"The Necklace": The Development of Irony


by Kimberly Ednie
Mrs. Connolly
ENC 1102 M-W-F 9:00AM
Short Story Essay
January 29, 1997


Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace" is situational irony written in 1884.
The story was written in a time when there were very distinct social classes
primarily determined by one's birth. It is about a woman who can not come to
terms with her position in the middle class. Although she knows she can not
escape her class, she refuses to accept it gracefully. It is through Matilde
that Maupassant develops the story's irony. This is reflected through
Matilde's daydreaming, which only serves to torment her, the loss of the
necklace borrowed for show, which only worsens their economic position, and
finally, their unnecessary sacrifice.

The irony begins with Matilde's frequent daydreaming. She is a beautiful
and charming woman who feels "herself destined for all delicacies and luxuries"
(4). Fate, however, placed her among the middle class......

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Title: The Necklace: The Development Of Irony
Approximate Word Count: 608
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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