The Necklace Theme Analysis

There are many contributing factors to the theme of “The Necklace”, a short story written by Guy de Maupassant. Three of these factors are characterization, plot, and motif. “The Necklace” takes place in France and is about a woman named Madame Loisel. She constantly dreams about being rich and spends most of her time sulking about the amazing life that she doesn’t have. When her husband gives her an invitation to a very fancy ball, Mme. Loisel borrows a diamond necklace from her friend, Mme. Forestier because she finds “‘...nothing more humiliating than to look poor among a lot of rich women.’” (Maupassant 228). However, she loses the piece of jewelry and has to spend the next ten years of her life trying to pay for the necklace she bought to replace it. From her experience, Mme. Loisel begins to realize that being satisfied with one's life conclusively has better outcomes than being greedy. This creates the theme that one should be content with who they are and what they have. This theme is supported by characterization,

The protagonist, Mme. Loisel constantly covets for a more extravagant, glamorous life and is never satisfied with the things that she already has. Conclusively, her actions and personality lead to both her and her husband to spend ten years working themselves to death over a necklace that Mme. Loisel had lost. Mme. Loisel had borrowed the necklace because she wanted to appear wealthy among the rich people who were the attending the ball she was invited to. During those ten years, Mme. Loisel begins to realize that she would’ve been much happier in life if she had simply been content with who she is and what she already has. This theme relates to real world and contemporary issues because people who constantly wish for things that they do not have, tend to be more unhappy than those who are gratified with what they already