What Kind of Character Was Madame Loisel?
Madame Mathilde Loisel is the protagonist of “The Necklace” by French writer Guy de Maupassant. Her character is defined by her pride, vanity, greed and envy.
Madame Loisel spent nearly every waking hour believing that life had cheated her of a richer destiny. She constantly longed to belong to the higher societal classes, and she daydreamed about lavish parties and expensive adornments.
She convinced her modest husband to buy her a nice dress for a formal party and borrowed what she believed to be an expensive necklace from a friend. After having the time of her life at the party, she lost the necklace and took loans to buy a replacement.
After a decade toiling to pay the debt, she became aged and haggard. She finally told her old friend about the necklace, only to find out it was a cheap costume necklace. Madame Loisel’s pride cost her ten years of hard living.
