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Student Example for ThemeTheme in “The Necklace” by Guy De Maupassant“Her hair was badly done, her skirts were awry, her hands were red.” In the story “The Necklace”, by Guy De Maupassant, Madame Loisel, who is the protagonist of the short story, leads a very hard life. Instead of being rich as she had formerly wished to be, she ends up being even poorer than she had been before. But even though she lived the life she had previously believed to be beneath her, she still manages to be pleased with where she was. Through “The Necklace”, the author conveys that some things are not as good as they seem, and happiness can still be achieved without them.The first way that the author showed that happiness can still be achieved without getting exactly what you want was when Madame Loisel admitted to replacing her friend’s necklace. Even though Madame Loisel’s life was not luxurious, she still managed to “...smile in proud and innocent happiness” (5). This shows that Madame Loisel was still content even though she was not living the life she used to dream of. Madame Loisel had always wanted to be rich, but when she became super poor she still managed to be happy. One does not have to always get exactly what is hoped for in life to lead an enjoyable existence. And often, the things that are sought after so persistently are not nearly as good as expected.Another way that the author showed that some things aren’t as great as they seem is by using the diamond necklace as symbolism. In the story, Madame Loisel had forever wanted wealth, and for the first time she gets a taste of it is in the form of the diamond necklace. Madame Loisel is sure that during the time that she is wearing the necklace, she is more happy than she has ever been before. But after she substituted the necklace with one with real diamonds, it is revealed that the original necklace “...was imitation” (5). When Mathilde finally did get what she had always wanted it turned out not to be as good as she had thought. In fact, wealth was not the only thing that Madame Loisel found was not as great as it seemed.At the end of the story, Mathilde discovered that her dear friend was not really as great as she had once thought she was. Madame Forestier has always been considered a very close friend to Madame Loisel, and she was the one who had allowed Mathilde to borrow her necklace. After returning the replaced necklace to her, Mathilde did not see her friend at all, until 10 years later they met again when Madame Loisel saw Madame Forestier walking with a child. Unlike Mathilde, she was “...still young, still beautiful, still attractive” (5). She approached her, wanting to talk, but “...the other did not recognize her…” (5). Madame Forestier did not recognize her friend because she was usually regarded as too high to communicate with people of lower class, and she was surprised when she discovered that the woman was actually Madame Loisel. This shows that Madame Loisel’s poverty evoked worse treatment from Madame Forestier. If Madame Forestier was truly the friend that Mathilde had once thought she was, then Madame Loisel’s financial state would not affect anything. Madame Loisel had always believed that Madame Forestier was an amazing friend, but it turned out she was not. This is just another way that the author supported her theme.To summarize, Madame Loisel learns from her experiences that not all things ?are as good as they seem, and a perfect life is not essential for a happy life. ?Mathilde has always wanted to be rich, and when she ends up living a poverished and hard life, she still manages to be happy. When she finally got what she wanted, though, it turned out not even being as great as she thought it would be. Madame Loisel learned an important lesson from her experience, and it is sure to have a lasting effect on her. Instead of wanting what they don’t have, people should embrace their lives and make the most of them. ................
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