False Diamonds: Contentment in "The Diamond Necklace"

In a world of insincere laughter, photoshopped social media images, and carefully crafted Instagram reels designed to win likes, discontent runs rampant. The easy access to others’ lives leads many to smoothly slip into envy and depression. However, far from a 21st century problem, discontent has existed since sin entered the hearts of mankind. Guy de Maupassant, a renowned short story writer of the 1800s, writes deeply of this theme in a tragic tale of an unhappy woman, “The Diamond Necklace.” The protagonist, Mathilde, meets her downfall through excessive imagination, envy, and ingratitude, serving as a warning of the perils of discontent.

Mathilde's initial troubles stem from an overactive imagination, which leads her down the path of discontent. Born into the middle class with a mind and body she deems upper class, she entertains fancies that invite dissatisfaction with her humble life. In Mathilde, Maupassant seems to warn of the perils of fantasizing over a life one cannot possess. Her middle-class surroundings spark dreams of something greater in her. Maupassant writes:

All those things, of which another woman of her rank would never even have been conscious, tortured her and made her angry…She [Mathilde] thought of silent antechambers hung with Oriental tapestry, illumined by tall bronze candelabra, and of two great footmen in knee breeches who sleep in the big armchairs, made drowsy by the oppressive heat of the stove.

Her fantasy of a wealthy life also draws Mathilde away from her husband, making her resent him for his lack of riches. Rather than enjoying her time with her hardworking husband, “[w]hen she sat down to dinner…opposite her husband, who uncovered the soup tureen and declared with a delighted air, ‘Ah, the good soup! I don’t know anything better than that,’ she thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware.” Her desire for another existence sets Mathilde firmly down the road to unhappiness.

            Naturally, Mathilde’s discontent manifests itself in envy, as she desires the wealthy life that others have. Maupassant demonstrates how Mathilde’s envy early in the story causes her to alienate her friend: “She had a friend, a former schoolmate at the convent, who was rich, and whom she did not like to go to see any more because she felt so sad when she came home.” Mathilde prioritizes her selfish desires over her friendship as she pushes away her friend due to envy. This envy initiates her downfall. Her fear of other women’s perceptions and her aspiration to fit in with the affluent prompt her to borrow a necklace beyond what she can afford to replace, even after her husband offers her flowers. She complains, “It annoys me not to have a single piece of jewelry, not a single ornament, nothing to put on. I shall look poverty-stricken.” Thus, her troubles begin.

            Ultimately, Mathilde’s lack of gratitude ruins her modest yet comfortable life. Though her husband earns enough for them to even afford a servant, she remains unsatisfied. Every blessing in her life she rejects as inadequate. Her husband even procures her an invitation to a ball and she laments that she has nothing to wear. Monsieur Loisel even sacrifices his hopes for a new gun so that she can have a dress and she still finds fault. Maupassant writes: "He [Monsieur Loisel] grew a little pale, because he was laying aside just that amount to buy a gun and treat himself to a little shooting next summer…But he said: “Very well. I will give you four hundred francs. And try to have a pretty gown.” Rather than appreciating the gift her husband offers, Mathilde only looks towards what she cannot have: jewels. She fails to appreciate the true blessing of a modest yet comfortable home and a loving husband because she relentlessly pursues the grandeur of her dreams. Her life resembles the fake diamond necklace borrowed from her friend. Her dreams sparkle like the imitation diamonds, but in truth, they are as much of an illusion as the perceived worth of the necklace. And in the end, after Mathilde has repaid the value of a real diamond necklace for her friend, she realizes the true blessing of her home. She “knew the horrible existence of the needy. She bore her part, however, with sudden heroism.” As she gave her friend a truly valuable gift, albeit mistakenly, so too is she given the gift of gratitude for the life she had once had.

            Maupassant’s “The Diamond Necklace” displays the danger of covetousness and dissatisfaction. These negative traits do not only lead to foolishness; they cause Mathilde to overlook the blessings of love and simple comfort in life as she chases after ostentatious wealth. Like the fake diamond necklace, wealth and worldly possessions might look glamorous externally. But pursuing them as idols can result in emptiness stirring people to jealousy and ingratitude. Jesus emphasized the dangers of coveting, as written in Luke: “And he [Jesus] said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions’” (English Standard Version, Luke 12.15). By fixating on what she lacks, through her envy and ingratitude Mathilde destroys the beauty of her once-comfortable life.

Works Cited

de Maupassant, Guy. “The Diamond Necklace.” Original Short Stories. E-book, Project Gutenberg, 2021.

The Bible. English Standard Version, Crossway, 2011.

If you have not yet read The Diamond Necklace, I definitely recommend it!