A Sad Story (or, an enlightening one!)
My own particular taste in jewelry may have started when I was in 4th or 5th grade and a classic story was read to our class. I think it knocked my socks off!
The Necklace" is a short story by Guy de Maupassant first published in 1884 in a French newspaper. The story has become one of Maupassant's most popular works and is well known for its twist ending.
"The Necklace" tells the story of a middle class couple, Monsieur and Madame Loisel, who are invited to a distinguished party. Madame Loisel, however, is hesitant to attend, complaining that "there's nothing so humiliating as looking poor in the middle of a lot of rich women." In addition to acquiring a new dress, at her husband's suggestion she borrows a necklace from her friend, Madame Forestier, who had become rich since they were schoolgirls together. She chooses an impressive diamond necklace and attends the party. Distressingly, Madame Loisel somehow loses the necklace during the evening.
Monsieur and Madame Loisel decide they must buy an identical diamond necklace from the jeweler as a replacement for Madame Forestier. Unable to bear the shame of this, they do not inform Madame Forestier of the change and spend the next ten years of their lives paying off the debts from the new necklace, which costs them thirty-six thousand francs. Both Monsieur and Madame Loisel are forced to take on extra jobs and live in abject poverty. At the end of the ten years, looking old and shabby, Madame Loisel is finally able to tell her old friend of the change. Madame Forestier is shocked and informs Madame Loisel that her original necklace was, in fact,a mere imitation and not real diamonds, "...worth at the very most five hundred francs!... ".
My heart ached for the plight poor Madam Loisel put herself in and I think I remember Madam Forestier's words as being: "But my dear....it was only paste!" Those words put me in a state of shock for some time! I've always felt sorry for people who "needed" expensive and impressive things and wonder if that story did a number on the rest of my class also.
"Paste" was a synthetic material from which jewelry could be made at the time and it must have looked like the real thing. Only the loss was the tragedy, not the paste. Just think! Until it was lost humble material did what was needed and presented beauty and brought happiness! Interesting.
The Necklace" is a short story by Guy de Maupassant first published in 1884 in a French newspaper. The story has become one of Maupassant's most popular works and is well known for its twist ending.
"The Necklace" tells the story of a middle class couple, Monsieur and Madame Loisel, who are invited to a distinguished party. Madame Loisel, however, is hesitant to attend, complaining that "there's nothing so humiliating as looking poor in the middle of a lot of rich women." In addition to acquiring a new dress, at her husband's suggestion she borrows a necklace from her friend, Madame Forestier, who had become rich since they were schoolgirls together. She chooses an impressive diamond necklace and attends the party. Distressingly, Madame Loisel somehow loses the necklace during the evening.
Monsieur and Madame Loisel decide they must buy an identical diamond necklace from the jeweler as a replacement for Madame Forestier. Unable to bear the shame of this, they do not inform Madame Forestier of the change and spend the next ten years of their lives paying off the debts from the new necklace, which costs them thirty-six thousand francs. Both Monsieur and Madame Loisel are forced to take on extra jobs and live in abject poverty. At the end of the ten years, looking old and shabby, Madame Loisel is finally able to tell her old friend of the change. Madame Forestier is shocked and informs Madame Loisel that her original necklace was, in fact,a mere imitation and not real diamonds, "...worth at the very most five hundred francs!... ".
My heart ached for the plight poor Madam Loisel put herself in and I think I remember Madam Forestier's words as being: "But my dear....it was only paste!" Those words put me in a state of shock for some time! I've always felt sorry for people who "needed" expensive and impressive things and wonder if that story did a number on the rest of my class also.
"Paste" was a synthetic material from which jewelry could be made at the time and it must have looked like the real thing. Only the loss was the tragedy, not the paste. Just think! Until it was lost humble material did what was needed and presented beauty and brought happiness! Interesting.
posted by Gini at
8:59 AM
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