The Necklace

What is beauty?

For this HW assignment, you should focus on how to use quotes from the text economically. When you use a quotation from the story, you don't have to use the whole quote. Just a phrase or even a single word can serve your purpose. For example, let's look at the following question:

What is the narrator's view on women?

A good answer might look like this:

The narrator suggests women are not born into a particular class, as men are. It is "their beauty, their grace, and their charm" that determine their future, rather than "birth and fortune". With intelligence, a sense of style and the ability to adapt deftly to new situations, the daughter of a common worker can "equal" the most well-born lady.

Answer the questions below. Be sure to support your response with textual evidence.

    1. Why is Mathilde unhappy with her life at the opening of the story?

  1. How do we know Mme Loisel is not poor at the beginning of the story? (Cite evidence)

  2. Why does M. Loisel expect his wife to be pleased to receive the invitation from the Minister of Education? (Cite evidence)

  3. Why has M. Loisel been saving 400 Francs?

  4. Why is Mme Loisel anxious to hurry away from the ball? (Cite evidence)

  5. What evidence do we have that M. Loisel is content with his life before the ball? (Cite evidence)

  6. What does the necklace symbolize? (Cite evidence)

  7. Explain how de Maupassant uses irony in the denouement.