Encyclopedia Britannica describes Guy de Maupassant as the most influential French author of short stories. “The Necklace” is his most famous short story, and the reason behind it is more than just its twist ending. The symbolism of “The Necklace” is as impressive as its plot. Diamonds (real and fake,) mirrors, clothes, and even housework all represent abstract notions, human values, and aspirations.
This part of our study guide analyzes symbols and imagery in “The Necklace.” We will focus on two principal symbols—the titular piece of jewelry and the mirror—and then go over other prominent examples. Finally, we’ll examine how the story’s imagery highlights the importance of the symbolic objects, framing them into a unified narrative. We’ve also included quotes to illustrate the analysis.
💡 Symbolic Elements in The Necklace: Key Examples
“The Necklace” contains multiple symbols, but the most prominent ones are the titular diamond necklace and the mirror:
- The necklace represents the protagonist’s dream of wealth and high society. She is happy only while she wears it but becomes even more miserable once the piece of jewelry is lost.
- The mirror lets the reader see Mathilde through her own eyes but also symbolizes vanity and deceptiveness of outward appearance.
Below, we will discuss these symbols in more detail.
💎 What Does the Necklace Symbolize in the Story?
The necklace symbolizes wealth and the deceptiveness of appearance. The ornament looks expensive but is, in fact, fake. However, since Mathilde doesn’t know it, she feels like a wealthy lady while wearing it and is ready to spend a decade paying off the enormous debt after losing it.
There’s nothing more humiliating than to look poor among a lot of rich women.
The Necklace, Mathilde Loisel
The incident with the fake necklace demonstrates Mathilde’s ignorance of the essence of things. She is only focused on the exterior, which makes her believe that appearing wealthy brings her closer to actually being affluent.
“You say you bought a diamond necklace to replace mine?”
The Necklace, Madame Forestier and Mathilde Loisel
“Yes. You didn’t catch on, did you? They were fairly alike.” And she smiled with proud and naïve joy.
Indeed, Mathilde is proud and naïve. She failed to tell fake jewels from real ones, and it ruined her dreams of a better life.
Why Is the Borrowed Necklace So Important to Mathilde?
Mathilde believes she was born for a better and wealthier life. Since she isn’t entitled to it by birth, she hopes to get a “ticket” into high society in the form of an expensive-looking necklace. Once she gets it, her dreams come true (albeit temporarily.)
Her hands trembled when she picked up the necklace.
The Necklace, Narrator
The imagery in this quote highlights the protagonist’s emotional turmoil, which shows how precious the jewelry is to her.
It’s important to remember that the story is set in late 19th-century France. That period, known as Belle Époque, is famous for its prosperity. Rich Parisians frequently had parties that allowed them to show off through beautiful clothes and jewels.
Mathilde was invited to a similar party with crème de la crème of Parisian society. So, it’s not surprising that for Mathilde, a mere object becomes a symbol of status and high social class. But, just as you can’t become a queen by simply trying on a crown, Madame Loisel can’t gain prosperity by wearing an expensive object she doesn’t even own.
🪞 What Does the Mirror Symbolize in The Necklace?
The mirror shows Mathilde’s glamorous image. However, the reflection is as untrustworthy as the necklace. It displays Mathilde as she wants to see herself, wearing a beautiful dress and expensive jewels. It doesn’t show her actual social class or the fakeness of her jewelry.
This way, the mirror highlights the protagonist’s obsession with appearances despite the unattractive reality. The readers know she is not as wealthy as she wants to seem.
At the same time, the reflection also reveals to Mathilde her own poverty and despair:
She tried the pieces on before the mirror, wavering, unsure whether to keep them or leave them. She kept asking: “Don’t you have anything else?”
The Necklace, Narrator
The reader can tell that Mathilde has a specific mental image of what a well-to-do woman looks like. She won’t be satisfied with anything average.
She placed it on her throat, against her high-necked dress, and remained ecstatic in front of her reflection.
The Necklace, Narrator
Once the necklace is chosen, Mathilde gets excited about her reflection in the mirror. She acts as if she has achieved something remarkable or made a positive change in her life. The dramatic irony of the situation is that the reader knows that no real change actually happened.
📚 The Necklace Symbolism: Other Examples
In addition to jewelry and mirrors, the story has other prominent symbols, namely the dress, wraps, and housework.
What Does the Dress Symbolize in The Necklace?
The dress symbolizes Mathilde’s egoism. It costs the same as the rifle her husband was saving money for.
The gun would be a class-relevant purchase that would help him socialize for years. Instead, his wife buys a dress that would be appropriate for only one event. This shows how the story’s protagonist only thinks about herself and her vanity.
Mathilde’s Wraps in The Necklace
Mathilde’s modest wraps stood out in the background of the rich furs of other party guests. Despite the fancy gown and necklace, she leaves the event in a garment worn by the poor, and it makes her self-conscious. After all, she cannot pretend forever.
He threw over her shoulders the wraps he had brought to go home in, modest garments of every-day life, the poverty of which was out of keeping with the elegance of the ball dress. She felt this, and wanted to fly so as not to be noticed by the other women, who were wrapping themselves up in rich furs.
The Necklace, Narrator
What Does Housework Symbolize in The Necklace?
Housework in the story symbolizes life in poverty. As a middle-class woman in the late 19th-century France, Mathilde had a servant. Once she got a debt to repay, she was forced to start doing all the housework herself.
It’s important to remember that during that time, women of Mathilde’s social class had very few possibilities for work outside of doing chores. Poverty affected her even harder as she became responsible for the thankless, unpaid housework. This can be seen as a symbol of her being trapped with no other options as a woman of her era.
🎨 Imagery in The Necklace
Imagery refers to detailed descriptions and figurative language that let the readers visualize the events and actions through different senses. In “The Necklace,” imagery is especially prominent in contexts revolving around Mathilde’s dreams and the reality of her living conditions.
Mathilde’s Dreams
The story’s protagonist indulges in imagining her wealthy life. These scenes have more vivid imagery than the descriptions of dull reality:
She thought of the exquisite food served on marvelous dishes, of the whispered gallantries, listened to with the smile of the sphinx while eating the rose-colored flesh of the trout or a chicken’s wing.
The Necklace, Narrator
She fantasized about large drawing rooms lined with ancient silk, about fine furniture carrying priceless knickknacks, about small, fragrant, dainty parlors meant for five o’clock chats with the most intimate friends.
The Necklace, Narrator
Mathilde’s Reality
The unattractive reality is described with similar precision. In this case, the imagery makes the readers sympathize with the protagonist trapped in terrible conditions of poverty:
- Mathilde put “her rosy nails on the greasy pots and pans.”
- While bringing household water, she would stop “for breath at every landing.”
- Another striking example shows her drastic change in appearance: “with frowsy hair, skirts askew, and red hands, she talked loud while washing the floor with great swishes of water.”
These examples of imagery, along with other literary devices, let the readers experience Mathilde’s life, both real and imagined.
Now, you know everything about “The Necklace” symbolism. We hope you enjoyed learning how mundane things can represent poverty, wealth, happiness, and despair. Explore other aspects of the short story in the Q&A section and our extensive list of topics.