False Sense Of Satisfaction In Maupassant's The Necklace

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There is nothing wrong with wanting more, but temporal desires can lead to a whole new portrayal of your character. Finding your self worth in materialistic things will only lead to the destruction of who you really are. Guy de Maupassant illustrates this in his story, “The Necklace.” Maupassant describes the consequences of how worldly desires can precede a false sense of satisfaction. Mathilde Loisel, the main character, struggles with her feeling of entitlement, her lust for materialistic things, and her pride. The story begins with Mathilde sitting at home wondering why she couldn 't live the elaborate lifestyle. Mathilde felt entitled to every luxury and comfort of the upper class: “‘She suffered constantly, feeling that all the attributes of a gracious life, every luxury, should rightly have been hers’”(Maupassant 333). Mathilde hated her simple belongings, and she pitied herself because she was short of fortune. She felt that she deserved to be adored by men and resented by women: “‘ She had longed so eagerly to charm, to be desired, to be wildly attractive and sought after.”’ (Maupassant 334). Mathilde felt she would only be lusted after if she had all the treasures. Mathilde’s feeling of entitlement causes her to be ungrateful for what she has, and leads her to make selfish decisions. …show more content…

Mathilde only wants to be seen if she has the fancy dress and nice jewelry. The only things that Mathilde loves and that makes her feel loved is her worldly possessions: “‘She had no clothes, no jewels, nothing. And these were the only things she loved”’(Maupassant 334). Mathilde felt insulted when she would look at all the things that she has because of their poor manner. She felt that she had the right to all the fortune she could get. Mathilde’s lust for materialistic things makes her insecure and causes her to rely on her own