One of Guy De Maupassant's literary influences was Gustave Flaubert, who taught him to write. Flaubert's didactic principles suggested that "the writer must look at everything to find some aspect of it that no one has yet seen or expressed," thus providing the reader with a new or different vision of life (Charters, "Maupassant" heading 523). Maupassant managed to be a writer "who had entered into himself and looked at life through his own being and with his own eyes", according to Kate Chopin (861). He wrote “realistic fiction” and still greatly influences writers (Charters, “Brief History” 998). "The Series" was written in the Literary Realism period of the 19th century. The story focuses on “everyday events, lives [and] relationships of the lower-middle class” and offers a glimpse of ordinary people and how they are affected by “social and economic forces” (Agatucci 4). plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The meaning of “The Necklace” is developed through the portrayal of characters and the plot of the story. Maupassant stated that the story is not just a form of entertainment but a tool "to make us reflect and to make us understand the profound and hidden meaning of events" ("The Writer" 896). I found that the theme of "Necklace" shows the importance of honesty and being happy with who you are. It shows that things are not always what they seem, material things do not define the person and that money cannot solve all problems and can actually create them. Donald Adamson describes the protagonist, Mathilde, as a "poor but honest woman", I disagree with his opinion. Matilde's dishonesty changes her life and forces her to learn about "the horrible existence of the needy" (Maupassant 528). "The Necklace" is the story of Matilde, the miserable and selfish wife of a "little clerk" who suffers "from the poverty of her home" and dreams of a rich and elegant lifestyle in which she is beautiful and "envied" (Maupassant, " Necklace", 524). This conflict within Mathilde drives her throughout the story. Her devoted husband, M. Loisel, is satisfied with their life and wishes to make her happy despite all she has to endure. After getting an invitation to a ball that was "a terrible trouble to get," he eagerly takes it home to his wife who is ungrateful because she doesn't feel she has anything suitable to wear (525). After having a new dress made, Mathilde can't imagine going to the ball without "a single piece of jewelry," so she borrows a beautiful necklace from her friend Mme. Forestier (526). The day of the ball turned out to be everything Mathilde imagined, but it all ends when she loses the necklace. Although M. Loisel and Mathilde find a replacement necklace, they spend "ten years in extreme poverty until they have finally paid off their debt," only to discover that the necklace was not a diamond necklace but only "mere trinkets" (Adamson). Charters defines plot as the “sequence of events in a story and their relationship to each other as they develop and usually resolve a conflict” (“Elements” 1003). In the exposition of The Necklace, Maupassant provides a detailed "character portrait" of Mathilde and offers some important details about M. Loisel (Adamson). It is obvious that a conflict exists within Mathilde. She feels she is too good for the life she leads. She is not satisfied with who she is and dreams of being someone else. In contrast, Mr. Loisel is happy and satisfied to return home to his wife who prepares him a "cheap but tasty meal" (Smith). Mathilde is very materialistic and believes that riches would put an end to her suffering, she won't even go to visit a rich friendand "former classmate at the convent" because she is so jealous and envious. The rising action of the plot begins when M. Loisel presents the invitation to Matilda. This presentation only exacerbates the conflict that exists between her and Mathilden. I can't imagine going to the ball in one of her old dresses. Mathilde sheds two pitiful tears and M. Loisel "immediately decides to sacrifice her savings" in order to buy a new dress (Smith). Mathilde isn't satisfied with just a new dress! She thinks it would be a shame to show up to the ball without jewelry. She must not “seem poor among other rich women” (Maupassant 526). He then borrows a "superb diamond necklace" from Mme. Forestier (526). In this passage Maupassant convinces the reader that the necklace is made of real diamonds; "he leads the reader to believe that the necklace is truly precious" (Adamson). This creates more excitement for the climax of the story when Mathilde loses the necklace on her way home from the ball. M. Loisel responds by going to look for the necklace to no avail. He does not find the necklace and orders Mathilde to lie to Mme. Forestier and tell her that she broke the necklace and will need time to repair it. If Mathilde had chosen to be honest at this point, Mme. Forestier allegedly told her that the necklace was only "glue...it was worth at most five hundred francs" (530). Instead, they find a suitable replacement necklace that costs thirty-six thousand francs. After a week Mr. Loisel "had aged five years" and was forced to use his inheritance and borrow money "risking his signature without even knowing whether he would be able to respect it" to purchase the replacement necklace (Maupassant, " Necklace" 528). Having returned the necklace to her friend, Matilde discovers "the horrible existence of the needy" (528). They "dismissed their servant" and gave up their apartment. Matilde becomes a "woman from a poor, strong, hard and rude family" (529). She was forced to bargain and defend their “miserable money” (529). It took them ten years to pay off all their debts. Mathilde was no longer beautiful and charming, she now had "shaggy hair... and red hands" (529). These trials and tribulations represent the falling action of the story, where the conflict is moving toward a resolution (Charters, “Elements” 1005 ). Guy De Maupassant's narrator and Donald Adamson use the term hero when describing Mme. Loisel, but I don't think his actions were heroic. She was simply fulfilling the duties that were expected of her, but that she felt she was too good for. I don't think dishonesty is a characteristic of a hero. Maybe if Mathilde had been honest with Mme. Forestier from the beginning regarding the loss of the necklace, would have explained that they were not real diamonds and they could have avoided all the hardships they had endured. Some might argue that Mathilde was heroic because she took responsibility for her mistake, gave up her lifestyle, and worked to repay her debt. It was admirable that she did not expect her husband to carry the burden alone. The conclusion of “The Necklace” undoubtedly contains an element of surprise. Mathilde discovers that the necklace was not made of diamonds, but of fake gems. This devastating discovery leaves many questions unanswered. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Maupassant's narrator uses limited omniscient narration by describing Mathilde with his thoughts. She is a well-rounded character capable of choosing alternative responses to situations presented to her (Charters, "Elements" 1007). I believe that Mathilde is a dynamic and static character at the same time. It is dynamic because it undergoes significant change and.