"The Necklace" Lesson

Bethany Self

Minor

ENGL 2010

4/29/16

“The Necklace” Lesson

Choosing a story from our reading list to teach to a class, I would choose the story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. This story has great irony and moral lessons. In this lesson I would like to accomplish two main goals, show how this story shows us that being content with our possessions can keep us happier and that honesty can keep years on our lives. This story shows how Mathilde was not content or appreciate what she had and how a lie can lead to long suffering. Being content with your possessions and being honest can always make things better in the end.

The story “The Necklace” is a good story to use in a lesson because it has the irony to allow us to see that if we are not content what we have in life then it can lead to great suffering. Mathilde is not content with her place in life or her simple possessions, the writer explains, “She had no dresses, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that; she felt made for that. She would so have liked to please, to be envied, to be charming, to be sought after.” Because of her lack of contentment, she asked a friend for something nice. Losing the borrowed necklace, she lived ten years trying to repay the debt only to find out in the end that the necklace was not worth what she paid to replace it. Now, the irony in the honesty is pronounced, we see that when Mathilde and her husband decide to lie to the friend about what really happened, this is where their lives meet abundant suffering, “And this life lasted for ten years.” Mathilde had aged greatly and even her friend could not recognize her. Having to pay for or work so hard to cover up your lies can wear significantly on one’s body and mind. If Mathilde would have been content with her simple possessions and told the truth then she and her husband could have spent the ten years they worked growing their family and their relationships.

Dale Carnegie made an excellent quote on...