of “moral
tortures.”

15. When Mathilde takes the newly purchased necklace to Madame
Forestier, she fears her acquaintance will discover that the necklace is a
replacement. Her greatest concern is that her friend would consider her a
thief. Although Madame Forestier scolds Mathilde for delaying the
necklace’s return, she never opens the case to inspect it.

16. The next years are torturous for
Mathilde, who works like a servant, her own
servant having been dismissed. The Loisels
move to poor housing.
Mathilde dresses in work clothing
suiting her position and assumes all the
family’s “odious” housekeeping duties.

17. Monsieur Loisel works a second job
at night. They work for ten years to repay
their debts.
The strain of deprivation exacts a toll,
and Mathilde ages rapidly. Occasionally, she
fantasizes, remembering the wonders of the
ball.
Finally, after 10 years their debt is
paid in full.

19. "Oh my poor Mathilde! How you have changed."

20. Yes, I have had days hard enough
since I have seen you, days wretched
enough, and all of that because of you!"

21. "Of me! How so?"

22. "Do you remember that diamond necklace,
which you lent me to wear at the ministerial
ball?"

23. "Yes, well?"

24. "Well, I lost it."

25. "What do you mean? You brought it back."

26. “I brought you back another just like it.
And for this we have been ten years paying.
You can understand that it was not easy for us
who had nothing. At last it is ended, and I am
very glad."

27. Mme. Foresteir had stopped. “You say that you
bought a necklace of diamonds to replace
mine?”

28. "Yes. You never noticed it then! They
were very alike."

29. And she smiled with joy, which
was proud and naive at once. Mme.
Forestier takes Mathilde’s hands in her
own and tells her the truth.
The necklace that she had loaned
Mathilde was mere costume jewelry
worth no more than five hundred francs.

30. “Oh! My poor Mathilde! But mine was a
fake. It was worth no more than five hundred
francs!”.

31. Moral Lesson:

32. The End.