The Guy de Maupassant "The Necklace"

Ideology of Maupassant cannot be understood without considering historical conditions. Maupassant works in the days of revelation of contradictions of the capitalistic structure in the process of regeneration into its higher and last phase – imperialism. So, collapse of the social and economic structure gave a stimulus to highlight problems of 70-ies.

The origin of Maupassant’s vision arises from constant and agonizing searching of the perfect world, where you can hide yourself from the hostile reality, meanwhile hourly statement of the idleness of such attempts, revelation of all illusions and ideals, demonstration of reality in all its deformity.

Maupassant tries to escape from reality, but fails, because reality pursues him and the author creates his own fictional world to substitute disgraceful world with his dream. That is the ground of philosophical vision of his works.

That philosophical problem has its reflection in the writings of Maupassant, especially in the novel “The necklace”. The novel tells about simple and ordinary story. It can occur with anyone. But considering the hidden allegoric meaning of the story, the author tells about corruption of the morality, due to the passion to the money and higher social status. So, the author depicted in details the pretence of Madam Matilda, which was eager to look like as if she was already rich. She was a wife of the minor ministry of popular schooling, so she has enough money for existence, but she was short of something. Something that was a bred-in-the-bone for her. Thirst for high life. Thirst for subtle dinner and good relationships. She believes that if she were rich, or just look rich, she would realize her dreams. So, she got the appearance of the rich women but in the moment lost it with all that she already has: beauty, money and place for living. So, ill-gotten wealth will never give success. And the cause of her fall was loss of herself. She changed her status, her kindness and soul for the temporary appearance of rich women and for one short moment of high life.

With the lending of necklace she also lent problems and responsibility. She didn't manage to accept it. She forced herself to face that cruel and false world, where you can lose all that you have. The image of necklace is symbolic substitute for the high post and dependence of it. The necklace was full of jewels, and they by turn mean the embodiment of hopes. To buy implementation of hopes and freedom from onus of the richness requires high prize payment. And she paid. But what she has in time? She became old and unattractive, poor and full of misery. Why that image doesn’t help her to become happy? The jewels in the necklace were false. And the hopes and wishes were false and delusive. The whole capitalistic world is deceitful and cruel. Only after 10 years of inhuman work, she found herself at last. But she found herself without former beauty and happiness.

One must be happy and grateful for all that he or she has now. And after that one can look for new things. Not only money and social status mean happiness and good that the whole world can give. If you try to deceive the world, you must be ready to be deceived, and the whole world will be false. Life built on the foundation of lie doomed to be collapsed. By example of Matilda the reader can learn that delusive hopes and wishes are remaining delusive and one must not build on them his or her life. You can receive only those things which you deserve and work for. If you pretend and pass yourself off as someone else, you will receive only false diamonds and low-price relationships.