Short Story Summary TITLE The Necklace AUTHOR Guy de Maupassant SETTING Time and Place 1884 Paris France Loisels apartment party at the Ministry of Educations Mansion ID: 393177
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Slide1
“The Necklace” Short Story SummarySlide2
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.Slide3
CHARACTERS (List and describe on separate lines):
Madame Loisel
- selfish (beautiful, charming, middle class, spoiled, daydreamed)→→aged quickly, heavy rough, harsh, shrill voice, poor
Monsieur Loisel-
kind, generous, loyal hard-working, clerk for Ministry of Education, wants to please wife, middle class Slide4
Madame Forestier
- kind, generous, wealthy, snobby Slide5
SUMMARY
Madame Loisel is in her apartment dreaming of a better life. She is unhappy and dissatisfied with her social status and mediocre surroundings. Mme & Msr. L receive an invitation to a party at the Ministry. Slide6
Plot Summary cont’d
Mme. refuses to attend until she has something suitable to wear. She borrows a diamond necklace from her friend Mme. F. Mme. L loses the necklace somewhere on the way home.
Slide7
Summary continued…
They borrow the money from loan sharks and are forced to live a life of poverty for 10 years until their debts are paid off. Mme. L meets up with Mme F and tells her about the lost necklace, and Mme. F reveals the necklace is fake. Slide8
POINT OF VIEW:
This short story is told from the
3rd person limited
point of view. The author focuses on Mme. Loisel’s thoughts and feelings.
Slide9
Conflicts:
Internal –
Mme. Loisel vs. herself: her excessive pride, materialism and shallowness cause her emotional torture as she feels she’s been deprived of luxuries. Slide10
Conflict cont’d
External –
Mme. Loisel vs. M. different values (although he is tolerant of her behavior and wants to please her)Slide11
SYMBOLS:
Necklace
= greed/desire for what one cannot have, differences in social classes, dishonesty, Mme. L’s ‘fakeness’ or want of material things
Wrap
= Mme’s station in life – insecurity- embarrassment
Dress
= M. Loisel sacrifice for his wifeSlide12
THEME:
1. People should be happy with what they have.
2. Honesty is the best policy.
3. You may pay a terrible price for greed and desire (Mme. L’s fatal flaw, her desire for material things, her ‘fakeness’ just like the necklace)Slide13
OTHER LITERARY ELEMENTS
Characterization
– the author shows what Mme. Loisel is like by concentrating mainly on the way she views her surroundings (daydreams about expensive things/lifestyle.Slide14
Other Literary Elements cont’d
Irony
– Mme. L borrows a necklace to fit in with the rich people she envies, but the loss of the necklace results in her being poorer than she was.Slide15
Other Literary Elements cont’d
Foreshadowing
- Rue de Martyrs the name of the street and the English word martyr- martyr means a great or constant sufferer.
Her intense unhappiness cannot be lifted with one party invitation.
Slide16
PLOT DEVELOPMENT CHART
EXPOSITION
: We meet Mme. Loisel in her apartment as she is described as extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with her social status
NARRATIVE HOOK:
Mme. Loisel receives an invitation to the party.Slide17
Plot Development Chart cont’d
RISING ACTION:
Mme. Refuses to attend the party without a suitable dress/borrows a necklace/loses it/borrows money to buy a new one/lives life of poverty to pay debt. Slide18
Plot Development Chart cont’d
CLIMAX:
10 years later relieved of the debt Mme. L. confesses all to Mme. F. who reveals the necklace is a fake. Slide19
Quote Interpretation:
Quote
– “We do not succeed in changing things according to our desire, but gradually our desires change.”
– Marcel ProustSlide20
Quote cont’d…
In your own words, explain what this quote means to you
–
We cannot always get what we want when we want it. Eventually, our priorities change and what we want changes at the same time.
Slide21
Quote Interpretation cont’d
How does this quote relate to the story you just read?
Madame Loisel is very self-centered at the beginning of the story. She is focused on material possessions. By the end of the story, her perspective changes. Slide22
Quote cont’d
Foreshadowing
- Madame and Monsieur Loisel live on “Rue des Martyrs” street. A martyr is someone that suffers a great deal and never recovers after their loss. The author foreshadows the suffering that Madame and Monsieur Loisel will have.Slide23
Quote cont’d
Mood-
The mood of this story changes as the characters and their priorities change. In the beginning, Madame L is disappointed, but then she has a great time at the party and the mood shifts to one of excitement and enjoyment. Slide24
Mood cont’d…
After losing the necklace, Madame L’s priorities change and the mood changes to one of tragedy and loss.