Concept of Values in ’Civil Peace’ and ‘The Necklace’

What determines value? Certain items are considered valuable simply because it costs a lot of money to purchase them. However, other items can be considered valuable even though they do not cost a lot of money to acquire them: companions, family, health. Likewise, treasure is something valuable, but it is hard to obtain and usually requires a journey to reach. Accordingly, value is determined by the monetary cost of something or the personal attachment to them.

For many, the cost of goods sparks an instant reaction in our brains: “The higher the price, the higher the value!” In ‘The Necklace’ by Guy de Maupassant, the protagonist, Madame Loisel, is not satisfied with anything she owns.

She believes a happy life requires wealth and luxury. One day, she is invited to a gala along with many other rich people. She is anxious about what to wear as she wants to impress the wealthy. ' There is nothing more humiliating than looking poor in the middle of a lot of rich women.

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” As the day of the party drew nearer, Madame Loisel seemed distraught, restless, and worried because she did not have any jewels. It looked as if she was not going to attend the ball. Suddenly, her friend, Madame Forestier, offered to lend her a superb, beautiful diamond necklace. Madame Loisel had found her treasure. The glamor and irresistible beauty of the necklace signified its worth. Madame Loisel felt immense admiration, respect, and joy all because of the expensive necklace she valued.

The cost of the necklace made it even more valuable to Madame Loisel.

On the other hand, an item can be valuable because of the sentimental value. In ‘Civil Peace’ by Chinua Achebe, a young man called Jonathan Iwegbu describes his life in the aftermath of a civil war in Nigeria. Jonathan is very optimistic after the countries turmoil. Part of this is due to the fact that all his family members, except for one, survived. He is grateful for this blessing and considers himself “extraordinarily lucky.” Furthermore, he also treasures his still-working bike and his still-intact house. Jonathan values the things in life which do not cost a lot of money because of the meanings he has attached to them based on the circumstances in which they were found.

In addition, ’Civil Peace’ and ‘The Necklace’ emphasize the value of treasure because both Madame Loisel and Jonathan go through an arduous journey of hardship to acquire their valuables. Madame Loisel was born into a poor family and went through pain for years until she found the diamond necklace. “She suffered endlessly, feeling she was entitled to all the delicacies and luxuries of life. She suffered because of the poorness of her house as she looked at the dirty walls, the worn-out chairs and the ugly curtains.” Similarly, Jonathan went through nearly 3 years of torment, agony, and pain during the 1967 civil war in Nigeria and even lost one of his sons. After experiencing an extremely difficult time, Jonathan really valued everything he still had: most of his family, still-intact house, and still-working bike.

Ultimately, ‘Civil Peace’ and ‘ The Necklace’ serve as perfect examples of how people consider something valuable in different ways. From Madame Loisel’s perception of the costly diamond necklace to Jonathan’s view on the few blessings he still has after the war, both characters show that value and treasure are based on either the price of an item or the sentimental value.