Fang Yi
June6, 2007
Draft Two
The Social Reality in the 19TH France
In late nineteenth-century Paris, the society was organized on a class basis which established on people's wealth. As one’s social position and rank depends on which stratum he comes from and how much money he owns, it was extremely difficult for people to change or move from the class into which they were born. The relationship between friends and relatives was only held together by their benefits and money. So a man of humble birth almost has no access to make friends with a rich and wellborn man. Obviously, money and personal status were the values of the society.
In the “The Necklace”, Guy De Maupassant tells a story about Mathilde Loisel, who was born in a family of clerks and married a little clerk. She is a pretty and charming girl who always dreams of moving in the social circles of high life. But her dream did not come true in the end. Mathilde lost the precious necklace which was brought from her friend. As a result, she had to spend all her family’s property and ten years' hard work in paying for the debts. Consequentially, the cruel reality and heavy rough work make her lost beauty and elegance; indeed, she becomes an old looked woman of “impoverished households” (43). In my opinion, Maupassant has described a capitalist society with naked money relationship.
At the beginning of the story, we see that Mathilde was born in a family of clerks which is neither rich nor honorable. No matter how beautiful and charming she is, she has no expectation to be loved by any rich and distinguished man since her humble parentage. As if it is a mistake of destiny, she married to a little clerk at the Ministry of Public Instruction. Her marriage incarnated that a man often chose a wife on the basis of how large her fortune was during the time in which the story was set. It seems that true love without consideration of caste is impossible so as to the key of the foundation and maintain between the couples is money rather than love.
It is the social reality in France that how much money you own is an essential guide line in ordinary life. Every aspect of life, including love and marriage, is related to money and status. A fairy tale that the prince falls in love with Cinderella only consists in stories. And only those who live in a world of fantasy would dream of being loved by a rich and distinguished man as the story tells. So Mathilde’s unromantic marriage seems to be reasonable since she can not change the common customs. As an ordinary woman with neither caste nor rank, she is regarded as being “fallen from her proper station” (38). Everything should accord with your social status, which is the principle of living in the 19th France.
Mathilde received an invitation to an important ball. As her husband says, everyone wants to go and the invitation is very select. Owing to the fact that “they are not giving many invitations to clerks” (39), it is so fortunate that the couple can get the good opportunity to take part in the ball. Why the clerks have tried their best to scramble for the invitations? It is because that “the whole official world” (39) will be present. For the common people, it is really a good opportunity to be close to the high society. They can meet some public personages and provisionally deviate from daily life. The personages win worship from ordinary people because of their fortune and luxurious living, which is the reason why the whole underclass are pursuing to be higher from one aspect. Getting rid of poverty and living as the aristocrats is the plebeians’ dreams. So there is no wonder that the whole society regard money as the golden rule.
Mathilde achieved great success during the ball as she had expected. But it came to a transition as follow. In order to be appealing and memorable, Mathilde borrowed a necklace from her best friend. Unfortunately, she found it lost after the ball, which should be retuned as soon as possible. As a family of clerks, apparently, the couple can not disburse a large amount of money for a new necklace. Four thousand francs means a catastrophe to the couple. Mathilde’s husband “did borrow”, “asking a thousand francs of one”, “five hundred of another”, “five Louis here”, “three Louis there”. (43) Buying a similar necklace make the couple penniless.
As a result, the couple has to live a hard life for paying the dreadful debt. Then Mathilde begins to know what heavy housework meant and her husband can do nothing but works day after night. They did not get any help and a drop of pity from their family or friends. Owing to be poor, they were abandoned by the primary estate. No friends, no solicitude and no doings, there is only everlasting hard work in their life. The social reality is always cruel. The relationship is so weak that nobody will care about their former friends’ recent situation. And Mathilde should bear the responsibility. The couple have to be away from their former life and fall into the under class.
And ten years later, when Mathilde met her friend who was still young and beautiful, her friend could hardly recognize her at all. It was obviously that the relationship between the best friends was really false and weak. When they have no equal status in society, the alleged friendship is apt to be forgotten.
At the end of the story, Mathilde knew that the necklace was paste. It is so ironical and we can say that Mathiled served her right to be vain and airy. And the social environment which held the value of money supremacy is the essential reason that leads to her sufferings.
