Author Question: Why does the protagonist not admit to her friend that she has lost thenecklace? What will be an ... (Read 102 times)

rmenurse · **on:** Jul 20, 2018

Why does the protagonist not admit to her friend that she has lost thenecklace?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What is ironic about the storys conclusion? What other ironic elementsare present in this story?

What will be an ideal response?

kilada · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 20, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Mme. Loisel is too proudin both the good and bad senses of the word to admit her mistake and ask her friends help. She dislikes appearing poor before her old schoolmate.

Answer to Question 2

The Necklace is a story full of irony. The central irony is, of course, that the Loisels ruin their lives to pay for a diamond necklace that turns out to be a cheap fake. This cruel irony is further heightened by the readers awareness (at the storys end) that Mathilde could easily have learned this liberating fact had she only admitted the loss to her rich friend. Another irony (noted above) is that the Loisels must sink into poverty to pay for Mathildes single night of pretension to luxury. The story also contains ironic situationstypical of French Realism and Naturalismsuch as wealthy Mme. Forestiers failure to recognize the exhausted and prematurely aged woman who has quietly sacrificed her life to avoid embarrassment in her company.