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The necklace. A long time ago, one of the most pretty and charming girls was born. Her grace and beauty were so great that she was meant to live a luxurious life, wearing beautiful clothes, expensive jewelry, and residing in a big mansion.
A woman borrows a necklace for a party, loses it, and faces years of hardship repaying the debt, only to learn the original was fake.
Key Takeaways
- Materialism and pride can lead to unnecessary suffering.
- Appearances can be deceiving; what seems valuable may be worthless.
- Honesty and humility are important to avoid tragic consequences.
- Life’s hardships can drastically change a person’s circumstances and outlook.
- Small events can have profound, long-lasting impacts on one’s life.
Summary
- Madame Loisel, born beautiful but poor, dreams of a luxurious life she cannot afford.
- She marries a modest clerk and feels unhappy with her social status.
- Her husband secures an invitation to a prestigious party, but she has no suitable dress or jewelry.
- She borrows a diamond necklace from her wealthy friend Madame Forestier to wear to the event.
- After the party, she discovers the necklace is lost and they replace it with a costly duplicate.
- Madame Loisel and her husband endure ten years of poverty repaying the debt.
- She loses her youthful beauty due to the hard life they lead.
- Upon meeting her friend again, she learns the original necklace was a fake worth very little.
- The story highlights themes of pride, vanity, and the harsh consequences of deception.
- It ends with a poignant irony about appearances and true value.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to Madame Loisel's Life and Dreams
- 00:43Madame Loisel's Unhappiness and Social Aspirations
- 01:29Dinner Scene and Her Desire for Luxury
- 02:16Invitation to the Ministry Party
- 02:55Concerns About What to Wear
- 03:35Buying a Dress and Borrowing Jewelry
- 05:01The Party and Loss of the Necklace
- 05:43Repaying the Debt and Hardship
- 06:24Meeting Madame Forestier and the Twist Ending
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
She could have easily been taken as a lady of great wealth, but it seemed that fate played a trick on her, and she was born into a poor family. They had no dowry for her. She finally married a little clerk.
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Loisel, in the Ministry of Education. Madame Loisel, as she came to be called, was very unhappy with her life. She believed that though she was born beautiful and clever, fate, by not making her born in a rich household and married into a richer one,
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had played a cruel joke. She imagined vast salons decorated with antique silks, exquisite pieces of furniture supporting priceless ornaments, where she could give big parties. She wished to live a life that would complement her beauty. And when she and her husband sat down
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for dinner, while her husband exclaimed delightedly, "Aha, broth! What could be better?" she imagined delicate meals served on silver plates. Madame Loisel had no fine clothes, no jewels, nothing, and these were the only things she loved. She had a rich friend, an old school
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friend, whom she refused to visit because she felt sorry for herself. After meeting her own friend, one evening her husband came home with an exultant air, holding a large envelope in his hand. "Here's something for you," he said.
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Swiftly, she tore the paper and drew out a printed card on which were these words: The Minister of Education and Madame Rampuno request the pleasure of the company of Mademoiselle and Madame Loisel at the ministry on the evening of Monday,
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January the 18th. Instead of being delighted as her husband hoped, she flung the invitation across the table, murmuring, "What do you want me to do with this?" "Why, darling, I thought you'd be pleased. You never go out, and this is a great
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occasion. I had tremendous trouble to get it. Everybody wants one. It's very select, and very few go to the Clocks. You'll see all the really big people there." She looked at him out of furious eyes and said, "And what do you suppose I am to wear at
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such an affair?" He stammered, "Why, the dress you go to the theater in. It looks very nice to me." Madame Loisel started to cry. "What's the matter with you?" "What's the matter with you?" he asked hesitantly. She replied,
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"Nothing, only I can't go to this party as I don't have anything to wear." The husband was heartbroken. "Look here," he persisted. "How much would a nice but simple dress cost?" She thought for several seconds, thinking how much money she could make her
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husband give her without him refusing. At last, she replied, "I don't know exactly, but I think I could do it with 400 francs." He grew slightly pale, for this was exactly the amount he had been saving for a gun.
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Nevertheless, he said, "Very well, I'll give you 400 francs." The day of the party drew near, and Madame Loisel seemed anxious. One evening, her husband said to her, "What's the matter with you? You've been behaving very oddly." "I'm utterly miserable because I don't
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have any jewelry to wear with it." "How stupid you are!" exclaimed her husband. "Go and see Madame Forestier, your friend, and ask her to lend you some jewels. You know her quite well enough for that." She exclaimed, "That's true. I never thought of it."
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Next day, she went to see her friend and told her trouble. Madame Forestier took Madame Loisel to her dressing room and said, "Choose, my dear." Madame Loisel finally chose a superb diamond necklace, which she wore with her gown.
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She was the center of attraction at the party. Everyone noticed her. All the men wanted to dance with her. All the ladies praised her. She received many compliments. Madame Loisel felt truly happy and thankful for the first time in her life.
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When they reached home, she discovered that the borrowed diamond necklace was missing. They looked everywhere but could not find it. Scared of going to prison, they sold everything they had and borrowed money to raise 36,000 francs to buy a
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replacement. The husband worked two jobs. They shifted to a smaller house, and Madame Loisel, who had dreams of a luxurious life, had to do her own work. She came to know what abject poverty meant. In 10 years, they were able to pay back
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all the money they had borrowed. By then, she lost all her beauty and looked older. What would have happened if she had never lost those jewels? Who knows? Who knows how strange life is, how fickle, how little is needed to ruin or to
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save? One day, she saw her old friend Madame Forestier walking with her daughter. She was still beautiful and graceful. Madame Loisel decided to go and meet her friend and tell her about what happened. "Good morning, Jean." The other did not recognize her.
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"I am Matilde Loisel." "Oh my, Matilde! How you have changed!" "Yes, I've had some hard times since I saw you last, and many sorrows, and all on your account." "On my account? How was that?" "You remember the diamond necklace you
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lent me for the ball at the ministry?" "Yes." "Well, I lost it." "How could you? Why didn't you bring it back?" "I brought you another one just like it, and for the last 10 years we have been paying for it."
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"You realize it wasn't easy for us. We had no money." "Well, it's paid for at last." Madame Forestier had halted. "You say you bought a diamond necklace to replace mine?" and she smiled in proud and innocent happiness.
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Madame Forestier, deeply moved, took her two hands. "Oh my poor Matilde, but mine was an imitation. It was worth at the very most 500 francs."
Topics:The NecklaceMadame LoiselGuy de Maupassantshort storyliteraturepovertyprideironydeceptionjewelry
