A moral lesson how problems changes people

Luxuries, elegance, beauty and fame are only a few things and traits that most of us are dreaming about. Who doesn't want live a luxurious life; a ten bedroom mansion with a huge lawn and some house helps, to drive a high-priced fast car, to eat hot freshly cooked sumptuous meals everyday, to wear trendy stylish clothes and fancy fine jewelries. There's nothing wrong with dreaming of this kind of life but the character of short story "The Necklace" by a french author Guy de Maupassant will change our point of view about material things.

The main character of the short story Mathilde Loisel is greedy, ungrateful and narcissistic wife of a clerk from the ministry of public of instruction. Her beautiful charming face makes her look like she's from an aristocratic family. Though they are not rich, they are not also poor. Loisel's Family have household servants meaning they are in the middle class.

Mathilde Loisel dresses up plainly. Everyday she tormented by the fact that she can't afford to wear glamorous clothes and jewelries.

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Tormented by the sight of her ugly curtains, old house furniture, agricultural labourer outside their house and never met up again with her rich friend. Her insecurities isolated her. She hates her standard of living so much thinking that she deserves more. She loves to dream about luxuries; a fancy dinner with her husband and exquisite decorated interior of the place. She dreams of being admired, envied and adored by everyone.

The night that her husband arrived from work he excitedly hands her an invitation for the palace of the ministry party.

Instead, of being delighted she rejected the invitation. She cried over nothing to wear for that special occasion. Her husband felt sorry for her wife, it's no secret to him that she's having a hard time with the status of their living. To cheer up her wife, without any hesitation. He offers her the money that supposedly uses to buy a gun for summer hunting, to buy clothes that she wants for the party but, she cries for more she realized she had no single jewelry to wear. Her husband was so upset suggesting her use a flower as an accessory.

She's still insisted that she wants jewelry for her self to match her glamorous dress. Suddenly, they got an idea of borrowing from her rich friend Mme. Forestier. Mme. Forestier generously let her choose what jewelry she wants. Her excitement aroused by the sight of jewelry in front of her but she asked for more. Her eyes meticulously search for the perfect jewelry. All of a sudden diamond necklace from a black satin box caught her eyes, that makes her feel overwhelmed and amazed.Finally, she found the perfect jewelry for her ball gown.

On the day of ministry socialization, she was intoxicated with euphoria. She got all attention that she's dreaming of, a glamorous gown that enhances her beauty and the precious diamond necklace adorn her beautiful neck. She enjoyed dancing and socializing for the whole night of the party not knowing that the precious diamond necklace is already missing.

After the party, when they got home she was undressing herself when she found out that the diamond necklace was missing. They search everywhere and the necklace was still nowhere to found. They came up with a solution to buying the same piece of a necklace for forty thousand francs. They bargained with a jeweller and got it for the price of thirty-six thousand francs. They spend all their fortune, risking of loaning a big amount of money to pay for the necklace. Both of them work so hard to pay up the loans for the necklace. Mathilde learns to do households without complaint. The hardship of paying debt change her a lot, not only physically but also mentally.

After 10 years, the loan was paid. The beautiful and charming Mathilde before changes into a simple household worker. Mme. Forestier didn't even recognize her. She blamed her friend over the missing necklace, that made her and her spouse suffered to pay for ten years.

Only to found out that the missing necklace is not a genuine diamond.

The reason I have chosen this story is because of it's relevant struggles mostly people facing now a days. This story have a beautiful moral lesson how problems change Mathilde from being greedy and materialistic to being a contented hardworking woman. Some people always seek validation from others, most specially form social media. Thinking that our worth is based on the attention that other people gave to us, or from what clothes, shoes, the jewelry we are wearing. We are sometimes Mathilde but acceptance of who we are and what we have is the key to a happy and contented life.