The Neclace Chapter Notes Class 10 English NCERT Footprints Without Feet

Notes based on “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. The story highlights the dangers of vanity, pride, and dishonesty. It shows that honesty and contentment with one’s life are important, as trying to appear what one is not can lead to great suffering.

Also Read: NCERT Q&A of ‘The Necklace”

Notes: The Neclace by Guy de Maupassant

The Notes based on the lesson ‘The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant contain here vocabulary (English and Hindi) summary, key points, themes, message & moral etc.

Vocabulary

Destiny – Fate or the events that happen in a person’s life.Dowry – Money or property a woman brings to her husband at marriage.Tureen – A deep dish used for serving soup or stew.Select – Exclusive or chosen for a special few.Vexation – A state of being annoyed or worried.Economical – Careful with money, not wasteful. Vexed – Annoyed or worried.Adorn – To decorate or make more beautiful.Humiliating – Causing a feeling of shame or embarrassment.Intoxicated – Overwhelmed by a strong feeling or excitement.Wraps – Outer garments or shawls used to keep warm.Shivering – Trembling from cold or fear.Ecstatic – Feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness or excitement. Dismay – Shock or worry in response to something unexpected.Bewilderment – A state of confusion or being puzzled.Frigid – Cold or unfriendly in manner.Necessity – The need for something that is essential or unavoidable.Odious – Extremely unpleasant or repulsive.Chaplet – A string of beads or a small chain of jewels.Usurers – People who lend money at very high interest rates.Haggling – Arguing or negotiating over the price of something.Perceive – To notice or become aware of something.

Summary of “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

1. Matilda’s Discontent

Matilda Loisel is a beautiful young woman born into a modest family. She marries a petty clerk, M. Loisel, but feels unhappy with her life because she dreams of wealth, luxury, and high society. Her humble surroundings and simple lifestyle cause her constant discontent.

2. The Invitation to the Ball

One day, M. Loisel brings home an invitation to a fancy ball at the Minister’s residence, hoping to please Matilda. However, she becomes upset, feeling that she has nothing suitable to wear. Her husband agrees to give her 400 francs to buy a new dress, sacrificing the money he had saved for a hunting gun.

3. The Borrowed Necklace

Even with a new dress, Matilda feels incomplete without jewelry. Her husband suggests borrowing something from her wealthy friend, Mme Forestier. Matilda borrows a stunning diamond necklace, which makes her feel elegant and beautiful at the ball.

4. The Ball and the Loss

At the ball, Matilda is the center of attention, admired by everyone. She enjoys the night but, upon returning home, realizes that she has lost the necklace. They search desperately but cannot find it.

5. Replacing the Necklace

Matilda and her husband decide to replace the necklace with an identical one. They find a similar diamond necklace priced at 36,000 francs. M. Loisel borrows money and they buy the replacement, returning it to Mme Forestier without telling her the truth.

6. Years of Hardship

To repay the debts, Matilda and her husband spend the next ten years living in extreme poverty. Matilda works hard, doing all the housework herself, while M. Loisel takes on extra jobs. The years of toil age Matilda prematurely, and they lose their comfortable life.

7. The Truth Revealed

One day, Matilda meets Mme Forestier after many years and reveals the truth about the necklace. To Matilda’s shock, Mme Forestier informs her that the necklace was an imitation, made of fake diamonds, worth no more than 500 francs. All the suffering had been for nothing.

Moral of the Story

The story highlights the dangers of vanity, pride, and dishonesty. It shows that honesty and contentment with one’s life are important, as trying to appear what one is not can lead to great suffering.

Theme of “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

The central theme of “The Necklace” revolves around the dangers of pride and materialism. Matilda Loisel’s desire for a wealthier, more luxurious life leads her to borrow a necklace to fit in with the high society she envies. Her inability to accept her modest life and her obsession with appearances result in a tragic turn of events.

Key themes include:

1. Vanity and Materialism: Matilda’s longing for luxury, fine clothes, and jewelry reflects her vanity and dissatisfaction with her middle-class life. This desire for material wealth causes her downfall, as it leads to the loss of the necklace and ten years of hardship.
2. The Price of Pride: Matilda’s pride prevents her from admitting that she lost the necklace. This decision causes her and her husband to endure years of financial struggle to repay a debt that was unnecessary.
3. The Illusion of Wealth and Status: The necklace itself symbolizes the illusion of wealth. It looks expensive, but in reality, it’s a fake, just as Matilda’s brief taste of high society was an illusion. This theme reflects the idea that appearances can be deceptive.
4. The Consequences of Dishonesty: Matilda and her husband’s choice to replace the necklace without telling the truth leads to years of misery. If Matilda had been honest with Mme Forestier from the start, she would have discovered that the necklace was not worth much, and their hardship could have been avoided.

In essence, contentment, honesty, and humility are highlighted as essential values, with the story showing the negative consequences of living a life driven by material desires and pride.

Message of “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

The story delivers a powerful message about the importance of honesty, contentment, and the dangers of vanity and materialism. Through Matilda Loisel’s experience, Guy de Maupassant teaches readers several key lessons:

1. Be Honest: The story emphasizes that honesty is always the best policy. If Matilda had admitted to Mme Forestier that she lost the necklace, she would have learned that it was not valuable and avoided years of hardship. Dishonesty, as shown, leads to unnecessary suffering.
2. Appearances Can Be Deceptive: The necklace, which appeared valuable, was actually fake. This highlights the idea that outward appearances can be misleading, and chasing after wealth or status based solely on appearances can lead to disaster.
3. Contentment with One’s Life: Matilda’s dissatisfaction with her modest life causes her downfall. The story suggests that people should learn to appreciate what they have, rather than constantly longing for more, as the pursuit of unattainable desires can bring ruin.
4. The Price of Vanity and Materialism: Matilda’s obsession with wealth and social status makes her borrow a necklace and live a lie. The cost of maintaining this illusion becomes her undoing, demonstrating that vanity and the need to impress others can have devastating consequences.

In conclusion, the story teaches that true happiness comes from being honest, grateful, and content with what life offers, rather than striving for external validation or material wealth. Ultimately, the message of the story is to live authentically, be truthful, and appreciate what life has given you, rather than pursuing false ideals of luxury or prestige.

Character Sketches from “The Necklace”

These character sketches reveal the complexities of human nature and the impact of societal pressures, providing depth to the story’s themes of vanity, pride, and the consequences of one’s choices.

1. Mathilde Loisel (Mme Loisel)

• Description: Mathilde is a beautiful woman born into a modest family. She dreams of a life filled with luxury, elegance, and wealth.
• Personality Traits:
  • Discontented: Mathilde is unhappy with her middle-class life and feels she deserves more than what she has.
  • Proud: Her pride prevents her from accepting her social status and leads her to borrow the necklace to fit in with the rich.
  • Materialistic: She is obsessed with luxury and appearances, which ultimately leads to her downfall.
  • Resilient: After losing the necklace, she endures ten years of hardship and labor to repay the debt, showing her determination.
  • Development: Mathilde’s character evolves from a vain and shallow woman to a hardened and weary person due to her struggles, highlighting the impact of her choices on her life.

2. Monsieur Loisel (M. Loisel)

• Description: M. Loisel is Mathilde’s husband, a humble clerk working for the Ministry of Education. He is devoted to his wife and tries to make her happy.
• Personality Traits:
  • Caring: He shows deep affection for Mathilde and goes out of his way to please her, even sacrificing his savings for her dress.
  • Practical: M. Loisel tries to provide practical solutions, such as suggesting she borrow jewelry instead of buying it.
  • Patient: He remains supportive and patient throughout their years of struggle after losing the necklace.
  • Development: M. Loisel’s character is steady and consistent, reflecting the burden of responsibility and sacrifice in their marriage, contrasting Mathilde’s more tumultuous emotional journey.

3. Madame Forestier

• Description: Madame Forestier is Mathilde’s wealthy friend from school. She represents the life Mathilde yearns for.
• Personality Traits:
  • Generous: She lends Mathilde her jewelry without hesitation, showcasing her kindness.
  • Understanding: She is a sympathetic character, as she has known Mathilde’s struggles, but remains unaware of the impact of the necklace on Mathilde’s life.
  • Role in the Story: Madame Forestier serves as a symbol of the affluent life Mathilde desires. Her ultimate revelation that the necklace was a fake underscores the story’s themes of deception and the superficial nature of wealth.

Summary of Character Relationships

• Mathilde and M. Loisel: Their relationship is central to the story. M. Loisel’s devotion and sacrifices contrast sharply with Mathilde’s dissatisfaction and yearning for more, leading to a complex dynamic of love and misunderstanding.
• Mathilde and Madame Forestier: Their friendship highlights the class differences between them. Madame Forestier’s generosity ultimately contributes to Mathilde’s downfall, illustrating how envy and pride can destroy relationships.

Key Points of “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

These key points outline the major events and themes of “The Necklace”, focusing on Matilda’s vanity, the consequences of dishonesty, and the ultimate irony of her sacrifice.

1. Matilda’s Discontent:
   Matilda Loisel, a beautiful but dissatisfied woman, feels trapped in a modest life. She dreams of luxury, wealth, and high social status, despite being married to a humble clerk, M. Loisel.
2. The Invitation to the Ball:
   M. Loisel brings home an invitation to a prestigious ball, hoping to make Matilda happy. Instead, she becomes upset, as she has nothing elegant to wear.
3. The New Dress:
   Matilda convinces her husband to give her 400 francs to buy a new dress for the ball, sacrificing his savings.
4. Borrowing the Necklace:
   Still unsatisfied without jewelry, Matilda borrows a beautiful diamond necklace from her wealthy friend, Mme Forestier, to complete her look.
5. The Ball:
   Matilda is the center of attention at the ball, admired for her beauty and elegance. She enjoys the evening immensely, feeling like she belongs among the wealthy.
6. The Necklace is Lost:
   After the ball, Matilda discovers that she has lost the borrowed diamond necklace. She and her husband search frantically but cannot find it.
7. Replacing the Necklace:
   To avoid confessing the loss to Mme Forestier, the Loisels buy an identical diamond necklace for 36,000 francs, which they cannot afford. They borrow money and make heavy sacrifices to replace it.
8. Ten Years of Hardship:
   To repay the debt, Matilda and her husband endure ten years of extreme poverty and hard work. Matilda’s appearance and life change drastically as a result.
9. The Truth Revealed:
   After ten years, Matilda meets Mme Forestier and confesses the truth about the necklace. Mme Forestier reveals that the original necklace was a fake, worth only 500 francs.
10. The Irony:
    The Loisels’ suffering and sacrifice were all for a worthless imitation, highlighting the irony and tragedy of the situation.