The presence of certain objects can change the course of one’s entire life. This occurs in both “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin and “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. In these stories, the protagonists are living their lives in an ordinary fashion. However, when they acquire an item, their lives are diverted from the original assumption of the protagonist’s future. The jewelry in “The Necklace” and the newborn child in “Desiree’s Baby” sever as symbols throughout the story. In the short stories “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant and “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin, the authors use symbolism as a turning point in the protagonist’s lives to convey life’s unexpectedness.
In the beginning of “Desiree’s Baby”, Desiree is content and looks forward
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While having a conversation with Madame Valmonde, Desiree states, “he hasn’t punished one of them—not one of them—since baby is born. Even Négrillon, who pretended to have burnt his leg that he might rest from work—he only laughed, and said Négrillon was a great scamp. Oh, mamma, I’m so happy; it frightens me.” (Chopin 2). The change in Armand’s character, due to Desiree’s and the baby’s presence in his life, reflects the rise of a positive relationship with both the child and Desiree. Desiree also interprets Armand’s tolerance towards his slaves’ defiance as his preparation to be a loving and caring figure in their lives. In addition, Desiree is so deeply in love with Armand that she is willing to tolerate anything in order to be by his side. This is evident when the narrator states, “When he frowned she trembled, but loved him. When he smiled, she asked no greater blessing of God.” (Chopin 2). The fact that Desiree “trembled” when …show more content…
When given the necklace, it symbolizes to both the reader and Madam Loisel that it represents the higher class. After losing the necklace and forcing her husband to borrow money for a new one, Madame Loisel “came to know the heavy work of the house…” (Maupassant 5). Due to the presence and absence of the necklace in her life, Madam Loisel had to endure working, a task she never had to before. Even though she was not working an actual job, it still hurt her to have to work at all. Since the beginning, she had the idea that she was made for a better life and that doing anything was beneath her. Therefore, the fact that she had to tend the house like the women of lower classes repulsed her. In addition, Madame Loisel’s social class plummeted lower than what is already was. Her life became contrary to what she had originally