Sociology of Literature

Fitri Andriyani

6^th Semester

Sociology of Literature

HEDONISM OF MATHILDE LOISEL IN

GUY DE MAUPASSANT’S THE DIAMOND NECKLACE

In the beginning of the story, Mathilde is one of women in middle class, but she is unhappy with her place in society. She is not satisfied because with her beauty, she thinks she should be wearing beautiful clothes and lived in well condition.

“The girl was one of those pretty and charming young creatures who sometimes are born, as if by a slip of fate, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no expectations, no way of being known, understood, loved, married by any rich and distinguished man; so she let herself be married to a little clerk of the Ministry of Public Instruction. She dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was unhappy as if she had really fallen from a higher station; since with women there is neither caste nor rank, for beauty, grace and charm takes the place of family and birth. Natural ingenuity, instinct for what is elegant, a supple mind are their sole hierarchy, and often make of women of the people the equals of the very greatest ladies. Mathilde suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born to enjoy all delicacies and all luxuries. ”. (Guy de Mauppasant, The Diamond Necklace, 1884)

The quotation above is about Mathilde’s condition. She is beautiful, pretty and charming woman, but she could not dress well because of her live condition. She married with poor men who work as a little clerk of Minister of Public Instruction that make Mathilde more suffer.

            Mathilde’s husband was comfortable with his place in society, while she hates and disappointed with her live condition.

“When she sat down to dinner, before the round table covered with a tablecloth in use three days, opposite her husband, who uncovered the soup tureen and declared with a delighted air, "Ah, the good soup! I don't know anything better than that," she thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware, of tapestry that peopled the walls with ancient personages and with strange birds flying in the midst of a fairy forest; and she thought of delicious dishes served on marvellous plates and of the whispered gallantries to which you listen with a sphinxlike smile while you are eating the pink meat of a trout or the wings of a quail. She had no gowns, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that. She felt made for that. She would have liked so much to please, to be envied, to be charming, to be sought after”. (Guy de Maupassant, The Diamond Necklace, 1884)

Loisel try to make enjoy their dinner with saying that he feels satisfied with the soup. He wants to make her wife happy, while Mathilde is always thinking about the luxuriousness and the upper class live condition that she wants.

            Loisel want to make his wife happy with bring an invitation from the Minister of Public Instruction where Loisel works.

“…The Minister of Public Instruction and Madame Georges Ramponneau request the honor of M. and Madame Loisel's company at the palace of the Ministry on Monday evening, January 18th.

Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she threw the invitation on the table crossly, muttering:

"What do you wish me to do with that?"

"Why, my dear, I thought you would be glad. You never go out, and this is such a fine opportunity. I had great trouble to get it. Every one wants to go; it is very select, and they are not giving many invitations to clerks. The whole official world will be there."

She looked at him with an irritated glance and said impatiently:

"And what do you wish me to put on my back?"”. (Guy de Maupassant, The Diamond Necklace, 1884)

Loisel try to make his wife happy with the invitation, he tell to his wife that he was very difficult to get the invitation and the it is just for the people in upper class and there will be people from the upper class, so that they have opportunity to take a part as the upper class, but Mathilde refuse it and she won’t to go to the party.

            Mathilde feels give up, she can’t go to the party. She complains to her husband that she doesn’t have dress which proper to wear in the party and she suggest that the invitation should to give to another.

            “What's the matter? What's the matter?" he answered.

By a violent effort she conquered her grief and replied in a calm voice, while she wiped her wet cheeks:

"Nothing. Only I have no gown, and, therefore, I can't go to this ball. Give your card to some colleague whose wife is better equipped than I am

He was in despair. He resumed:

"Come, let us see, Mathilde. How much would it cost, a suitable gown, which you could use on other occasions--something very simple?"”. (Guy de Maupassant, The Diamond Necklace, 1884)

Loisel really loves his wife, he wants to make his wife happy. He persuades his wife to go to the party with give some money to buy a new dress, while actually he wants to use the money to buy a gun for himself.

            After Mathilde gets a dress to wear in the party, she complains again to her husband that she has no jewelry to wear with the dress.

            “"What is the matter? Come, you have seemed very queer these last three days."

And she answered:

"It annoys me not to have a single piece of jewelry, not a single ornament, nothing to put on. I shall look poverty-stricken. I would almost rather not go at all."

"You might wear natural flowers," said her husband. "They're very stylish at this time of year. For ten francs you can get two or three magnificent roses."

She was not convinced.          

"No; there's nothing more humiliating than to look poor among other women who are rich."”. (Guy de Maupassant, The Diamond Necklace, 1884)

Loisel suggest his wife to use natural flower, but Mathilde refuse it. She doesn’t hear what his husband said and she just thinking about herself who need jewelry, said that it just make her look more poor people.

            Loisel try to resolve his wife’s problem with suggest to borrow jewelry to Madame Forestier, Mathilde’s friend, and she agree with her husband.

“She saw first some bracelets, then a pearl necklace, then a Venetian gold cross set with precious stones, of admirable workmanship. She tried on the ornaments before the mirror, hesitated and could not make up her mind to part with them, to give them back. She kept asking:

"Haven't you any more?"

"Why, yes. Look further; I don't know what you like."

Suddenly she discovered, in a black satin box, a superb diamond necklace, and her heart throbbed with an immoderate desire. Her hands trembled as she took it. She fastened it round her throat, outside her high-necked waist, and was lost in ecstasy at her reflection in the mirror.

Then she asked, hesitating, filled with anxious doubt:

"Will you lend me this, only this?"”. (Guy de Maupassant, The Diamond Necklace, 1884)

Mathilde is one of the dissatisfaction people. Madame Forestier show some her jewelry and Mathilde wants to more and she choose the diamond necklace to borrow and to wear in the party.

At the party, Mathilde become prettier than other woman, she feels like a rich woman with a new dress and the diamond necklace.

“The night of the ball arrived. Madame Loisel was a great success. She was prettier than any other woman present, elegant, graceful, smiling and wild with joy. All the men looked at her, asked her name, sought to be introduced. All the attaches of the Cabinet wished to waltz with her. She was remarked by the minister himself.

She danced with rapture, with passion, intoxicated by pleasure, forgetting all in the triumph of her beauty, in the glory of her success, in a sort of cloud of happiness comprised of all this homage, admiration, these awakened desires and of that sense of triumph which is so sweet to woman's heart”. (Guy de Maupassant, The Diamond Necklace, 1884)

In the party, all of men look at her and want to dance with her. Mathilde was very happy and feel satisfied because she can feel like a rich woman and she can to be what she wants. She feels like a high class society and her society of course accept her because she can show that she is a member of high class. She enjoys the party with dancing with other men and include with women in high class. Loisel leave his wife to enjoy the party. At the party, Mathilde dancing, laugh and gets the experience that she thought she was born to enjoy.

References:

·         http://www.enotes.com/topics/guy-de-maupassant/in-depth

·         http://www.enotes.com/topics/guy-de-maupassant/themes