Symbolism in "The Necklace"
             In the short story, "The Necklace", by Guy de Maupassant, symbolism is used to represent aspects in the life of the main character, Mathilde Loisel. To a much lesser degree, her husband is also represented. As the title suggests, the primary symbolic object is a diamond necklace. In the story, Mathilde carefully looks over the jewels of her friend, Mme. Forestier, until she spots just the right piece, "a superb diamond," and borrows it for a party. In a general sense, a diamond is thought of as a "stone of commitment, faithfulness, and promise between husband and wife." A parallel can be drawn with Monsieur Loisel's values because he shows his commitment to his wife when he stands by her, remaining faithful, although it means giving up his inheritance, going into debt, and living in hardship for ten years. A diamond also represents treasure and riches. A parallel can be drawn with Mme. Loisel's values because her desire for wealth led to her downfall.
             In analyzing the symbolism in this story, I first brainstormed what the necklace might represent. Some of the ideas I had were youth, social class, beauty, wealth, greed, truth, vanity, and pride. To determine which elements were the most significant, I compared the circumstances of the necklace with how these ideas were portrayed in the story. There were three pertinent aspects of the necklace; the first was that it was borrowed, next that it was lost, and finally, that it was not genuine-it only gave the illusion of being a diamond.
             Pride and vanity are closely connected. Vanity is defined as "excessive pride, especially in your appearance." Pride is defined as "personal satisfaction and pleasure from something you accomplish or a quality possessed." In Mathilde's case, the "excessive pride," in her looks and charm caused her to feel as if she ...