Friday 1 May 2009

In Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace," what is the character sketch of Mathilde Loisel?

Maupassant's
"" is written in 3rd-person omniscient, which means that the narrator does know all
about Mathilde. However, he chooses to sketch Mathilde by way of indirect description; that is
to say, even though he does mention that she's unhappy, most of her character is determined by
how she reacts to situations and consequences detailed throughout the plot-line. For example,
the mood surrounding Mathilde is whining and complaining. She tells the maid to clean up more in
order to make the dull house look better than it is. She complains that she doesn't have money
for a dress or jewelry, too. Mathilde truly doesn't realize what she has; neither is she
grateful for anything in her life. The indirect inferences force the reader to piece together
Mathilde's character throughout the whole story without the narrator needing to blurt out that
she is an ungrateful woman. Sadly, she learns the hard way about what it means to be grateful
for what she has.

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