Greed has taken over human beings since human civilization has existed. It's one of the main reasons why our world is the way it is today. Many of the problems of the past were caused by the human nature of greed. Guy De Maupassant, the author of "The Necklace", perfectly shows how greed can lead to bad results in the story. Guy De Maupassant, one of the fathers of the short story, was born on August 5, 1850. A quote that represents the legacy of Maupassant "French writer of short stories and novels of the school of naturalists who is by general opinion the greatest French short story writer" (Bennet). In his short story "The Necklace", Maupassant focuses mainly on greed. It describes how greed will lead to ruin anyway and that it changes people. At the beginning of the story, Mathilde grieves because she deserves a better life and why she should live a luxurious life. Eventually she is invited to a ball and needs a piece of jewelry that falsely represents her wealth. Mathilde finally borrows a necklace, but loses it during the dance and spends years trying to raise money to replace the necklace. She is soon told that it was fake and worth nothing. Maupassant was trying to convey how women's actions had a cruel effect on Maupassant's life. Guy De Maupassant develops the theme that greed can lead to ruin in his short story "The Necklace" through the use of foreshadowing, symbolism, and setting. In the story "The Necklace", the author uses foreshadowing to show that greed will lead to a downfall. Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives a preview of what will happen later in the story. For example when the necklace is lent. This predicts that so...... middle of paper......es. Being humble will help you become a better person and you may not have to face so many problems. Works Cited Brackett, Virginia. "The necklace." Masterplots, fourth edition (2010): 1-3. Literary reference center. Network. January 21, 2014. “Maupassant, Guy de.” Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1995. Literature Resource Center. Network. January 21, 2014. "Maupassant, Guy De." Benet Reader's Encyclopedia (1996): 664. Literary Reference Center. Network. January 21, 2014.Maupassant, Guy De. The Necklace. Np: np, nd Print.May, Charles E. “The Necklace.” Magill'S Survey Of World Literature, revised edition (2009): 1. Literary Reference Center. Network. January 21, 2014.Smith, Christopher. "The Necklace: Overview." Reference Guide to Short Fiction. Ed. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Literature Resource Center. Network. January 21st. 2014.