Chapter 1.5 – The Necklace

Why was Mathilde married to a ‘minor official’?

Ans: Mathilde was married to a minor official because she had no means of becoming known to, understood by, loved by, or wedded to a rich and aristocratic man.

Why did Mathilde weep with misery after visiting her schoolmate?

Ans: Mathilde would weep with regret, despair, and misery after visiting her schoolmate, because her schoolmate was rich while she herself was not.

What did the envelope hold?

Ans: The envelope held an invitation from the Minister of Education and Madame Georges Rampouneau, addressed to Monsieur and Madame Loisel.

Was the husband a considerate person? How do we know that?

Ans: Yes, the husband was a considerate person. He had been saving that exact amount of money to buy a gun for a hunting trip with his friends near Nanterre. Yet he was selfless enough to give the money to Mathilde instead, so that she could buy a new dress.

Why did Mathilde go to her friend’s house and tell her of her distress?

Ans: Mathilde went to her friend’s house and told her of her distress because she was not satisfied with the solution her husband had suggested.

What did Madame Forestier’s large box contain?

Ans: Madame Forestier’s large box contained jewellery, including a pearl necklace and some bracelets.

Which sentences tell us that Mathilde greatly desired the necklace?

Ans: Mathilde’s heart began to beat with uncontrolled desire, her hands trembled as she took the necklace, and she stood lost in admiration as she looked at her reflection wearing it. These details tell us how greatly she desired the necklace.

Try to express the thoughts that must have passed through Mathilde’s mind on seeing the necklace, in Mathilde’s own words.

Ans: “Oh, this is exactly what I wanted! Now I can go to the party and look beautiful. I hope Madame Forestier lets me borrow it. I must ask her if I may wear just this one piece.”

Think and answer: Why did Mathilde not notice the loss of her necklace earlier?

Ans: Mathilde was the prettiest woman at the party, and once she realised this, she felt so happy that she danced wildly with passion and forgot about everything else. Because of this happiness, she did not even notice that her necklace was missing.

(a) Mathilde was beautiful, and so she wanted to marry an aristocrat.

Ans: Mathilde wished that her beauty alone would guarantee her marriage to a rich aristocrat.

(b) Mathilde was sad because she did not get any luxuries.

Ans: Mathilde was so convinced that she was meant to be rich that she detested her real life.

(c) Mathilde felt that her house was shabby and poorly furnished.

Ans: Mathilde dreamt of living in a palatial mansion with vast rooms, and so she disliked her comparatively small and shabby house.

(d) Mathilde wanted other people to envy her.

Ans: Mathilde wanted to be the centre of attraction and wished that others would be drawn to her and envy her.

(e) Mathilde was not happy to see the invitation.

Ans: Mathilde wanted to be the centre of attraction at the event and wanted to be so well dressed that she would be the most admired guest, so an ordinary invitation did not make her happy.

(f) Mathilde wanted a new dress for herself.

Ans: Mathilde was quite selfish in not considering that her husband had been saving money to buy a hunting gun, yet she still wanted that money to buy a new dress for just one party.

(g) Mathilde borrowed a diamond necklace from her friend and wore it to the party.

Ans: Mathilde wanted to look good at all costs, so she did not think twice before borrowing a necklace from her friend.

(h) Mathilde lost the necklace.

Ans: Mathilde was so engrossed in being the centre of attraction at the party that she carelessly did not notice the loss of the necklace.

What efforts did Loisel make to find the necklace?

Ans: Monsieur and Madame Loisel looked everywhere for the necklace. Monsieur Loisel went out and searched the entire route they had taken. He went to the police and then to the newspaper office to offer a reward. He even went to the cab companies, thinking they might have left it in a cab, but he could not remember the cab’s number.

Note the expressions: ‘glimmer of hope’ and ‘sick with grief and anguish’.

Ans: A ‘glimmer of hope’ means a faint belief that there is still a slight chance of something positive happening. To be ‘sick with grief and anguish’ means to suffer from deep sadness, sorrow, and pain, almost like a physical or mental illness.

What is implied in ‘a hollow, pale figure’?

Ans: The hollow and pale figure of Monsieur Loisel implies that he had lost all hope of finding the necklace. He had searched the whole night and walked the entire route, so he must have been extremely tired and sleepless after returning from the party. Having lost all hope, he looked hollow and pale.

What was the arrangement with the jeweller? Do you think it was fair?

Ans: The Loisels begged the jeweller not to sell the necklace for three days. They arranged that he would take it back for thirty-four thousand francs if the original necklace was found before the end of February. I think it was fair, because the jeweller would still make a profit while giving the Loisels a small chance to recover their necklace.

Discuss: Why did Madame Forestier speak coldly to Mathilde?

Ans: Madame Forestier had lent her necklace to Mathilde for the party, but Mathilde returned it more than a week later, claiming she had broken the clasp and had it mended. Madame Forestier may not have liked the fact that her property had not been taken care of properly, and she also mentioned that she might have needed the necklace earlier. This is why she spoke coldly to Mathilde.

What is meant by ‘the horrible life of the very poor’?

Ans: Unlike the rich, the poor cannot afford the comforts of life and have to face many difficulties due to a shortage of money. Even the Loisels had to face many hardships due to poverty, such as dismissing their maid and moving to cheaper lodgings. Mathilde had to do all the household chores herself, while her husband had to work extra hours so that they could repay their loans.

What contrast is implied by the use of the word ‘still’ in ‘still young, still beautiful, still charming’?

Ans: In the story, Mathilde had to live a life of poverty for ten years and face many hardships, which made her look old, and she also constantly brooded over the past. Madame Forestier, on the other hand, remained rich and continued to live a comfortable life, so she stayed young, beautiful, and charming.

Why did Mathilde decide to speak to her friend?

Ans: Mathilde felt emotional because she had finally paid off all her past debts. So she decided to speak to her friend and tell her the true story behind the lost necklace.

Discuss: Who do you think was responsible for Mathilde’s misery – her friend, she herself, her husband, or the circumstances?

Ans: I think Mathilde herself was responsible for her misery. Instead of being happy and satisfied with what she had, she was greedy, which led her to borrow the necklace from her friend. When she lost it, instead of being truthful, she chose to hide the truth and replace the jewel secretly. Had she spoken openly to her friend about it, she would not have had to go through all this misery. This shows us that honesty is truly the best policy.

(a) Mathilde despaired over the loss of her necklace.

Ans: Mathilde was frightened because she had lost a valuable necklace that she would now have to replace. She realised her mistake in borrowing such a valuable piece of jewellery. Anyone in her place would have felt the same way.

(b) Mathilde wrote a note to her friend as dictated by her husband.

Ans: I think Mathilde realised her foolishness and was now willing to listen to whatever her husband said in order to make up for the loss of the necklace.

(c) Mathilde and her husband decided to replace the necklace.

Ans: Yes, that was the right thing to do, since Mathilde had borrowed the necklace. Madame Forestier had been generous enough to lend it to Mathilde, so the Loisels could not let their friend suffer a loss because of Mathilde’s carelessness.

(d) Mathilde returned the diamond necklace to her friend.

Ans: There was no other option for her under the circumstances. Mathilde was foolish but honest, and she also had enough self-respect not to want to remain in debt to her friend.

(e) Mathilde did not tell her friend about the loss and replacement.

Ans: I think Mathilde was too proud to accept her carelessness in front of her friend.

(f) Mathilde worked very hard to pay the debt.

Ans: I appreciate Mathilde for working so hard, even though she disliked it, in order to pay off the debt she had gotten into because of her foolishness in borrowing the necklace.

(g) Mathilde and her husband paid off the debt in ten years.

Ans: I respect both Mathilde and her husband for working so hard for so many years and living in poverty in order to repay the debt honestly, instead of taking an easy way out.

(h) Mathilde told her friend about the lost necklace.

Ans: This may have been a foolish action on Mathilde’s part, because she will now feel terrible knowing that she wasted ten years of her life struggling to pay for an imitation necklace.

(a) What would you do if something like this happened to you?

Ans: I would honestly tell the person that I had lost or misplaced their belongings, and I would gladly replace it at whatever cost to myself. This is not only the better way to handle such a situation, but it also avoids the kind of confusion and suffering we see in the story.

(b) What opinion do you form about Mathilde’s husband from the story?

Ans: Mathilde’s husband was a very supportive and loving person. Although he did not earn much, he wanted to give the best to his wife and tried his best to fulfil her wishes.

(c) Which events in the story, in Part I and Part II, changed Mathilde’s life?

Ans:

1. When Mathilde and her husband receive an invitation to a party.
2. When she is lent a diamond necklace by her friend to wear at the party.
3. When she loses the necklace.
4. When they find a replacement and have to pay thirty-six thousand francs for it.
5. When they lose whatever little comfort they had in their lives in order to repay all the loans.