Comparioson of "The Necklace", the "Story of an Hour", and "Chrysanthemums"

In the three stories, all women deal with internal issues of lack of freedom, selfishness, and obligations. In “The Necklace”, Mathilde has to pay for a life-changing mistake over ten years because of her selfish naive personality, and her want to be accepted in the higher society. Also in “The Story of an Hour”, Mrs. Mallard finds out her husband is dead, but then learns that the information told to her was false when her husband walks through the door. She then ironically dies of a broken heart right there. Finally, “The Chrysanthemums”, is about Elisa Allen, a strong woman who lives on a ranch with her husband and tends to her Chrysanthemum garden. When one day a man comes and she reconsiders the life she has, wanting to run away and never look back. However she ultimately realizes she is content with her life and strays from the temptation of the undiscovered world. All these women share a common trait amongst each other, which is the oppression they feel in their lives. Also because these stories were written in the time of the women’s rights movement all the women share the want of being someone different and having a new life. Overall the reality of there situations, finding their true identities, and limitations of opportunities in their lives affect their perceptions they feel towards there relationships and to their own selves.

In “The Necklace”, by Guy de Maupassant the main character, Mathilde deals with the confusion of appearances and the reality of her own existence. Being a selfish, greedy, and jealous person helps create this unattainable world, which she believes she should be apart of. In Mathilde’s dream world she is content and idle. She knows she is not rich, and cannot bear to be around her rich friends, so she socially distances herself from the real world. Only looking at her world and not appreciating anything in it, including her loyal husband who does nothing but provide for her. Yet in her mind she sees her husband for...