The Necklace

So last night as I was devouring Moupassant, I came across a very striking story. Striking because I had read it years ago in middle school. I thought I'd share it. Its a great example of Moupassantesque stories and twists.

The Necklace
By Guy de Moupassant
Abridged and Edited by Jean Woest

There was once a poor clerk, who worked for the Educational Department of France. He married a young wife of his same class and rank, who came from a family who had always pampered and spoiled her. And so, because she had been raised to act above her rank and social position she would sit for hours preparing herself each day, would always have her hair in the latest fasion, and wore the dresses from premier fasion houses of Paris. She was also in the social circles of many upper class ladies, one of which was a certain Madame Forestier.

One day, she and Madame Forestier were having tea, when Madame Forestier told her about the Comissioner's Ball the next weekend. The clerk's wife, whose name was Matilde, went home longing deeply to go to the ball. For days she didn't touch food or speak and eventually her husband asked her what was troubling her. She declared that she had to go to this ball. He eventually consented to take her and buy her a new dress. But she then refused to be pleased until he bought her a new necklace. He refused, telling her that the only extra money they had was the money he had been saving for several years now in order to buy a new hunting riffle. Instead, he told her to simply borrow a necklace from Madame Forestier.

Madame Forestier let Matilde borrow a very large, grand, diamond necklace, and all the evening she was the talk of the ball. Her husband who had to work late could not attend and so she was there accompanying the Forestiers. All the young men wanted to dance with her and she never had a more glorious evening in her life. Afterward, the Forestiers sent a carriage for her which took her home.

When she got home her husband had also just arrived. She told him about the grand evening and the splendor, how everyone had commented her dress, her hair, and her necklace. As she spoke of the necklace her hand trailed to her neck and she suddenly realised it was gone! She and her husband checked her dress, the house, the carraige she had been in, even walked along the street looking for it, but the diamond necklace was gone.

The next day she and her husband went to the jewelers and found the identical necklace, the cost was 40,000 franks. Matilde's husband had 5,000 saved for his gun and set about borrowing the rest. He set up loans with all the creditors in town and his name became worthless. But they at last got the money, bought the replacement necklace, and gave it to Madam Forestier without telling her, who, after opening the case and checking to make sure her jewels were safe, reprimanded Matilde for keeping it so long without asking.

The next ten years passed slowly for Matilde and her husband. He took two extra jobs to begin to pay off their debt. They moved to a smaller house in the poor side of town. Matilde sent all the servants away and began doing all the work they did. Her once soft hands became red and rough with use, her hair grew grey and tangled, her voice, loud and abnoxious. And so they worked until after ten year they had finally paid off the debt.

One day as Matilde went for a walk, she walked into the richer side of town. She rounded a corner and suddenly found herself face to face with Madame Forestier who did not look like she had aged a day. She decided that since they had finished paying off the necklace she had no reason not to tell her so she approached her and greeted her by her first name. Madame Forestier looked at her in disdain, that someone of such a low class would dare to call her in such friendly terms.

Then Matilde revealed her identity and Madam Forestier was shocked, asking her what had happened, why she had changed so much, aged so quickly. Matilde told her the whole story and when she finally reached the end, Madam Forestier was moved to tears by their sad situation. Then she hugged Matilde and said,

"My dear Matilde, if you had only told me from the start. You see, the my necklace only had imitation diamonds and was not worth more than 400 franks."

It's this kind of dramatc irony, plot twists revealed at the very end, that make Moupassant one of my all time favorite authors. This is obviously the condensed version. The full version is much better and I strongly recomend that if you haven't read it yet go and read it. Sorry to have spoiled the ending for you. :)