The Necklace Summary Class 10 English Footprints without Feet Chapter 7

Key Points of the Story

• Matilda Loisel, a pretty young woman, is unhappy with her modest life as the wife of a petty clerk.
• She longs for wealth, luxury, and social status, feeling out of place in her humble surroundings.
• Her husband brings home an invitation to a prestigious ball, hoping to make her happy.
• Matilda is upset because she has nothing suitable to wear and no jewels to adorn herself.
• Her husband sacrifices his savings for a gun to buy her a dress, and she borrows a diamond necklace from her wealthy friend, Mme Forestier.
• Matilda is the belle of the ball, enjoying the admiration and attention of everyone present.
• Upon returning home, she realizes she has lost the borrowed necklace.
• The Loisels search frantically but cannot find it. They decide to replace it, spending all their savings and borrowing heavily.
• They buy a replacement necklace for 36,000 francs, plunging into debt to pay it off over the next ten years.
• Matilda's life becomes one of hardship and toil as she works tirelessly to repay the debt.
• After ten years, they finally clear their debt, but Matilda has aged and lost her beauty due to the hard life.
• She meets Mme Forestier and reveals the truth about the lost necklace, only to learn that the original necklace was a fake worth only 500 francs.

Detailed Summary

The Necklace’ is a touching story. The story centers around Matilda Loisel. She is a very charming young lady. She is married to a clerk. She is not satisfied with her ordinary life. She wants to enjoy the comforts and luxuries of life. She is jealous of her own schoolmates, who are rich.
One day her husband gets an invitation to attend the dance party given by the Minister of Public Instruction. He thinks that she will be happy to get the invitation. But she becomes sad. She tells her husband that she has nothing to wear at the party. Her husband spends all his savings and buys a beautiful gown for her. Now she complains that she has no jewelry or ornaments. Without it, she will be considered a poor lady. Her husband advises her to borrow some ornament from her wealthy I’ fiend Madame Forestier. She goes to Madame Forestier’s house and borrows a beautiful diamond necklaceAt the party, Matilda looks very beautiful 1. All the men at the party pay attention to her. They want to be introduced to her. They want to dance with her I -Even the Minister pays attention to her. She is filled with joy. She dances with pleasure. She leaves the hall l at four o’clock in the morning. When she reaches home, she stands before the mirror to praise her own beauty. But suddenly she utters a cry. She has lost the diamond necklace somewhere. Her husband goes out to see if he can find it. He searches for the necklace everywhere. But he doesn't find it. Matilda and her hush dare greatly depressed.
Matilda’s husband advises her to write to her friend that she has sent the necklace for repairs. It will give them some time to buy another necklace. They go from shop to shop to purchase a similar necklace. At last, they find a necklace similar to the lost one. ‘Ell’ e bargain is settled at 36,000 francs. Matilda’s husband borrows the money at high interest. They buy the necklace and return it to Madame Forestier. She doesn't even open the box to look at the necklace.

Now Matilda and her husband are with- her heavy debt. They work hard to pay off this debt. Their life becomes miserable. They dismiss their servant. They move to a cheap house. Matilda does all the household work herself. Her husband works in the evening ling and late at night to pay off the debt. They work hard for ten years. At last, they are able to pay off their debt. Now Matilda looks old. She is no longer charming.
One Sunday, Matilda goes out for a walk. She comes across Madame Forestier and talks to her. Madame Forestier is surprised to see Matilda so changed. Matilda tells her the story of her hard life. She tells Madame Forestier that she has suffered greatly because of her. Then she tells Madame Forestier the whole story. She tells her how she lost her necklace and bought ai lather one for thirty-six thousand francs. She tells Madame Forestier that it has taken them ten years to pay off the debts. Madame Forestier is moved to hear the whole story. Then she tells Matilda that her necklace was maile of artificial diamonds. It was worth only five hundred francs.

Theme/ Message

Theme

• Appearance vs. Reality: The story explores the difference between appearance and reality, particularly through the revelation that the borrowed necklace was fake.
• The Dangers of Vanity: Matilda's desire for a luxurious lifestyle and social status leads to her downfall, highlighting the perils of vanity.
• The Irony of Fate: The story demonstrates the ironic twists of fate, as Matilda's efforts to appear wealthy result in her experiencing real poverty.

Message

• Contentment: The story conveys the importance of being content with one's circumstances and not coveting a life of superficial glamour.
• Honesty: It emphasizes the value of honesty, as Matilda's failure to admit the loss of the necklace leads to unnecessary suffering.
• Acceptance: The narrative suggests that accepting and working within one's means can prevent unnecessary hardship and regret.

Difficult Words

1. Dowry - Property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage.
2. Incessantly - Without interruption; constantly.
3. Tureen - A deep covered dish from which soup is served.
4. Exquisite - Extremely beautiful and delicate.
5. Elated - Ecstatically happy.
6. Spitefully - In a way that shows a desire to harm or upset someone.
7. Vexation - The state of being annoyed, frustrated, or worried.
8. Stupefied - Unable to think or feel properly; astonished.
9. Haggling - Dispute or bargain persistently, especially over the cost of something.
10. Usurers - People who lend money at unreasonably high rates of interest.
11. Chaplet - A garland or wreath for a person's head.
12. Frigid - Very cold in temperature.
13. Ruinous - Disastrous or destructive.
14. Intoxicated - Excited, exhilarated, or elated to the point of impairing one's faculties.
15. Necessity - The fact of being required or indispensable.