Love is priceless and it dedicates itself to each other. When everything else is lost, love remains but if not returned it stumbles into the dark and does not bring its intended happiness.The story opens with a notion of fate. Here, it seems that fate is a controlling force. Maupassant writes ‘she was one of those pretty and charming girls, born by a blunder of destiny in a family of employees’ (1). Though Mathilde is a pretty girl, she does not experience those advantages that girls of the upper class experience. She lived a life of imaginations. She imagines of her family leading a better as well as a luxurious life. Mathilde also has imaginations of delicate meals and being served in dishes that are marvelous. This then implies that she is only a victim here.
If it were for her to choose, she would have had a better life. Mathilde has the dream of getting more in her life.Though she may have suffered fate, Mathilde is portrayed as a character who is very materialistic as well as selfish. This is evident in the ways in which she thinks of the environment that she lives in and also on her treatment to her husband. The husband, a clerk in the education ministry works hard to ensure that he provides a happy life for his wife but Mathilde is never satisfied. For instance, when Mathilde’s husband brings home the invitation cards, Mathilde does not appreciate him but rather thinks of what to wear at the party.
As it is put in the story, Mathilde looks at her husband angrily and asks “And what do you suppose I am to wear at such an affair?”(15)The story is symbolic of the love that exists between husband and wife torn between monetary wants. The husband places the happiness of his wife first and that is why he struggles to get the cards though he takes pleasure in simple things for example “the good potpie.” Even when the husband shows love by offering her money to buy a dress, Mathilde does not show any appreciation. This is in contrast to the way she acts towards Madame Forestier. She embraces her when offered the diamond necklace. This is a scene which shows lack of concern in her husband’s deeds simply because he is not a wealthy man.
She portrays love to Forestier because of her richness. It is evident that the actions of Mathilde revolve around wealth.When she and her husband attend the party, she leaves her husband alone and gets to dance with the powerful and rich men. The slip that Mr. Loisel gets into as Mathilde dances is symbolic. This is because of the insensitiveness and frivolity of his wife. She neither appreciates nor respects him. What makes her happy is the fact that she dances with rich men. However, the dance night comes to an end and Mathilde has to go home with her poor husband. Being a cold night, Loisel covers his wife with an old wrap to keep her warm, a sign of love.
However, the beautiful Mathilde does not want to be reminded of her normal life and she gets embarrassed and bitter. This is what makes her hurriedly walk away to avoid being noticed by the other women in her old garments.What Mathilde thought would be a happy ending does not happen so. On getting home, she realizes that she has lost the borrowed diamond necklace. Again here, her husband’s love is portrayed. He goes out to find it. “I’ll go over all the ground we walked, and see if I can’t find it” he says (78). Mr. Loisel does this so as to win the love and happiness from his wife but these are things she only finds in riches.
When the necklace can not be found, Mathilde’s husband has to work for a new one. He even goes further to work for long hours and even takes a second job. The happiness that Mathilde sought for in riches has to be forgotten. She also has to work. This is because they can not afford to hire servants anymore and she thus has to carry out all the chores in the house.They finally manage to buy Madame Forestier a new necklace though it takes them ten years to clear their debts. The happy life that she dreamed of is now gone. The result of her selfish and materialistic deeds is her fast ageing.
She does not look like the young woman she sought to look like. Even her once friend, Madame Forestier does not recognize her. The story is ended with an irony of the revelation that Madame Forestier’s necklace was an imitation despite Mathilde and her husband working for ten years to repay it.This also symbolizes Mathilde’s behavior. Just as the borrowed necklace was fake, Mathilde’s quest for riches is not real. She is just being extravagant, selfish and materialistic. If only she would have been content with what she had, Mathilde would not have put her husband and herself through so much suffering and pain. When all is lost, it is the love of her husband that Mathilde has to cling on.
