Flashcards for The Necklace

Madame Forestier

Madame Forestier is a wealthy and gracious friend of Mathilde Loisel in Guy de Maupassant's short story The Necklace.

character

Mathilde Loisel

Mathilde Loisel is the tragic protagonist of Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace."

character

Monsieur Loisel

Monsieur Loisel is Mathilde's devoted, unassuming husband, working as a minor clerk in the Ministry of Education.

character

The Minister of Education

The Minister of Education plays a minor yet symbolically important role in Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace."

character

“She suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries.”

This line is spoken by the narrator in Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" (1884), capturing the inner thoughts of the protagonist, Mathilde Loisel, early in the narrative.

Narrator (narrative description of Mathilde Loisel) · Opening section

“It was worth at most five hundred francs!”

This heartbreaking line is delivered by Madame Forestier (Jeanne) towards the end of Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" (1884), directed at Mathilde Loisel.

Madame Forestier (Jeanne)

“She danced with intoxication, with passion, made drunk by pleasure, forgetting all in the triumph of her beauty, in the glory of her success.”

This line comes from Guy de Maupassant's well-known short story "The Necklace" (French: "La Parure," 1884), where he describes Mathilde Loisel at the grand ministerial ball she's always dreamed of attending.

Narrator (Guy de Maupassant)

“I have brought back your necklace.”

This important line is spoken by Mathilde Loisel to Madame Forestier near the end of Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" (1884).

Mathilde Loisel

“What would have happened if she had not lost that necklace? Who knows? Who knows? How strange and changeful is life!”

This reflection comes at a pivotal moment in Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" (1884), narrated in the third person just before Mathilde Loisel finds out the heartbreaking truth about the necklace she lost.

Narrator (omniscient third-person)

“We must consider how to replace that ornament.”

This line is spoken by Monsieur Loisel to his wife Mathilde in Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" (1884), after they realize that the diamond necklace Mathilde borrowed from her wealthy friend Madame Forestier is missing following a glamorous evening ball.

Monsieur Loisel

“Oh, my poor Mathilde! But mine was paste. It was worth at most five hundred francs!”

This heartbreaking line is delivered by Jeanne Forestier to Mathilde Loisel near the conclusion of Guy de Maupassant's short story The Necklace (1884).

Jeanne Forestier

“She had no dresses, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that; she felt made for that.”

This line is from Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" (1884), told in the third person as it introduces Mathilde Loisel, a young woman with limited means who is profoundly unhappy with her life circumstances.

Third-person narrator (describing Mathilde Loisel) · Opening section

Madame Forestier's Wealth

In Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace," Madame Forestier's wealth highlights the alluring but harmful illusion of upper-class life.

The Ball

In Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace," the ball at the Ministry of Education symbolizes the alluring fantasy of wealth, status, and belonging to an upper social class.

The Modest Apartment

In Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace," Mathilde Loisel's modest apartment highlights the disconnect between her reality and her desires.

The Necklace

In Guy de Maupassant's short story, the diamond necklace illustrates how illusions, vanity, and the longing for an unattainable life can be destructive.

Situational Irony

In Maupassant's "The Necklace," situational irony serves as the story's backbone, leading to an outcome that is shockingly opposite to what one would expect, reshaping the meaning of every previous moment.

Irony

In Maupassant's "The Necklace," irony serves as the backbone of the story, rather than just a decorative element.

Juxtaposition

In Maupassant's "The Necklace," juxtaposition drives the story's heartbreaking irony.

Tone

In Maupassant's "The Necklace," the tone drives the story's tragic irony.

Imagery

In Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace," imagery plays a crucial role in illustrating the stark contrast between Mathilde's dreams and her reality.

Foreshadowing

In Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace," foreshadowing quietly lays the groundwork for Mathilde's downfall long before disaster strikes.

Symbolism

In Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace," the diamond necklace stands as the central symbol, and its significance changes with painful irony.

dowry

Money, property, or goods that a woman's family gives to her husband at marriage; here used to suggest Mathilde had no wealth or social advantage to offer when she married.

noun · Chapter 1

distressed

In this context, feeling a sharp, ongoing unhappiness or anguish — not merely sad but tormented by the gap between one's life and one's desires.

adjective · Chapter 1

chafed

Felt irritated and resentful at a situation one cannot escape; to be worn down emotionally by frustration, the way skin is worn raw by rubbing.

verb · Chapter 1

caste

A rigid social class or rank that one is born into and cannot easily leave; used here to mean the fixed lower social station Mathilde feels trapped in.

noun · Chapter 1

antechambers

Waiting rooms or entrance halls leading into the main rooms of a grand house; symbols of aristocratic wealth and elegance that Mathilde dreams of.

noun · Chapter 1

tapestried

Hung or covered with tapestries — heavy decorative woven fabrics depicting scenes or patterns — indicating a richly furnished, old-fashioned aristocratic interior.

adjective · Chapter 1

delicacies

Rare, expensive, or exquisitely prepared foods considered luxurious treats; used here to contrast the plain meals Mathilde eats with the lavish feasts she imagines.

noun · Chapter 1

dainty

Delicately small, pretty, and refined; used to describe the kind of elegant, fine things Mathilde craves but cannot afford.

adjective · Chapter 1

vexation

A feeling of irritation and frustration, especially at something one finds unfair or disappointing; here it describes Mathilde's bitter annoyance at her husband's contentment.

noun · Chapter 2

wraps

Shawls, cloaks, or outer garments worn by women over their evening dress; here the modest wrap Mathilde uses contrasts painfully with the fur coats of wealthier women.

noun · Chapter 2

toilette

The process of washing, dressing, and grooming oneself, or the resulting outfit and appearance; a French-derived term for one's overall dressed presentation at a formal occasion.

noun · Chapter 2

usurer

A moneylender who charges extremely high or exploitative rates of interest; Loisel borrows from such lenders at great personal cost to replace the necklace.

noun · Chapter 3

promissory notes

Written legal promises to repay borrowed money by a certain date, often at interest; signing them commits the Loisels to crushing debt they must work years to clear.

noun · Chapter 3

ruinous

Causing complete financial or personal destruction; the debts the Loisels take on are so enormous they devastate every aspect of their lives for a decade.

adjective · Chapter 3

garret

A small, cramped attic room at the top of a building, typically cheap and uncomfortable; moving there signals the Loisels' dramatic fall into poverty.

noun · Chapter 3

charwoman

A woman hired by the day to do heavy cleaning and domestic work in other people's homes; Mathilde takes on this menial labour to help pay off the debt.

noun · Chapter 3

haggled

Argued back and forth over a price, trying to get the seller to lower it; Loisel haggles with jewellers to find the best deal when replacing the necklace.

verb · Chapter 3

coarse

Rough, harsh, and lacking refinement; used to describe how years of hard physical labour have made Mathilde's hands and manner crude compared to her former elegance.

adjective · Chapter 3