Symbolism In The Necklace And The Lottery

2 Pages 577 Words

The necklace in “The Necklace” symbolizes several things, one of which is materialism. By picking a possession as the title of the story, Maupassant’s intent is to point out that materialism is the main focal point of the story. This is because the necklace is representative of the riches and expensive possessions Mme. Loisel so desperately wants. She doesn’t have the money for nice jewelry so she has to borrow some from her friend. When she borrowed the necklace it was very glamorous. Mme. Loisel mysteriously loses the necklace and she and her husband go into debt trying to replace it. You learn that material possessions aren’t nearly as important compared to the value of a good time. Mme. Loisel attended a black tie dinner and wore the necklace she had borrowed. At that time she thought the necklace was made of diamonds and she felt like a princess. She has no idea that the necklace is actually made of clay. Mathilde eventually discovers that, as fate would have it, the necklace was worthless. She has spent ten years trying to replace the necklace when it actuality it really wasn’t worth anything. Fate interacts with the characters every time the necklace comes into the story, and the title helps focus the reader on the necklace’s implications.
The villagers are very superstitious about the powers of the stones in “The Lottery.” The author uses the stones to symbolize evil. It reflects the evil nature of society as a whole. The towns, wanting to have a superior crop that year, believe they must hold a lottery in which the unlucky person, whose name is drawn, will be stoned to death, thus producing a superior crop. The villagers in the story are aware that the sacrifice is inhumane but would not let those feelings known. In stoning Tessie, the villagers treat her as a scapegoat. The only person who shows their rebellious attitude is Tessie. She doesn’t take the stoning seriously. She actually rushes to the square ...