The Necklace & The Blue Umbrella

Part 1 — The Necklace (Guy de Maupassant)

About the Author

Guy de Maupassant (1850–1893) was a French master of the short story. He specialised in IRONIC ENDINGS — stories where the last sentence completely CHANGES everything you thought you knew.

The Story

Mathilde Loisel: Mathilde was a BEAUTIFUL woman, born into a POOR family, married to a HUMBLE CLERK. She was MISERABLE. She dreamed of wealth, beautiful clothes, jewellery, and being ADMIRED by rich and powerful men.

The Invitation: Her husband brings home an INVITATION to a GRAND BALL at the Minister's residence. Instead of being thrilled, Mathilde WEEPS — she has nothing to wear.

• Her husband gives her the 400 francs he had SAVED to buy a gun → she buys a DRESS
• But she still has NO JEWELLERY. She borrows a 'DIAMOND NECKLACE' from her wealthy friend, Madame Forestier.

The Ball — and The Disaster: At the ball: Mathilde is the BELLE of the evening. Everyone admires her. She dances. She is ECSTATIC. 'It was the greatest night of her life.'

But when they return HOME, she discovers: THE NECKLACE IS GONE. They search everywhere. It is not found.

The Sacrifice: They BUY a replacement necklace — an identical one — for 36,000 FRANCS. They BORROW every penny. For TEN YEARS, they live in CRUSHING POVERTY to repay the debt. Mathilde does heavy housework. Her beauty fades. She becomes ROUGH, HARD, OLD.

The Shocking Ending — The IRONY: After ten years, Mathilde meets Madame Forestier — still young, still beautiful. Mathilde tells her the truth: 'I lost your necklace. I replaced it. We've spent ten years paying for it.'

Madame Forestier is SHOCKED. She takes Mathilde's hands: 'Oh, my poor Mathilde! But mine was a FAKE. It was worth at most FIVE HUNDRED FRANCS!'

The necklace was PASTE — not diamonds. Mathilde spent TEN YEARS of her life paying for something that was WORTHLESS.

Themes

• The Dangers of Pride and Vanity: Mathilde's desire to APPEAR wealthy destroyed her
• The Irony of Fate: One terrible misunderstanding (the necklace was fake!) cost her a DECADE
• The Cost of Materialism: 'Wanting what you don't have can blind you to what you DO have.'
• Appearance vs. Reality: The necklace LOOKED real. It was WORTHLESS. Mathilde LOOKED beautiful at the ball. Her reality after it was UGLY and HARD.

Part 2 — The Blue Umbrella (Ruskin Bond)

About the Author

Ruskin Bond (born 1934) is India's most beloved English writer. He lives in Mussoorie and writes about the Himalayan people he has known for over 60 years.

The Story

Binya and Her Blue Umbrella: Binya is a little girl in a Himalayan village. One day, she trades her LEOPARD-CLAW NECKLACE to a picnicking tourist for a BEAUTIFUL BLUE UMBRELLA.

The umbrella becomes the MOST FAMOUS OBJECT in the village. 'Everyone admired it. The children followed her around. She was the girl with the blue umbrella.'

Ram Bharosa's Envy: RAM BHAROSA, the shopkeeper, is CONSUMED with envy. He MUST have that umbrella. He tries to BUY it — Binya refuses. He tries to TRICK a boy into STEALING it — the plan fails.

When the village learns what Ram Bharosa did, they BOYCOTT his shop. His business RUINED. He sits alone, MISERABLE.

Binya's Generosity: Binya SEES Ram Bharosa's misery. She FEELS SORRY for him. And she does something EXTRAORDINARY: she GIVES him the blue umbrella. 'An old man. A lonely man. And all he wanted was something beautiful.'

Ram Bharosa's joy is IMMENSE. He gives Binya a BEAR-CLAW NECKLACE in return. He keeps the umbrella in his shop — for EVERYONE to see and admire. His customers return.

Themes

• Envy Destroys. Generosity Heals. Ram Bharosa's envy ruined him. Binya's kindness restored him.
• The Value of Simple Things: In a small Himalayan village, a blue umbrella can be the most precious object in the world
• Growing Up: Binya's decision to give up her most prized possession is an act of MATURITY and COMPASSION
• Ruskin Bond's India: The story is quintessentially Bond — gentle, loving, deeply human

Comparison