The Necklace –Summary
Mathilde Loisel was a beautiful woman, but she was born into a poor family. She married a man who worked as a low-level clerk in the Ministry of Education. He could only provide a simple life, but not a bad one.
Mathilde always wished she had a rich life. She dreamed of wearing fine clothes, jewelry, and going to fancy parties. She was unhappy with her life and wanted more.
She had one rich friend, Madame Forestier, but didn’t visit her because she felt embarrassed by her poverty.
One day, her husband brought home an invitation to a big party. He hoped Mathilde would be happy, but she became upset. She cried and said she had nothing nice to wear.
Her husband asked how much money she would need for a new dress, and she said 400 francs. He agreed to give her the money.
When the party day came near, Mathilde said she had no jewelry to wear. So, they went to Madame Forestier and borrowed a beautiful diamond necklace. Mathilde was very thankful.
At the party, Mathilde looked very beautiful. Everyone admired her. She felt happy and proud. They returned home late at night, but when she checked, the necklace was gone! They were shocked.
Her husband searched everywhere but couldn’t find it. He told Mathilde to write a letter to Madame Forestier saying the clasp was broken and they were getting it fixed.
They looked for a similar necklace and found one that cost 36,000 francs. They borrowed money, took loans, and promised to pay for it over many years. After buying it, they gave it back to Madame Forestier, who didn’t even check it.
For the next ten years, they lived in deep poverty. Mathilde worked hard, cleaning and cooking. Her husband worked extra jobs. They finally paid off the debt. But Mathilde had lost her beauty and looked old and tired.
One day, she met Madame Forestier again. Madame didn’t recognize her. When Mathilde told her the whole story about losing the necklace and working ten years to replace it, Madame Forestier was shocked.
She then told Mathilde the truth: “The necklace was fake. It was not made of real diamonds and was worth only 500 francs.”
Watch the Story in the Video: https://youtu.be/xehJsabmGZQ?si=LnSbPTMCyH2RzHDK