REVIEW
ANALYSIS QUESTIONS FOR THE
"THE NECKLACE"
What
sense do you make of the first sentence, "She was one of those pretty and
charming girls who are sometimes, as if by a mistake of destiny, born in a
family of clerks"?
What
attitude is being reflected there by the narrator towards M?
What
is the source of her unhappiness?
What
sense do you make of the phrase "since with women there is neither caste
nor rank: and beauty, grace, and charm act instead of family and birth."
Of the sentence, "Natural fineness, instinct for what is elegant,
suppleness of wit, are the sole hierarchy, and make
from women of the people the equals of the very greatest ladies"?
What about the phrase, "She suffered ceaselessly..."? What is the
source of her suffering, physical, emotional, self-inflicted?
Where is she so painfully conscious of the characteristics of her surroundings?
Where
does she attach so much value to the items she covets, the Oriental tapestries,
etc.?
What
trained her to believe that material goods are the foundations of a good,
fulfilling life? Does it really have to do with her gender?
Why
does her husband covet fancy things or does he?
What about the gun that he wants? Is it on the same scale as M's
desires? What do we learn about him? Is he selfish? Giving?
Why does M respond the way that she does regarding his suggestion about wearing
flowers instead of jewels? Wouldn't that have made her stand out
and be unique or was that her goal: to be herself? What does she think the
jewels will add to her worth? What is
the significance of her comment: "There is nothing more humiliating than
to look poor among other women who are rich"?
Explain
the significance of the passage beginning "She danced with
intoxication...." Why does the ball have such a profound effect on
her? What is the "sense of complete
victory which is so sweet to a woman's heart"?
Why does she not come clean with her friend about her losing the jewels?
What is the irony of her not doing that? Why does she respond to her lot as she
does? She seems better able to make herself content as they go into so much
debt? She rolls up her sleeves and works had at it, working apparently a lot
harder than she ever had before and with less of the complaining and whining
that she engaged in before? How do you explain that?
Why does she feel a need to tell M. Forestier the
truth?
How do you suppose she responds to the knowledge that the way that she learned
the last ten years of her life was unnecessary? Does she learn a lesson? Does
she receive justice? Is it fair that her husband has to suffer along with her?
How much of a role does M.'s environment play in making her the type of person
that she is? Flesh out your piece more and try to address some of these issues