Perspectives

Literary movement

The short story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant is a naturalist work of fiction. Naturalism emerged in the 19th century and mainly focused on the observation of nature and the world around us. In “The Necklace”, Guy de Maupassant analyzes the society Mathilde lives in. He contrasts the upper class and the lower class, focusing on descriptive language to illustrate the reality of the time. For example, the author presents the details of the Loisels’ new living situation as they are: 

She washed the dishes, using her rosy nails on the greasy pots and pans. She washed the dirty linen, the shirts, and the dish-cloths, which she dried upon a line; she carried the slops down to the street every morning, and carried up the water, stopping...