"In just a few pages it vividly evokes a situation in which every reader, especially Parisian female readers at the time of the Third Republic, towards the end of the 19th century, could easily identify" (smith). Guy de Maupassant studied with the French writer Gustave Flaubert after his time in the Franco-Prussian War. De Maupassant believed that his job as a writer was to take common events and then turn them into overly interesting stories about the subject. His experience as a junior clerk inspired him to write "The Necklace." This short story tells the story of a woman named Mathilde who is married to a minor employee who does not earn much money. They are invited to a reception where all the rich people of the city will be present, so Mathilde borrows a diamond necklace from an old school friend and ends up losing it and having to work very hard to repay her friend only to discover that the necklace is false. De Maupassant develops the theme of desire in this story through the use of symbolism, irony, and characterization. Diaz Valdes 2For many years appearance was very important but not as important as being rich. Mathilde was a beautiful woman but she was not rich. "She was one of those beautiful and charming girls born, as if fate had wronged her, into a family of artisans." (Maupassant 224) and this pushed Mathilde to want to be a...... middle of paper...... it could end up worse. Works Cited Adamson, Donald. "The Necklace: Overview." Reference Guide to World Literature. Ed. Lesley Henderson. 2nd ed. New York: St. James Press, 1995. Literature Resource Center. Network. January 29, 2014.Bement, Douglas. “The plot of the plot in 'The Necklace'”. Weaving the story. Farrar & Rinehart, Inc., 1931. 65-87. Rpt. in the Literary Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Literature Resource Center. Network. January 30, 2014. Brackett, Virginia. "The necklace." Masterplots, fourth edition (2010): 1-3. Literary reference center. Network. January 29, 2014.De Maupassant, Guy. "The necklace." 1990. Holt McDOUGAL Literature grade 9. Common core ed. Np: Holt McDOUGAL, n.d. 224-33. Print.Smith, Christopher. "The Necklace: Overview." Reference Guide to Short Fiction. Ed. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Literature Resource Center. Network. January 30. 2014.