The
Necklace,written by Guy de Maupassant , tells of a young married woman’s impetuous moment at a ball that ended in hardship.
Madame Loisel, graceful,attractive, and hopelessly married to a clerk in the Ministry of Education, longed for a good life, desirous of attention and courtesies. Her chance for a passing glimpse of her dream life comes when she and her husband are invited to a ball hosted by Ministry. She can come up with a suitable dress by nagging at her husband, but one thing in shortage is a jewel. Madame Forestier, her friend, lends her a
diamond necklace to help her avoid appearing poor in the company of so many rich women. It is at the ball that Madame Loisel becomes the center of attention, admired and sought after by men of distinction.And also it is at this place that she is put in disaster. She leaves before dawn in a very good mood. But arriving home, she discovers that the diamond necklace is gone, perhaps stolen.Not being able to find it and not wanting to hurt Madame Forestier by the loss,she and her husband look for a replacement, and get one that costs thirty thousand francs – a small fortune. The necklace is returned but they have to endure so much financial difficulty paying off obligations incurred to return the necklace. Ten years of paying all the loans leaves Madame Loisel an old, unattractive woman. She meets Madame Forestier and tells her what happened to the diamond necklace – how hard she and her husband had worked to replace the lost diamond necklace. Her friend is shocked, but more so is Loisel at being told the lost necklace is but a fake, worth perhaps five hundred francs.