In “The Necklace” by Guy De Maupassant, characters are just as important as the plot. They fascinate readers with their actions and motivations. It may be tricky to analyze them, but with our help, you will have no trouble understanding “The Necklace” characters.
So, why is Mathilde obsessed with appearances? Who is the protagonist in “The Necklace,” and who is the antagonist? Keep reading to find the answers!
The Necklace Main Characters: Overview
The story’s main characters are:
- Mathilde Loisel.
A young, beautiful woman married to a middle-class clerk. She is unhappy with her life and dreams about becoming rich. - Monsieur Loisel.
Mathilde’s loving husband who does everything for her. He is living a simple life, never asking for more. - Madame Forestier.
Mathilde’s rich friend who lends her a necklace that turned out to be fake.
Let’s study them in more detail.
Who Is the Protagonist in The Necklace?
Mathilde is the protagonist of “The Necklace.” The story’s plot revolves around her. All the other characters are introduced to highlight her personality. Understanding Mathilde’s motivation is the key to cracking the story’s main themes.
But who is the antagonist of “The Necklace”? Well, you could say that Mathilde is both the protagonist and the antagonist. That’s because her own actions lead to her ruining her life. All of the problems and conflicts that have happened in her life were the product of her actions.
Mathilde Loisel Character Analysis
Mathilde Loisel is the main character of the story. She is a young married woman who is quite pretty and charming. Madame Loisel was blessed with physical beauty, yet not with the financial benefits. She is married to a “simple clerk” and lives with him in a shabby apartment. Therefore, she believes that her good looks will lead her to her dream – wealth and respect. Her beauty and lack of sufficient (in her opinion) finances make her dissatisfied with her life.
She’s so obsessed with the idea of immense wealth that she doesn’t notice anything pleasant around her. Mathilde’s life is full of pain, envy, and greed. The only time she feels genuinely happy is at the ball, hosted by her husband’s boss. This one night will ruin the next ten years of her life.
Mathilde Loisel’s Quotes
She was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as though fate had blundered over her, into a family of artisans. She had no marriage portion, no expectations, no means of getting known, understood, loved, and wedded by a man of wealth and distinction; and she let herself be married off to a little clerk in the Ministry of Education.
The Necklace, Narrator
She had no clothes, no jewels, nothing. And these were the only things she loved; she felt that she was made for them. She had longed so eagerly to charm, to be desired, to be wildly attractive and sought after.
The Necklace, Narrator
The day of the party arrived. Madame Loisel was a success. She was the prettiest woman present, elegant, graceful, smiling, and quite above herself with happiness. All the men stared at her, inquired her name, and asked to be introduced to her. All the Under-Secretaries of State were eager to waltz with her. The Minister noticed her.
The Necklace, Narrator
Madame Loisel looked old now. She had become like all the other strong, hard, coarse women of poor households. Her hair was badly done, her skirts were awry, her hands were red. She spoke in a shrill voice, and the water slopped all over the floor when she scrubbed it.
The Necklace, Narrator
Monsieur Loisel Character Traits
Monsieur Loisel is one of main characters in “The Necklace”. He is Mathilde’s husband who works as a clerk in the Ministry of Education. He also serves as the character foil for his wife, meaning that they highlight each other’s differences.
While Mathilde is not thrilled about having a simple clerk as a husband and living in a shabby apartment, Monsieur Loisel is content with the way things are. Moreover, he never wishes for more wealth or luxury. Just like that, their personalities, needs, and desires go in stark contrast with each other.
He seems to love his wife genuinely. Monsieur Loisel is ready to do anything it takes to please her. Firstly, he got them invitations to a ball and bought Mathilde a dress. As a loving husband, when the necklace was lost, he helped search for it and, eventually, paid for it.
Monsieur Loisel’s willingness to please his wife becomes his downfall. Mathilde is never satisfied with anything. As the necklace is lost, he devises a plan to purchase a new one, spends his savings on buying it, and goes into debt.
What is fascinating about the character is his sacrifices. In literary works, especially of the 19th century, women were more prone to have this trait. However, Maupassant had it switched. In his story, the woman becomes an eccentric antagonist who wants to have fun and, eventually, brings trouble upon herself. The man is silent support, ready to do everything for the partner.
Monsieur Loisel’s Quotes
…and she let herself be married off to a little clerk in the Ministry of Education.
The Necklace, Narrator
When she sat down for dinner at the round table covered with a three-days-old cloth, opposite her husband, who took the cover off the soup-tureen, exclaiming delightedly: “Aha! Scotch broth! What could be better?”
The Necklace, Monsieur Loisel
He grew slightly pale, for this was exactly the amount he had been saving for a gun, intending to get a little shooting next summer on the plain of Nanterre with some friends who went lark-shooting there on Sundays. Nevertheless he said: “Very well. I’ll give you four hundred francs. But try and get a really nice dress with the money.”
The Necklace, Monsieur Loisel
The Necklace: Madame Forestier Analysis
Madame Forestier is a friend of Mathilde. She is a wealthy woman who can afford a lot of jewelry. She doesn’t mind it when Mathilde asks her to lend her a necklace with gorgeous diamonds before the ball.
After the necklace was lost, the Loisels needed time to find a substitution. They informed Madame Forestier that the chain got broken, and they had it fixed. The late return of the jewels made her only slightly annoyed.
Madame Forestier is comfortable as a rich woman. She no longer pays attention to the luxury the way Mathilde does. What’s more important, she has a fake necklace, while she can afford the real one. Why? Maybe, the reason is everyone else’s perception of the jewels. Why does she need a real necklace while everybody thinks that the fake one is real? The most significant fact is how the person is perceived, rather than who the person is.
Her lending of the jewelry becomes more ironic at the end of the story. Mathilde thought that Madame Forestier gave her the jewels out of generosity and friendship, and so did the readers. Although, in reality, it didn’t matter to her what would happen with the fake necklace.
Madame Forestier’s Quotes
Go and see Madame Forestier and ask her to lend you some jewels…
The Necklace, Monsieur Loisel
When Madame Loisel took back the necklace to Madame Forestier, the latter said to her in a chilly voice: “You ought to have brought it back sooner; I might have needed it.”
The Necklace, Madame Forestier
It was Madame Forestier, still young, still beautiful, still attractive.
The Necklace, Narrator
Minor Characters in The Necklace
There are other characters in “The Necklace”, as well:
- M.Georges Ramponneau. He is the Minister of Education, which makes him Monsieur Loisel’s boss. Also, he is the one to throw the ball.
- The First Jeweler. The first jeweler’s name is on the box of the lost necklace. He claims to not sell the jewels to Madame Forestier but just the box. How come?
- The Second Jeweler. He is the jewelry store owner in which Loisels find an identical to the lost one necklace. Monsieur Loisel makes the payment arrangement with him.
