51 pages • 1 hour read
Guy de MaupassantThe Necklace
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1884A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Compare and contrast the characters of Loisel and Mathilde. How can such different personalities form a seemingly successful marriage?
How does the story’s setting relate to the theme of wealth and the French economic and social hierarchy?
How does Mathilde’s character change over the course of the story? Is this change permanent or temporary?
Consider Loisel’s perspective on losing the necklace and having to repay such a large debt. Briefly retell the story from his point of view.
Explain the similarities and differences between Mathilde and Madame Forestier. How does their relationship change through the story?
Mathilde’s character traits lead to financial ruin. Can she use these traits to her advantage once the debt is paid? Do the Loisels have a chance of financial success after repaying the debt?
What does the story teach its readers about materialism?
In Paragraph 107, the narrator mentions how differently things could have been for the Loisels. What would their lives be like had they not lost the necklace?
The story lacks a resolution. What is likely to happen to the Loisels upon discovering that the necklace is fake?
How does “The Necklace” compare to other texts written in the realist literary style? In what sense is de Maupassant a realist author? Does the story in any way challenge the conventions of literary realism?
Related Titles
By Guy de Maupassant
