Women’s Oppression Seen Through The Character of Mathilde in Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace: A Marxist Feminist Study.
Marxist feminism is a study that combines Marxist and Feminist theory. Marxist feminism believes that there will one day be a social revolution led by the working-class (the proletariat) who will overthrow the capitalist system, usurp the upper classes (the bourgeoisie) and seize the means of production to eventually create a socialist, and then a communist society. Marxist feminism also concerns to women who play an incredibly important role, as they are one of the most affected victims of the capitalist system. Through revolution, working-class women will then be able to free themselves from the hardships of the capitalist
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The story illustrates economic and social inequality in a proletariat woman’s life, Mathilde and how much it costs in her living when she wishes to be perfect on bourgeoisies’ eyes. The Necklace also supports the Marxist idea that people are mere creation of the economic and social circumstances. In the very beginning of the story, Mathilde is already described as a lower class woman to be born “into a family of artisan.” By marrying off to a little clerk, who belongs to a middle class people, makes Mathilde’s life even worse. She seems cannot easily accept her life condition, she always daydreams of becoming a part of the bourgeoisie society. It is this feeling that drives Mathilde to borrow the necklace and buy a new luxurious dress in order to attend a ball. Beside driven by her excessive pride, Mathilde is also oppressed by the society’s idea at that time that in order to attend a ball, one must dressed gorgeously. Soon the bourgeoisie’s ideals ruin Mathilde’s life. The tragedy happens when Mathilde lost the necklace. She has to work hard for 10 years and undergoes the severe oppression both physically and mentally, only to replace “a fake diamond necklace” which she thought to be a real one. It is very ironic and tragic to recognize that Mathilde becomes the victim of the economic determinism and has to bear the burden of the servant