CHARACTERIZATION ANALYSIS “THE NECKLACE by GUY DE MAUPASSANT”

Mathilda

Provide a quote from the story that illustrates a characteristic and page number	Explain what this quote reveals about the character and how
Method 1: Physical description  She was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as though fate had blundered over her, into a family of artisans.(page 1) ~ She was the prettiest woman present, elegant, graceful, smiling, and quite above herself with happiness.(page 3) ~ Madame Loisel looked old now. She had become like all the other strong, hard, coarse women of poor households. Her hair was badly done, her skirts were awry, her hands were red. She spoke in a shrill voice, and the water slopped all over the floor when she scrubbed it.(page 5)	Ø  Mathilde is a beautifull woman and she is charming. Ø  In the ball, narrator tells us that Mathilde was the prettiest woman there with her elegance and gracefullness, she was very happy about it as she realized that she is the object centre. Ø  After years working hard, do all kind of works that she can, she looked old and ugly. She has a bad hair, ugly clothes, ugly hands because of her hard work. Her voice become bad too.
Method 2: Words and action Instead of being delighted, as her husband hoped, she flung the invitation petulantly across the table, murmuring:      "What do you want me to do with this?" ~     She was not convinced.      "No . . . there's nothing so humiliating as looking poor in the middle of a lot of rich women." (page 2) ~ She danced madly, ecstatically, drunk with pleasure, with no thought for anything, in the triumph of her beauty, in the pride of her success, in a cloud of happiness made up of this universal homage and admiration, of the desires she had aroused, of the completeness of a victory so dear to her feminine heart.(page 3) ~      "What's the matter with you?" asked her husband, already half undressed.      She turned towards him in the utmost distress.      "I . . . I . . . I've no longer got Madame Forestier's necklace. . . ."      He started with astonishment.      "What! . . . Impossible!"      They searched in the folds of her dress, in the folds of the coat, in the pockets, everywhere. They could not find it. (page 4) ~ Then they went from jeweller to jeweller, searching for another necklace like the first, consulting their memories, both ill with remorse and anguish of mind.      In a shop at the Palais-Royal they found a string of diamonds which seemed to them exactly like the one they were looking for. It was worth forty thousand francs. They were allowed to have it for thirty-six thousand.      They begged the jeweller not to sell it for three days. And they arranged matters on the understanding that it would be taken back for thirty-four thousand francs, if the first one were found before the end of February.(page 5)	Ø  She is not confidence. She just flung the invitation. From the text, we can identify that mathilde is afraid to go because of her condition. She doesn’t want to appear in front of rich people with her condition now. Ø  From this text, it shows that mathilde is unconfidence. She doesn’t want to look embarashed in front of rich people. Ø  She is proud of herself. And because of her over proud as she knows that she is the most looked woman in the ball, so she dance madly and doesn’t think of anything else. She feel so perfect that night. Ø  She is careless. She doesn’t even care to her borrowed necklace as she dance madly and proud of herself. And they’ve just realized it in their home. Ø  She is a hardwork and responsible woman. She force to get the replacement. She doesn’t want her friend think bad about her. so, she and her husband, try hard to replace the neclace by going to the jeweller, find on the shops, begged to the jeweller to not to sell the neclace which look same with the lose one. They also lend a high amount of money.
Method 3: Thoughts "You ought to have brought it back sooner; I might have needed it."      She did not, as her friend had feared, open the case. If she had noticed the substitution, what would she have thought? What would she have said? Would she not have taken her for a thief? (page 5) ~ This fearful debt must be paid off. She would pay it. The servant was dismissed. They changed their flat; they took a garret under the roof.(page 5) ~ Madame Loisel was conscious of some emotion. Should she speak to her? Yes, certainly. And now that she had paid, she would tell her all. Why not?      She went up to her.(page 6)	Ø  She is responsible. She doesn’t want her friend to think something bad about her because she still not bring the necklace back to Foreister. Ø  From this text, we also could identify that mathilde is responsible and she has willingness to paid all her debt. So she and her husband do anything possible to cover their owe. Ø  In the last page, mathilde is afraid to face her friend at first, she asks herself about greeting her friend or not. She doubt but then she be brave because she have did something wrong that make her life full of fearfullness and she thinks that she should receive her faith.
Method 4: words/actions/feelings of other characters or narrator toward character      "Why, darling, I thought you'd be pleased. You never go out, and this is a great occasion. I had tremendous trouble to get it. Every one wants one; it's very select, and very few go to the clerks. You'll see all the really big people there."(page 1) ~     Loisel restrained her.      "Wait a little. You'll catch cold in the open. I'm going to fetch a cab." But she did not listen to him and rapidly descended the staircase. When they were out in the street they could not find a cab; they began to look for one, shouting at the drivers whom they saw passing in the distance. (page 3) ~ The other did not recognise her, and was surprised at being thus familiarly addressed by a poor woman.      "But . . . Madame . . ." she stammered. "I don't know . . . you must be making a mistake."      "No . . . I am Mathilde Loisel."      Her friend uttered a cry.      "Oh! . . . my poor Mathilde, how you have changed! . . ."(page 6)	Ø  According to her husband, mathilde, actually, wants to go out to such occation. But unfortunately, he doesn’t know that mathilde wants to appear with perfect appearance. Ø  She is careless because she doesn’t want to listen to her husband. But in here, we still can see that mathilda is responsible to her trouble. Ø  Her friend who had borrowed her the necklace, Madam Foreister, doesn’t recognise her, it means that mathilde who in the past is beautiful now become old and ugly after 10 years.
Method 5: Direct characterization;narrator’s direct comments Madame Loisel was a success. She was the prettiest woman present, elegant, graceful, smiling, and quite above herself with happiness. All the men stared at her, inquired her name, and asked to be introduced to her. (page 3) ~ She had no marriage portion, no expectations, no means of getting known, understood, loved, and wedded by a man of wealth and distinction; and she let herself be married off to a little clerk in the Ministry of Education. Her tastes were simple because she had never been able to afford any other, but she was as unhappy as though she had married beneath her;... (page 1)	Ø  From this text, narrator directly said that mathilde is the prettiest, elegant, graceful, smiling and quite about herself with happiness. She is also interesting because all men stared at her and asked to be introduced to her. Ø  Directly, narrator said that mathilde had no marriage portion, no expetations, no means of getting known, understood, loved, she had a simple taste and just let herself to be married to a little clerk.

  

MR. LOISEL

Provide a quote from the story that illustrates a characteristic and page number	Explain what this quote reveals about the character and how
Method 1: Physical description	I don’t get any physical description of Mr. Loisel.
Method 2: Words and action "How stupid you are!" exclaimed her husband. "Go and see Madame Forestier and ask her to lend you some jewels. You know her quite well enough for that."      She uttered a cry of delight.      "That's true. I never thought of it." (page 2) ~ Loisel restrained her.      "Wait a little. You'll catch cold in the open. I'm going to fetch a cab."(page 3) ~ Her husband returned about seven. He had found nothing.      He went to the police station, to the newspapers, to offer a reward, to the cab companies, everywhere that a ray of hope impelled him.(page 4) ~      "You must write to your friend," he said, "and tell her that you've broken the clasp of her necklace and are getting it mended. That will give us time to look about us."(page 4) ~ He did borrow it, getting a thousand from one man, five hundred from another, five louis here, three louis there. He gave notes of hand, entered into ruinous agreements, did business with usurers and the whole tribe of money-lenders. He mortgaged the whole remaining years of his existence, risked his signature without even knowing if he could honour it, and, appalled at the agonising face of the future, at the black misery about to fall upon him, at the prospect of every possible physical privation and moral torture, he went to get the new necklace and put down upon the jeweller's counter thirty-six thousand francs.(page 5) ~      Her husband worked in the evenings at putting straight a merchant's accounts, and often at night he did copying at twopence-halfpenny a page. (page 5)	Ø  He is clever. He know what his wife should do to overcome her problem about jewel without take out some money to buy it. Ø  He loves her wife. He doesn’t want to let her go outside because she could get sick. Ø  He is a hardworker. He really force to get the necklace. He finds it everywhere. Ø  He is clever to find reason for his wife so they have time to look for the new same necklace. Ø  He also be responsible to the losing of necklace, he works hard to lend money from everywhere which possible to lend money. Ø  He is a responsible and hardworker man. He works hard to pay the debt.
Method 3: Thoughts He grew slightly pale, for this was exactly the amount he had been saving for a gun, intending to get a little shooting next summer on the plain of Nanterre with some friends who went lark-shooting there on Sundays.(page 2)	Ø  He loves her wife very much. We can identify by his thought when he wants to give his saving to his wife, that the money is for his dreams to get a little shooting next summer. But he sacrifices it because he doesn’t want to see his wife sad and disappointed.
Method 4: words/actions/feelings of other characters or narrator toward character      She looked at him out of furious eyes, and said impatiently: "And what do you suppose I am to wear at such an affair?"      He had not thought about it; he stammered:	Ø  Mathilde said to her husband with furious eyes, she may feel that her husband doesn’t understand her much.
Method 5: Direct characterization;narrator’s direct comments ....an immediate refusal and an exclamation of horror from the careful-minded clerk. (page 2)	Ø  He directly being characterized by the narrator as a careful-minded clerk.

MADAME FOREISTER

Provide a quote from the story that illustrates a characteristic and page number	Explain what this quote reveals about the character and how
Method 1: Physical description   It was Madame Forestier, still young, still beautiful, still attractive.(page 6)	Ø  Madame Foreister is still look young, beautiful and interesting even after 10 years mathilde last meet her.
Method 2: Words and action Next day she went to see her friend and told her her trouble.      Madame Forestier went to her dressing-table, took up a large box, brought it to Madame Loisel, opened it, and said:      "Choose, my dear." (page 3) ~      "Yes. Look for yourself. I don't know what you would like best." (page 3)      Then, with hesitation, she asked in anguish:      "Could you lend me this, just this alone?"      "Yes, of course." (page 3) ~      The other did not recognise her, and was surprised at being thus familiarly addressed by a poor woman.      "But . . . Madame . . ." she stammered. "I don't know . . . you must be making a mistake."      "No . . . I am Mathilde Loisel."      Her friend uttered a cry.      "Oh! . . . my poor Mathilde, how you have changed! . . ."(page 6)	Ø  Foreister is a Kind woman, she wants to listen to her friend trouble and let her choose and borrow her jewel. Ø  She is kind. She doesn’t force mathilde about what she should choose. She gave Mathilde freedom to choose the jewel she likes. And kindly answer yes to the request of mathilde. Ø  She still call her friend although at first she saw mathilde, she doesn’t recognise her.
Method 3: Thoughts
Method 4: words/actions/feelings of other characters or narrator toward character      One Sunday, as she had gone for a walk along the Champs-Elysees to freshen herself after the labours of the week, she caught sight suddenly of a woman who was taking a child out for a walk. It was Madame Forestier, still young, still beautiful, still attractive.(page 6)	Ø  Mathilde feel afraid to meet and greet foreister because may be mathilde thinks that foreister will not recognise of her uglyness while madam foreister is still looked young, beautiful and atractive.
Method 5: Direct characterization;narrator’s direct comments