The Necklace

3 Pages 705 Words

The Metamorphosis of Mathilde Loisel

In de Maupassant’s “The Necklace,” Mathilde Loisel is somewhat like a butterfly. She starts as a cocoon in the beginning of the story, hoping one day she will become a butterfly. In human words, Mathilde dreams about living in a higher society. These unrealistic ideas cause dissatisfaction in her life. But as fate comes to us all, it finds Mathilde at a high-class society party, which is where she loses a necklace she has borrowed from a very wealthy friend, crushing any hope of becoming a butterfly. It is then that Mathilde begins to appreciate her present situation. Mathilde’s cocoon state starts with her daily life with her husband. The transformation goes in reverse, cocoon to a caterpillar, as she moves from her home to the attic flat apartment. The last transformation, caterpillar to a pulp, occurs when Mathilde hits bottom, which is the final stage of the metamorphosis.
Living in high-class society is the fantasy of Mathilde Loisel. Mathilde is a very pretty but unfortunate woman. Her husband, Mr. Loisel, is a poor clerk. Dreams of living in high-class society and wealth fill her daydreams: “feeling herself destined for all delicacies and luxuries” (paragraph 3). The luxuries are unrealistic and unattainable to her. Her husband has normal tastes and is satisfied with what he has. Seeing that he is so content while she wants so much more frustrates her. Some of the frustration goes away when the two of them are invited to dinner at the Ministry of Education. Although she is still frustrated because she has nothing to wear, he gives up the money he has saved to buy a shotgun to buy her a dress. Still wanting, she asks to borrow a necklace from a rich friend, Mrs. Forrestier: “Could you lend me this, nothing but this “ (paragraph 46)? It would complete her attire and make her happy for the moment.
Mathilde and her husband attend the dinner. Mathilde feels like a real succe...