CBSE Class 10 English The Necklace Worksheet

The Necklace

INTRODUCTION
The Necklace’ is one of the well-known stories of NItaupassant. The story centers round Matilda Loisel, who is a beautiful woman. She suffers greatly because of her desire to appear rich and fashionable. She is married to a clerk and leads an ordinary life. But she wants to be rich and famous. Her husband gets an invitation to attend a dance party given by the Minister of Public Instruction. Matilda borrows a diamond necklace from her rich friend Madame Forestier to wear it at the party. She looks charming and everybody praises her. But when she returns home, she finds that she has lost the necklace. She and her husband borrow a big amount of money to replace the necklace. Both of the world hard for ten years to pay off their debt. Their life becomes miserable. One day, after the debt, is paid off. Matilda comes across Madame Forestier. Matilda is shocked to learn from her that the necklace was made of artificial diamonds and its price was not more than 500 francs.

GIST
`The Necklace’ is a mild satire but with a strong message. It is ridiculous for people of ordinary means to copy the rich. One should live within one’s meAnswer. Otherwise, he or she invites unnecessary problems, anxieties and confusion in his or her life. The main message of the story is that we should be what we are. False pride is the cause of our sufferings. The loss of a false necklace by Mrs. Loisel was not a big loss. Things could have been settled right if she had confessed the loss of the necklace to the owner, Madame Forestier. This small lapse or mistake of Mrs. Loisel makes her whole life miserable and dark. And the irony was that the cause of all these sufferings was a false necklace.

Main Characters

1. Matilda:
Matilda is a pretty, young lady. She wanted to lead a rich and luxurious life. But she was born into a humble family and had to marry an ordinary man. She felt sad about her petty economic and social status. When Matilda got an invitation to a ball, she wanted to pretend as a rich woman. She gave in to vanity. She disregarded the advice of her good husband. She is a woman who sought the praise and admiration of others. She feels very happy when men appreciated her beauty and grace at the dance ball. Matilda is a woman lacking wisdom and prudence. Just to show off a day at the ball, she loses her borrowed necklace. This leads to enormous suffering for her and her husband for a number of years. She does not understand the importance of living within one’s meAnswer.

2. Mr. Loisel:
Mr. Loisel is a simple man working as a clerk. He loves his wife and does everything to make her happy. He gets an invitation to a ball with his wife. When his wife wants a costly necklace, he suggests she should borrow a necklace from her rich friend, Madame Forestier. When Matilda loses her necklace, he uses his hard-earned savings to buy a new necklace. He starts working very hard to repay the debt they had incurred. Mr. Loisel is ready to make an enormous sacrifice to maintain his family. He is a man who believes in living a life within one’s meAnswer. Unfortunately, because he is lenient towards his wife, he has to undergo much suffering.

Multiple Choice Questions

Question. Into which family was Matilda born?
(a) Family of teachers
(b) Family of clerks
(c) Family of businessmen
(d) Family of shopkeepers
Answer. B

Question. How did Loisel feel when he received the invitation to the prestigious ball dance?
(a) Elated
(b) Sad
(c) Vexed
(d) Surprised
Answer. A

Question. Why had Loisel saved four hundred francs?
(a) To buy Matilda a dress
(b) To buy a gun to go hunting
(c) To buy a vehicle to go to work
(d) To buy a TV set for some entertainment
Answer. B

Question. What jewellery did Matilda borrow from Mme Forestier?
(a) A bracelet
(b) A pair of earrings
(c) Bangles
(d) A necklace
Answer. D

Question. For how much did they buy the diamond francs?
(a) For twenty thousand francs
(b) for thirty six thousand francs
(c) for fifty thousand francs
(d) for fifteen thousand francs
Answer. B

Question. Assertion (A): Mme Forestier was touched and took both the hands of Matilda.
Reason(R): She was touched by Matilda’s plight which could have been avoided if only Matilda had told the truth.
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
Answer. A

Question. Assertion (A): Matilda threw the letter away
Reason(R): She had no jewellery to wear.
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
Answer. A

Question. What all did Mme and M Loisel do to repay?
a) sent away the maid
b) change their lodgings
c) husband working the evenings and nights too
d) all of these
Answer. D
 

Extract Based:

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

SHE was one of those pretty, young ladies, born as if through an error of destiny, into a family of clerks.
She had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known loved, and married by a man either rich or distinguished: and she allowed henself to marry a
petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education.
She was simple but she was unhappy. She suffered incessantly, feeling herself bom for oil delicacies and luxuries She suffered from the poverty of her apartment the shabby walls and the worn chairs. All these things tortured and angered her.

Question. The phrase “error of destiny means:
(a) unwanted
(b) by deception
(c) by fate
(d) Luckily
Answer. C

Question. Matilda was unhappy as:
(a) she was ug ly.
(b) she had no friends.
(c) she was married to a middle-class clerk
(d) she wasn't getting married.
Answer. C

Question. As per the extract. Matilda had no means of:
(a) dowry
(b) hopes
(c) becoming known
(d) business
Answer. D

Question. Pick the quality that Matilda did NOT have in her:
(a) envious
(b) complaining
(c) angered
(d) optimistic
Answer. D

Question. Pick the word that does NOT mean the same as 'incessantly:
(a) continuously
(b) sporadically
(c) non-stop
(d) intermittently
Answer. B

Short Answer Questions 

Question. Who was Matilda?
Answer. Matilda was a young, pretty lady born in a family of clerks

Question. Whom did she married?
Answer. She married with Mr. Loisel, who was a very simple man.

Question. What job did Mr. Loisel do?
Answer. Mr. Loisel was a clerk in the office of the Board of Education.

Question. What kind of a person her husband is?
Answer. Her husband is a very simple-hearted person. He is an ordinary person. He is a caring husband. He wants to see Mme. Loisel happy.

Question. How did Matilda react when she saw the invitation card?
Answer. Matilda reacted in a very bad manner, instead of being happy, she got very angry to see the invitation card.

Question. How did M. Loisel afford for the new dress?
Answer. M. Loisel gave four hundred francs to Matilda, which he had saved for the gun.

Question. What was the advice given by M. Loisel to Matilda when she complained about not having suitable jewellery?
Answer. M. loisel advised Matilda to wear natural flowers when she complained about not having suitable jewellery.

Question. Who was the friend of Matilda?
Answer. Mme Forestier was the friend of Matilda. She was very rich and had many jewels.

Question. Why did Madam Loisel leave the ball in a hurry? What does it show about her character?
Answer. Madam Loisel left the ball in a hurry because her husband threw the modest wraps around her shoulders, whose poverty clashed with the elegance of the ball costume. She did not want to be noticed by the other woman who were wrapping themselves in rich furs. It shows the hypocrisy and show off life of Madam Loisel. It shows her dissatisfaction, anger and frustration with life.

Question. How was Mrs Loisel ‘a mistake of destiny’?
Answer. Mrs Matilda Loisel was very charming and pretty. She appeared to be a lady of a high family. But she was born in a family of clerks. As her parents did not have much money, she was married to a clerk. But her thoughts were high. She wanted to enjoy the luxuries of life. So, the writer says that she was ‘a mistake of destiny.’

Question. What do you think were the feelings of Madam Forester when she came to know that Matilda returned her a diamond necklace in place of an artificial one?
Answer. Matilda borrowed a necklace from Madam Frostier to wear at a party. She lost it somewhere and in that place returned a diamond necklace to her. She was unaware of the fact that it was an artificial one. Madam Forester was shocked to know the whole story. Madam Frostier thought that situation could be avoided if Matilda had the dare to accept the truth and share it with Madam Forester.

Question. What kind of a husband was M. Loisel? Discuss with reference to the chapter. ‘The Necklace’.
Or
Why do you think that M. Loisel was a loving husband?
Answer. Mr. Loisel was a simple and poor clerk. He made every effort and sacrifice to make his wife happy. He sacrificed his 400 francs that he had saved to buy a gun for himself in order to buy a new party dress for his wife. It proves that he was a loving husband.

Question. What would have happened to Matilda if she had confessed to her friend that she had lost her necklace?
Answer. It would have been a very simple solution. A confession would have solved the problem. Madame Forestier would have asked Matilda not to worry about the necklace as the jewels were false.

Question. Why did Matilda think that she was born in a family of petty clerks by some error of destiny?
Answer. Matilda was a beautiful young lady with high dreams and aspirations. She had no dowry, no hopes,no fame and no wealth. She lost all hopes of marrying a man either rich or distinguished. She believed that she was born into a family of clerks only by some error of destiny. So, she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education.

Question. Do you think Mr Loisel had an enjoyable evening at the ball? Give reasons for you answer.
Answer. He did not have an enjoyable evening at the ball. He was quite bored with the ball. He felt half asleep in a little salon with three men.

Question. What was the greatest mistake of Mrs Loisel that became the cause of their miseries?
Could she have averted it?
Answer. The greatest blunder that Matilda committed was that she didn't take her friend into confidence. She should have told the whole story as it had happened. That would have pacified Madame Forestier quite easily as the necklace she lent to her friend was not of real diamonds but false ones.

Question. Why didn’t Matilda like to visit her rich friend?
Answer. Matilda or Mrs Loisel always dreamt of things that were beyond her meAnswer. She dreamt of a grand house, costly dishes, good dresses and jewels. She was disillusioned that she couldn't get them.When she visited her rich friend, she really suffered because she became intensely conscious of her poverty in the presence of her fortunate and rich friend. She suffered so much when she returned to her modest and miserable surroundings.

Question. Why did Mr Loisel had to put on his clothes to go out into the cold at night, minutes after returning from the ball? Did he succeed in getting what he searched for?
Answer. Matilda had lost the diamond necklace that she had borrowed from Madame Forestier, at the ball.When it was not found in the folds of her dress, in the folds of the cloak, in pockets, everywhere,Mr Loisel went out. He went over the track in search of the lost necklace. No, he didn't succeed in finding what he had been searching for in the cold night.

Question. Why was Matilda always unhappy?
OR
Why did Matilda suffer incessantly?
Answer. Matilda was always unhappy. She was not satisfied with what life and fate had given to her. She believed that she was born in a family of petty clerks through some error of destiny. She dreamt of a big and grand house, marvellous dishes, good dresses and jewels. She hated to give an image of poverty. But the harsh realities of life made her unhappy and dissatisfied with her lot.

Question. Why did Matilda throw the invitation card spitefully upon the table?
OR
Why did Matilda ask her husband to give the invitation card to some colleague?
Answer. One evening, Matilda’s husband returned home carrying in his hand a large envelope. She drew out a printed card quickly, but threw it on the table spitefully. It was an invitation for a ball arranged by the Minister of Public Instruction. She complained that she didn't have a suitable dress for that grand occasion. She asked him to give that invitation to some colleague whose wife was better fitted out than her.

Question. What and why did Matilda (Mrs Loisel) put up another demand after her husband gave her 400 francs for buying a pretty dress?
Answer. Mrs Loisel's demand of having a suitable constume was fulfilled and her dress was almost ready.
But then, she put forward another demand. She was vexed not to have a jewel. She had nothing to adorn herself with. She didn't want to present a poverty-stricken look of herself amidst rich ladies.She ridiculed the idea of wearing natural flowers. She needed some jewels to adorn herself.

Question. How was Matilda's demand of adorning herself with jewels fulfilled?
Answer. Mrs Loisel was adamant on having some jewels to adorn herself for the ball. Her poor husband felt helpless. However, an idea struck him. He told her that she could borrow jewels from her rich friend,Madame Forestier. Madame Forestier easily agreed and placed her jewellery box before Matilda to make her choice. In the end, Matilda chose a superb diamond necklace and Madame Forestier happily gave the necklace to her friend.

Question. How did Mr and Mrs Loisel replace the lost necklace and gave that to Madame Forestier?
Answer. When they had lost all hopes of getting the lost necklace, Mrs and Mr Loisel decided that they must replace the jewel. In a shop, they found a necklace which seemed to them exactly like the one they had lost. They could get it for 36000 francs. Mr Loisel had 18000 francs which his father had left.
They borrowed the rest of the money. The bought the new necklace and returned it to Madame Forestier.

Question. Why didn't Madame Forestier recognise Matilda? How did both the ladies look?
Answer. One day, Matilda was taking a walk in the Champs-Elysees. She suddenly saw a woman walking with a child. It was Madame Forestier. She was still young, pretty and still attractive. But Mrs Loisel looked just the different. Her face was telling her story. She had so much changed that Madame Forestier couldn't recognise her. She could only say, “Oh! my poor Matilda! How you have changed!”

Question. What did Matilda do to return the money to the lenders?
Answer. To pay the debt of eighteen thousand francs, Loisels let go of their decent living. Matilda had to cook, clean, wash, mend, bring water and bargain with the butcher and grocer.

Question. What was the great shock that Mme Forestier gave to Matilda at last?
Answer. The great shock that Mme Forestier gave to Matilda was the necklace which she lent her was not  original. It was not worth over five hundred francs.

Question. What excuse did Loisels put up to explain the delay in returning the necklace?
Answer. Loisels had lost the necklace and needed time to find an identical one. Thus, Loisels wrote a letter to Mme Forestier with an excuse that the clasp of the necklace was broken and they needed time to get it repaired.

Question. Comment on the use of irony in the text. Or How had sacrifice of Mme Loisel been in vain?
Answer. The irony in the story is based on the fact that Mme and M Loisel spend ten years of toil and frugality paying for a necklace which turns out to be a cheap imitation.

Question. What did Matilda and her husband do to discover the necklace?
Answer. They went to the police and to the cab offices, and put the advertisement in the newspapers, offering a reward. But they had not discovered anything

Long Answer questions :

Question. “Oh! My poor Matilda! Mine was false.” Confession saves you from a lot of trouble and the sense of guilt. Justify the statement.
Answer. Matilda’s friend Mme Forester meets her after a long time, nearly a gap of ten years. Perhaps it was destined to. She does not recognize Matilda — old, hard and crude with dishevelled hair and skirts awry. She is astonished to see Matilda in this pathetic condition. Matilda tells her the reason for this — the loss of the original necklace and the misery that followed after replacing the necklace. Mme Forester could only sympathies with Matilda, for the necklace she had lent to Matilda was not of original diamonds. She could have told this clearly to Matilda while giving it to her. Perhaps Mme forester thought she should not dampen Matilda’s spirits by revealing the truth. But what the loss of it. Brought to Matilda was irreversible. Matilda on her part should have revealed the loss of the necklace to her friend. If it had been of real diamonds, then she could have asked for some time to replace it. Matilda could have thus taken her friend into confidence, but the silent suffering had really taken its toll on her life. If Matilda had only taken courage and been honest to her friend, she would still have been living comfortably, thus justifying the statement given above. Her own senseless attitude led to her ruin.
 

Question. M. Loisel was a Loving husband. He tried every method of finding the necklace but to no avaiL He didn't blame Matilda for the loss even after that.
Imagine yourself as the writer of the story
"The Necklace and write an imaginary conversation between M. Loisel and Matilda if Loisel g ets angry on he r at he r carelessness for losing the necklace.
Answer. Matilda: (tensed) Where is my necklace? Oh no! I can't find it I have Lost it somewhere.
M. Loiseb (screaming) What do you mean
Matilda? How can you lose such an expensive diamond necklace? Don't you know itrs borrowed and we have to return it?
Matilda: I am sorry. I have no idea when this happened. I was wearing it the entire time of the party. What should we do now?
M. Loisek What a careless behavior! You are so immature and irresponsible. You couldn't even handle a necklace.
Matilda: II am really sorry LotseL Please don't panic I hope it must be somewhere in the party halL
M. LoiseL I am going to check it everywhere.
Start taking care of things a bit Matilda!
 

Question. Compare Matilda's life before and after the fateful dinner party.
Answer. Before the dinner party, Matilda Led a frugal life as they did not have too much money and hence, had no luxuries. However, they did have a maid and other basic facilities. She dreamt of all the extravagances of life and was unhappy as she did not Lead a luxurious Life. But they couLd still manage to live a simple peaceful Life was full of Love and care.
After the dinner party, Matilda Lost the necklace and her husband hod to borrow large amounts of money ta repay the loans they had taken to replace the lost necklace with a new one.
Matilda had to compensate for the Loss by letting go of the maid, doing all chores herself and having no savings to foil back on. She. Led a hard and harsh Life that made her Look much worn out and shabby.
 

Question. Read the following statement.
rtlf you tell the truth it becomes a part of your past If you tell a lie, it becomes a part of your future.
How does Matilda's life change after she tells a Lie about the necklace? Explain in the Light of the statement given above and with the help of examples from the text.
Answer. Matildas life underwent a drastic change after she told a lie about rhe necklace to Mme Frostier. When Matilda lost the necklace, she lied to her friend that the clasp of the necklace was broken accidentally and she had to get it repaired. So, this way she got some time to replace the necklace by buying a new one that looked exactly, like the lost one However, her lie became a part of her future struggles and poverty as she and her husband hod to pay a sum of sixty-thousand francs. The couple had! to change their lodgings, rent room at the attics and cut down on their expenses and domestic help. They were left with no savings at all and had to work hard to live an economic Life. Had she told the truth to Mme Frostier, she would have known that the necldace was a cheap imitation worth five hundred francs. The truth would have saved her future.
 

Question. One of your friends has to attend a class party at his / her school and wants to purchase the most expensive clothes and shows. He/ She feels that this wouLd make him/ her stand out in the crowd.
You receive a call from your friend seeking advice on this matter. Write down that telephonic conversation between your friend and yourself.
You may begin this way:
Friend: Hey. I want an honest opinion from you. Will you please help me?
Friend: So, there's this class party I have to attend. It's a big dieall
Answer. Friend: Hey. I want an honest opinion from
you. Will you please help me?
You: Hey, Sure. Tell me what is it?
Friend:. So. there's this class party I have to attend, it's a big deal! Now I want you to tdl me that what I should buy so that I may stand out in the crowd.
You: Okay. Look_l think that to stand out in the crowd, you need to be yourself. Every person would look the same in similar type of fashion that they would cany in the party. However, if you will adhere to your personality, to who you are and will go in something that suits your personality rather than going with the trend, I am sure you will rock it Friend: Hey thanks. II haven't thought about it You are right I should wear what suits me best I think I have something with me already that would look the best on me Bye
 

Question. Read the following quote.
“We are too involved in materialistic things, and they don't satisfy us. The loving relationships we have, the universe around us> we take these things for granted” —Mitch Albarn Matilda was never satisfied with her life and desired more. The given quote reflects her character. J u stify.
Answer. Matilda was never satisfied with her life and always desired more. She was a very materialistic lady. She just loved all things material and had very Less emotions. The fact that she had such a loving and caring husband with whom she had a good, simple life wasn't sufficient for her. She was greedy and full of lavish desires even when she knew she had no means to fuLfill them. She never accepted her poor reality and was never grateful for all the good things that she had in her life. She was never content or satisfied with what life had to offer her. She took her husband's Love, her blessed life for granted. Her greedy and dissatisfied nature Led both of them to Live a miserable Life full of extreme poverty.
 

Question. Read the extracts given below and compare the characters on their nature of gratitude towa rds life.
(A) her husband who uncovered the tureen with a delighted air, saying, “Oh/ the good potpie/ / know nothing better than that-,"
(B) she would think of elegant dinners, of shining silver; she thought of the exquisite food served rn marvelous dishesi She had neither frocks nor Jewels, nothing. And she loved only those things.
Answer. The characters in the extracts are M. Loisel and Matilda who had a very different approach towards life.
(A) M. Loisel was a happy and self-content man. Although he was just a middleclass clerk in Board of Education, he was satisfied with what Life had offered him.
He was grateful to God for all the ordinary things that he had. He didn't hove any desire or urge to Lead an exquisite Lifestyle.
He accepted his reality well and was not ashamed to be who he was.
(B) Matilda was an unhappy and dissatisfied lady. Though she was born in a poor family, she believed she deserved all the Luxuries and riches of Life. She never accepted her reality and was always disheartened at what life had to offer her. She wasn't grateful to God for anything in Life. Instead, she always complained to have received nothing from her destiny. She had big desires which were full of greed and riches. She felt ashamed of her poor reality.

Question. Loisel wished to keep his wife in good humour. Which values of Matilda impress him?
Answer.Loisel wished to keep his wife in good humour. Mrs Loisel was a beautiful and delicate woman. She was fond of all riches and luxuries. She thought she deserves all these and thought that it is an error of destiny that she is born in a poor family and married to a mere clerk in the office of the Board of Education. Matilda’s beauty and style impressed Lisle. He tried his best to keep her happy. She was fond of parties and balls. That’s an 8 W y when Lisle got an invitation of Ball of minister’s residence. He was happy for his wife. He bought her a new dress for the ball, with the money he had saved to buy a hunting gun. He loved her so much that he bought the new diamond necklace to replace the lost one for thirty-six thousand francs which lost all his savings and compelled him to do extra jobs after office time. He did all this because he loved his beautiful wife very much and wanted to keep her happy.

Question. Draw a pen-portrait (character-sketch) of Matilda (Mrs Loisel) in about 100–200 words.
Answer. Matilda or Mrs Loisel was quite a beautiful young lady. Some error of fortune gave her birth in a family of petty clerks. She was highly ambitious and dreamy. Her dreams were impractical and beyond her meAnswer. She had to suffer a lot for her acts. But suffering and misfortunes only ended in making her a better human being. She struggled hard like an ordinary maid. She started doing all household works herself. She started living within her limits. She helped her very caring and accommodating husband in saving money. It was a joint effort. They were successful in paying off all their debts in ten years.
Matilda was born with a misconception. She thought, very wrongly, that she was born to enjoy all delicacies and luxuries of the world. She dreamt of a grand house, costly dishes, trendy dresses and glittering jewels.
Matilda was not rich. But she didn't want to present a poverty-stricken image of her amidst rich ladies. She was a self-respecting woman. She refused to go to the ball without a suitable dress and jewels.
One blunder of Matilda led to her ruin and sufferings. She lacked humility. She must have gone and confessed before Madame Forestier that she had lost her necklace. She should have avoided unnecessary suffering to herself and to her husband. Much was done about nothing. Had she done
so, she could have maintained her beauty and youth as Madame Forestier did.

Question. Mr Loisel was a caring, accommodating and helpful husband who tried to please his ambitious wife within his limited meAnswer. Comment.
OR
Give a character sketch of Mr Loisel highlighting his accommodating nature.
Answer. Mr Loisel was every inch a gentleman. He was caring, accommodating and helpful. He had a better understanding of people and things than his ambitious wife. He knew his limitations and never tried to go beyond his meAnswer. However, he stood solidly in thick and thin with his wife. He was ready to
make any sacrifice to make her happy.
Mr Loisel was a 'petty' clerk in the Ministry of Education. He realised that he was a husband of a beautiful and young, but ambitious wife. So, he made every effort within his means to make her happy. He didn't believe in showing off like Matilda. He suggested wearing the same dress which Matilda wore when she went to the theatre. He suggested wearing natural flowers instead of jewels. However, when he failed to convince her, he was ready to make necessary sacrifices. He sacrificed 400 francs that he had saved to buy a gun for hunting, to buy a suitable costume for her. Even in bad times, he stood with his wife. He was self-respecting and contributed all the money, 18000 francs left by his father, to buy a substitute necklace. He worked in the evenings putting the books of some merchants in order to pay off his debts. He also did copying work at five sous a page at night. His hard work and savings helped them to pay off all their debts in ten years.

Question. What is the role of Madame Forestier in the story 'The Necklace'?
OR
Draw a character sketch of Madame Forestier in your own words.
Answer. Madame Forestier plays quite an important role in the plot of the story ‘The Necklace’. She was a rich friend of Matilda. She was a schoolmate at the convent. Though quite rich, Madame Forestier never gave an image of an arrogant and snobbish lady. When Matilda told her that she needed jewels to adorn herself for the ball, she at once obliged her. She opened her jewel box and asked her to make her choice. She happily lent her a superb diamond necklace of her choice. If Matilda didn’t want to visit Madame Forestier, it was not her fault. Matilda's inflated ego prevented her from going there. She suffered so much when she returned the necklace. Matilda suffered because she couldn't enjoy all delicacies and luxuries like her rich friend.
Madame Forestier could snub Matilda for returning the necklace rather late. She told her, “You should have returned them to me sooner......’’ But she was a sympathetic lady. She showed her sympathy when she came to know of all miseries that Matilda suffered because of the necklace. Alas! Matilda didn't take Madame Forestier into her confidence about the lost necklace. Madame Forestier was gracious enough to forgive her. After all, the jewels she lent to Matilda were false.

Question. What was the single mistake that ruined the Loisels’ lives and brought them so much sufferings? Could they have avoided such a situation?
OR
How did a false necklace bring unnecessary struggles and sufferings to Loisels? Could a
better understanding have avoided them? Give a reasoned answer.
Answer. It is true that a single mistake can change the course of one's life. This is exactly what happened to Matilda. Wearing a suitable costume and adorning herself with borrowed jewels didn't bring any reversal of fortunes for Loisels. But hiding the fact that she had lost Madame Forestier's necklace and not taking her into confidence was indeed a big blunder. It was the greatest mistake that Matilda had ever made in her life. She unnecessarily brought suffering to them for nothing. They had to pay 36000 francs to buy a replacement of Madame Forestier's necklace. For ten long years, Matilda had to work like an ordinary maid doing all her household work herself. Mr Loisel had to do extra works in the evenings and nights to save money.
Of course, the Loisels could have averted such an unfortunate situation. Madame Forestier was an obliging, helpful and forgiving lady. She was rich but not arrogant. She would have easily forgiven her for losing her necklace. After all, the jewels were false. And much was done and suffered just for nothing!

Question. The course of the Loisel’s life changed due to the necklace. Comment.
Answer. Madame Forestier's necklace changed the life of Loisels. Matilda borrrowed a superb diamond necklace from Madame Forestier as she didn't want to give a poverty-stricken image amidst rich ladies. She lost her necklace at the ball-party. When her search failed, they decided to replace Madame Forestier’s lost necklace by buying a similar diamond necklace for her. The new diamond necklace value was about 40000 francs. Mr Loisel had 18000 francs with him. They borrowed the rest of the money and bought the new necklace and returned it to Madame Forestier.
Loisels had to work very hard and lead a miserable life to pay off the debts. They sent away their maid and rented some room in an attic. Mrs Loisel did all the washing, cooking, rubbing and cleaning herself. Mr Loisel worked in the evenings for some merchants. He also did copying at five sous a page. In this way, they could pay all their debts in ten years. Mrs Loisel had become a crude woman of a poor household in these years.

Question. Why did Matilda’s husband go out into the cold night, minutes after returning from the ball? Was he successful in his purpose?
Answer. On returning from the ball, Matilda noticed that the necklace, which she had borrowed from Madame Forestier, was missing. They searched for the necklace everywhere. Matilda’s husband went out into the cold night searching for the lost necklace. He went on foot over the route, filed police complaint, enquired cab offices and even put an advertisement in newspapers, offering a reward. But then, all his efforts went in vain. He was not able to find the lost necklace.

Question. What did Loisel do to replace the necklace ?
Answer. Loisel had to pay thirty six thousand Francs for the new necklace. To replace the lost necklace, Loisel used eighteen thousand francs which were set aside by Mr. Loisel’s father. The remaining1-amount was borrowed from moneylenders. In order to repay the borrowed money they went without maid and Matilda did all the household chores whereas Mr. Loisel even worked overtime. In this way, they led a miserable life just to collect enough amount to replace the lost necklace.

Question. What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have avoided it ?
OR What could have happened to Matilda if she had confessed to her friend that she had lost her necklace?
Answer. Matilda had borrowed a necklace from her friend Madame Forestier to wear in the party. It was a beautiful one and Matilda, a pretty woman, became the centre of attraction at the party. All this happiness was short-lived because on reaching home, she discovered that she had lost it. All her efforts to find it were in vain. She and her husband borrowed huge sums of money to replace the necklace and henceforth faced a miserable life. On the other hand, if she had confessed to her friend that she had lost the necklace and had apologized she might have saved her family from a lot of miseries as the necklace was not even worth five hundred francs in reality.

Question. Why did Matilda change her lifestyle after the ball? OR
What changes came into the life of the Loisel after the incident of borrowing the necklace?
Answer. Matilda had been enjoying thoroughly at the ball and in the pleasure of the moment, she got careless and lost the necklace. All search was in vain and the expensive jewel (or so they thought) had to be replaced. The debt incurred was much beyond their capacity to pay and thus they had to make severe compromises in their lifestyle, foregoing every luxury. Matilda worked laboriously at the household chores while M. Loisel overworked at the office. Thus, they slogged for ten long years to pay up the loan. 

Question. How had Mme Loisel’s sacrifice all been in vain ?
Answer. The pleasure of looking pretty at the ball proved an expensive bargain for Matilda, as she lost the necklace borrowed from Mme Forestier. It took Loisel’s ten long years to pay back the huge sum they borrowed to replace the lost necklace. Years later, when Matilda saw Mme Forestier, she disclosed the truth of the lost necklace. She was dumb-founded to discover that it was not a genuine piece of jewellery and had been worth just five hundred francs. All her sacrifices and comprises had been meaningless.

Question. What is your opinion about M. Loisel as a husband ?
Answer. M. Loisel was a loving husband beyond any doubt. He was aware of his wife’s aspirations and so he thought that the invitation to the ball would please her and expressed no offence when she reacted negatively. Instead, he offered his savings to buy her an outfit, suited for the occasion.Even when Matilda lost the necklace, he cooperated at every step to make up for the loss and made the neccessary compromises in his life without complaining.

Question. The course of the Loisel’s life changed due to the necklace. Comment.
Answer. It is true that the course of the Loisel’s life changed due to the necklace. After the loss of the necklace , the Loisel’s shifted to a cheap house .Mme. Loisel’s started doing all work herself. She want to buy things. She haggled fees the last seen. She wore ordinary clothes her husband worker evenings. He copied at fine seems a page. This life of hard ships went on ten years.

Question. A little confession would have changed the life of Matilda. Should we confess our mistakes courageously? Do you agree about above statement.
Answer. Yes, a small mistake makes our life miserable and dark. People who are open-minded and speak the truth stay much happier. A little mistake made by Matilda changed her life completely. If Matilda had confessed that she had lost Madam Forestier’s necklace, her life would have been different. Confession could have brought peace of mind. Matilda would have at once come to know that necklace is not a real but it is an imitation. Hard work which Matilda put into repay the borrowed necklace could have been saved. We all get a very important message that we should not delay in admitting our mistake.

Question. Our inability to accept our limitations may lead to an unhappy life. Analyze with reference to the story ‘The Necklace’.
Answer. We fail to recognise the situation in which we are placed but rather keep on grumbling. We become frustrated and want our life to be different. We should accept the life as it comes to us and should not keep on cribbing about unhappy circumstances. As we read the story The Necklace’ we find that Matilda is not at all happy with her husband. She had wished her life to be luxurious. It is this frustration of hers which puts her in a fix and spoils rest of her life. She does not work for solution but rather complicates the situation for her.