Diamond Necklace Pakharpura Amritsar

THE DIAMOND NECKLACE

Batch: 4.06.07 to 6.06.07 R.No: 61 Puneet Kaur (MCA)

Govt. High School, Pakharpura, Amritsar

THE

DIAMOND

NECKLACE

(Guy de Maupasant)

INTRODUCTION The Diamond Necklace is one of Maupassant’s well-known stories. The story centers round the character of Mathilde Loisel. She is an extremely beautiful and charming woman. She wants to

rich and famous. She borrows a diamond necklace from a rich friends of hers, Madame Forestier, to wear it while attending a ball (dance) given by the minister of education. She becomes a star attraction at the party. Everybody admires her and she is a great success. That is her supreme hour of victory. This moment of great joy proves very brief. While returning home, she loses the diamond necklace. She and her husband borrow a large amount of money to replace the lost necklace. Both of them have to work hard for ten years to pay off the debt. Mathilde Loisel loses her beauty, Charm and Youth and grows old before time. When the debt is paid off, she meets Madame Forestier, by chance she learns from her that the necklace was made of artificial diamonds and its price was not more than 500 francs.

SUMMARY 

The Diamond Necklace is a story of the suffering of a lovely young lady named Mathilde Loisel. Her life shows that small things can make or mar our life.

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Mathilde Loisel was a charming young lady. She was born in a family of clerks. She had not to feel proud of. She had no

means of getting married to a rich or famous man. So, the Ministry of Public Instruction. She wanted to have comforts and luxuries of life. She was jealous of her own school-mates who were rich. 

One day, her husband brought her an invitation card. But she was not happy because she was no pretty gown. So, he arranged to buy a gown for her. As, the date for the party drew near, she look sad again. She complained that she had no jewellery or ornament. Her husband advised her to borrow some ornament from her friend Madame Forestier she went to her friend’s house and borrowed a diamond necklace.

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The right of the ball arrived Mathilde was a great success. She was prettier than any woman present there. She was filled with joy. All the men looked at her. They asked her name, wanted to be introduced to her. Every minister paid a special attention to her. She danced

with passion. She was drunk with pleasure to forget everything in the victory of her beauty. She left the party about 4’colck in the morning. Reaching her home, she stood before the mirror, she wanted see herself once more in all her glory. But suddenly she uttered a

cry. She no longer had the necklace round her neck. She had lost it. Her husband went out to see if he could find it, but he had found nothing. Mathilde, on the advice of her husband, wrote to her friend that her necklace had been sent for repairs. In this way they got some time to buy another diamond necklace. They went from shop to shop. At last, they found a necklace similar to last one. The shopkeeper demanded 40,000 francs as its price. The bargain was settled for 36,000 francs. Mathilde’s husband had only 18,000 francs with him. He borrowed the remaining 18,000 francs on high interest. They brought the necklace and sent it to Madame Forestier. Mathilde did the household work herself. She fetched water. She washed the floor, utensils and dirty clothes. She did shopping herself. Her husband worked in the evening and late night to pay back the borrowed money. At the end of ten years they had paid everything. On Suday, Mathilde went out to take a walk. She saw Madame Forestier and went up to her. Madame was surprised to see her so changed. Mathilde then told her that she had

lost her diamond necklace. She had to buy another for thirty-six francs to replace it. It had taken them ten years to pay for it. Madame Forestier was moved to hear Mathilde’s tragic story. She told her diamond necklace was worth only five hundred francs, for its diamonds were false.

MEANINGS 

Charming

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Graceful

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Public Instruction

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Education

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Plainly

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A simple manner

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Elegant

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having or exhibiting good taste

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Distressed

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troubled

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Steadily

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constant

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Rank

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position

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Footmen

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servants

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Bewildering

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confusing

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Curiosities

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Rare things to art

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Candelabra

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having support for several lights

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Triumphant air

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happy mood

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Ball

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Dance

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Envy

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Fell Jealous

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Wardrobe

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almirah for hanging clothes

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.

Supplementary English Reader of Class +2.

WEBSITE 

Search from Yahoo groups.

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www.google.com