💎 The Necklace – Summary (Class 10 English)
👤 Author Introduction – Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant (1850–1893) was a famous French short story writer and novelist, known for his realistic style and mastery of irony. His stories often reveal the truths of human life — greed, pride, illusion, and irony. “The Necklace” (La Parure in French) is one of his most celebrated stories, showing how pride and desire for luxury can lead to lifelong suffering.
Image: Mathilde Loisel dreaming of luxury at the ball
📖 Summary in English
The story “The Necklace” revolves around a woman named Mathilde Loisel, who was born into a middle-class family but dreamt of living a luxurious and glamorous life. She was married to a simple clerk, Monsieur Loisel, who worked in the Ministry of Education. Although her husband was content with his modest lifestyle, Mathilde always felt unhappy and believed she deserved a life of wealth and elegance.
One day, her husband brought home an invitation to a grand party at the Minister’s residence. Instead of being happy, Mathilde became upset because she had no suitable dress or jewelry to wear. Her husband, trying to please her, gave her money that he had saved to buy a gun and asked her to purchase a beautiful gown. Even then, Mathilde was not satisfied and complained that she had no jewels.
To solve this problem, Madame Forestier, her rich friend, lent her a beautiful diamond necklace. On the day of the party, Mathilde looked stunning and was admired by everyone. She danced gracefully, full of joy and pride — it was the happiest night of her life. But when she returned home and looked into the mirror, she realized with horror that the necklace was missing.
Mathilde and her husband searched everywhere but could not find it. Instead of telling Madame Forestier the truth, they decided to replace the necklace. They borrowed huge sums of money, mortgaged their house, and lived a life of poverty to buy a similar diamond necklace worth 36,000 francs. They returned the new necklace to Madame Forestier, who did not notice the difference.
The Loisels then spent the next ten years repaying the loans. They moved to a smaller house, dismissed their servant, and Mathilde did all the household chores herself. Her beauty faded, her hands became rough, and she looked much older than her age. One day, while walking in the park, Mathilde met Madame Forestier again and decided to tell her the truth about the necklace.
Shocked by Mathilde’s appearance, Madame Forestier revealed the most tragic irony — the necklace she had lent was not made of real diamonds but was an imitation worth only 500 francs. Mathilde and her husband had wasted ten years of their lives for something that was never real.
Image: The tragic ending when Mathilde learns the truth
📘 Summary in Hindi
कहानी “The Necklace” की नायिका मैथिल्ड लॉइसल एक मध्यम वर्गीय परिवार में जन्मी थी लेकिन हमेशा एक अमीर और शानदार जीवन का सपना देखती थी। उसका विवाह एक साधारण सरकारी क्लर्क मॉन्सियर लॉइसल से हुआ था। पति अपनी साधारण जिंदगी से संतुष्ट था, लेकिन मैथिल्ड हमेशा दुखी रहती और खुद को विलासिता के जीवन की हकदार मानती थी।
एक दिन उसके पति ने उसे मंत्री के घर आयोजित एक भव्य पार्टी का निमंत्रण दिया। मैथिल्ड नाराज़ हो गई क्योंकि उसके पास पहनने के लिए अच्छा कपड़ा और गहना नहीं था। पति ने अपनी बचत से उसे सुंदर गाउन खरीदने के लिए पैसे दिए। फिर भी वह उदास रही क्योंकि उसके पास कोई आभूषण नहीं था।
तब उसकी अमीर सहेली मैडम फॉरेस्टियर ने उसे एक खूबसूरत हीरे का हार उधार दिया। पार्टी में मैथिल्ड बहुत सुंदर लगी और सभी की नजरें उसी पर थीं। लेकिन घर लौटने पर उसने पाया कि हार गायब है।
पति-पत्नी ने बहुत खोजा लेकिन हार नहीं मिला। उन्होंने असली हार के बदले नया हार खरीदने का फैसला किया। इसके लिए उन्होंने उधार लिया, घर गिरवी रखा और दस साल तक गरीबी में जीवन बिताया। मैथिल्ड की सुंदरता खो गई और वह बूढ़ी सी लगने लगी।
दस साल बाद जब मैथिल्ड की मुलाकात मैडम फॉरेस्टियर से हुई और उसने सारी बात बताई, तो मैडम फॉरेस्टियर हैरान रह गईं और बताया कि असली हार तो नकली था — वह केवल 500 फ्रैंक का था। इस तरह मैथिल्ड ने अपनी जिंदगी के दस साल एक झूठी चमक के लिए खो दिए।
📝 Key Points to Remember
- Mathilde Loisel was a beautiful but discontent woman from a middle-class family.
- Her desire for wealth and status made her unhappy with her life.
- She borrowed a diamond necklace for a party and lost it.
- She and her husband replaced it with a real one by taking huge loans.
- They lived in poverty for ten years to repay the debt.
- In the end, Mathilde discovered the necklace was fake and worth only 500 francs.
- Theme: Vanity, pride, and irony of life.