Character Analysis and Narrative Twist in Maupassant's 'The Necklace'

This essay delves into Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace," focusing on the significance of its characters and climax. The protagonist, Mathilde Loisel, a middle-class woman yearning for luxury, captivates the reader with her desires and dissatisfaction. The essay highlights how her character drives the plot and maintains reader engagement. Furthermore, it examines the story's climax, emphasizing the unexpected twist regarding the necklace's true value and its impact on Mathilde's life. The analysis concludes that the combination of compelling characters and a surprising climax is essential for creating an engaging and memorable story, which explains the enduring popularity of "The Necklace."

Running Head: ENGLISH 1
Diagnostic Essay
Author's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Introduction

EDUCATION 2
Everybody loves reading a good story and there are certain features that are indispensable
for a good story. Although there are several aspects like the content and the plot of the story, it is
the believable and memorable characters and the climax of the story that makes it truly
interesting (Now Novel, 2019). Without a good climax and exciting characters, the story would
not be able to hold the interest of the reader.
The story chosen for the diagnostic essay is “The Necklace" by the French writer Guy de
Maupassant (East of the Web, 2018). It is considered a hallmark of story writing style because of
the interesting characters and the climax of the story Mathilde Loisel, the main character of the
story drives the plot of the story forward and keeps the reader engrossed. The climax of the story
takes the reader by surprise and gives an unexpected twist to the story.
Interesting characters in “The Necklace.”
Mathilde Loisel the protagonist of the story is a woman from the middle class who pines
for the luxuries and good things in life. As she is dissatisfied with her middle-class life, many
women can relate to her. Despite having no family rank or social class, she thinks that her grace
and charm can put her among those higher ranks of the society. The words “She suffered
endlessly” for the “delicacies and luxuries of life” and she “dreamed of fine dinners, of shining
silverware, of tapestries” show the strong desires in her for the good life enjoyed by the higher
society. The character draws the reader towards her and within her world.
The climax of “The Necklace.”
The climax of “The Necklace” is indeed touching and there is a major twist at the end of
the story. Mathilde and her husband slog for ten years to find money to replace the diamond
necklace that Mathilde had borrowed and lost after the dance party. After those long years of
hard work, the dreadful debt” was paid. However, Mathilde had to pay a terrible price for her

EDUCATION 3
vain desires. She no longer looked beautiful and became rough in her looks and appearance.
Moreover, when the reader thinks her ordeal is over, he gets another shock through the climax,
which is the last line of the story-” my poor Mathilde! Mine was an imitation! It was worth five
hundred francs at most! ..." This is a significant twist of the story that leaves the reader
wondering as to what was going in Mathilde’s mind now.
Conclusion
To conclude on the above discussion on what makes a story interesting is the characters
and how they carry the momentum of the story forward. In the story “The Necklace,” the main
character, Mathilde Loisel influences the reader emotionally and maintains the curiosity that
forces the reader to finish the whole story.
The climax of the story is indeed touching and leaves a strong impact on the characters
as well as the readers.
As mentioned before, without good characters, or an interesting climax, it is not possible
to create a good story. This is the reason why “The Necklace” is still a popular story even after
so many years.
References

EDUCATION 4
East of the Web. (2018). Guy de Maupassant -The Necklace, east of the web Retrieved from
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/Neck.shtml
Now Novel. (2019). What makes a good story? 10 elements, nownovel Retrieved from
https://www.nownovel.com/blog/what-makes-a-good-story/