Madame Mathilde In The Necklace By Guy De Maupassant

In the short story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, the protagonist identified as Madame Mathilde is a dynamic character who evolves from someone who is oblivious to someone who is more conscious of her environment. Madame Mathilde is an oblivious person who often daydreams about a fantasy she created where she enjoys riches and she is completely unaware and unconcerned about the factual reality of a poor housewife which she lives in. When looking around her house before having dinner, she daydreams about “echoing halls hung with Oriental draperies and lighted by tall bronze candelabra”(1). Although in reality, she lives in an impoverished house with “dirty walls, worn-out chairs [and] ugly curtains”(1). This contrast between Mathilde’s fantasies and the reality of a poor housewife which she lives in, reveals that she is extremely oblivious about what is happening around her in the factual reality.

While eating with her husband, she starts dreaming of “dainty dinners, of shining silverware [and] of tapestries”(1). Daydreaming instead of interacting with people around her affirms that Madame Mathilde is extremely oblivious and unconcerned about her surroundings. In addition, when having a discussion with her husband about the ball they were invited to, her husband says that going to the ball would be a great opportunity since she “never [goes] out”(1). Mathilde’s choice to never go out and to stay indoors should come as no surprise from an oblivious daydreamer who is unconcerned about what is happening around her. As a result, she would rather avoid any interaction with her environment. When Mathilde lost her necklace after going to the ball, she had to cooperate with her husband to find a way to replace the