The Necklace Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English

The Necklace Class 10 Extra Questions & Answers are available here. Class 10 English The Necklace extra questions and answers are prepared by our expert teachers. All these questions are divided into two or three sections. They are short type questions answers, long type question answers and extract based questions. Learning these questions will help you to score excellent marks in the board exams.

The Necklace Extra Questions and Answers

Short Answer Type Questions

1. What, do you think, were the feelings of Madame 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 Madame Forestier 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. Madame Forester was shocked to know the whole story. Madame Forestier thought that situation could be avoided if Matilda had the dare to accept the truth and share it with Madame Forester.

2. Madame Lisle was intoxicated with pleasure at the ball. Give three reasons to support your Answer.

Answer: Madame Lisle was intoxicated with pleasure at the ball. She danced with enthusiasm. She received everyone’s admiration and flattery. She looked the prettiest of all: elegant, gracious, smiling and full of joy.

3. How would you feel if you were in Matilda’s place and had lost somebody’s such a valuable possession?

Answer: Matilda borrowed a necklace from Madame Forestier to wear in a ball. She lost it the same night. She was too upset at the incident and tried to find it everywhere in the fold of dress, in the cloak, in the pockets and everywhere. Even Mr Lisle went to search it at midnight. They even could not sleep all night. They want the police and even to the cab-office and put an advertisement in the newspaper offering a reward.
If I had been in Matilda’s place, I would have done all the above-said efforts for such a valuable possession.

4. What changes occurred in Mime Lisle after 10 years?

Answer: Madame Lisle now knows the horrible life of necessity. She sent away from her maid and learned the odious work of a kitchen She washed the dishes and the clothes on her own, She took down wastes to the street and brought up the water stopping at each landing to breathe. They changed their lodging and rented some rooms in the attic.
She seemed old now and became strong and hard women. Her hair badly dressed her skirts awry, her hands red and spoke in a loud voice.

5. Mme. Lisle lost the necklace that Mme. Forest ire had Lent her. If it would have been you at mine. Losels’ place, what would have been your first and foremost step?

Answer: If I had been at Madame Lionel’s place firstly I would not have borrowed the necklace. I would have been satisfied with the assets that I possessed. Secondly, if I had borrowed and lost it. I would have told that Madame Forester. Then I would have known at that time that it was not a real diamond but an artificial oily.  Would have been saved from being ruined as Madame Lionel’s life was.

6. How was Mr Lisle able to arrange 36,000 francs?

Answer: Losels possessed eighteen thousand francs, which his father had left. For him. Rest of the money he borrowed from usurers and a whole race of lenders. He made ruinous promises for that. And to repay this debt they had to change their lodgings. Madame Lisle had to do all the tedious jobs like washing. Grocery shopping, and carrying water upstairs herself.

7. Why did Mme Lisle go to visit her friend, my Forester?

Answer: Mme Lisle visited her friend Mine Forester twice. First, she went to her house to borrow a diamond necklace for the ball which she lost the same day. Secondly, she visited her house to return the necklace that she had bought for 36,000 francs in compensation for the lost necklace.

8. Why did Madame Lisle leave the ball in a hurry? What does it show about her character?

Answer: Madame Lisle 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 was wrapping themselves in rich furs. It shows the hypocrisy and showoff life of Mine Lisle. It shows her dissatisfaction, anger and frustration with life.

9. How did M. Lisle and Madame Lisle manage to buy a diamond necklace to return it to Madame Forester? What were the consequences?

Answer: Mr Lisle and Madame Lisle spent all their savings i.e. eighteen thousand francs, which his father had saved for him. Rest of the money they borrowed from usurers with ruinous promises. They had to arrange 36,000 francs for the new diamond necklace. All this ruined their life. Mme Lisle had to do all odd jobs to save money. They had to change these lodgings Mr Lisle had to work till late at night after office hours, putting the books of some merchant or to copy pages at five soups a page to earn extra money.

10Why did Matilda change her lifestyle after the ball?

Answer: Mated borrowed a necklace from her friend for the ball but she lost it after it. It was a diamond necklace. It completely changed her course of life. She and her husband had to struggle hard to repay the debt taken to buy a new necklace.

11What kind of a husband was M. Lisle? Discuss with reference to the chapter. ‘The Necklace’.
Or
Why do you think that M. Lisle was a loving husband?

Answer: Mr M. Lisle 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.

12. Why was Matilda sad after the ball?

Answer: Matilda was sad after the ball because she had lost the diamond necklace which she had borrowed from her friend Mme. Forester. She had to pay a very heavy price for it.

13. How had Mme Lionel’s sacrifices all been in vain?

Answer: Mme. Lionel’s sacrifices proved to be all in vain as Mrs Forester, when she met her after ten years, told her that the necklace was fake diamonds worth only 500 francs. Poor Losels had wasted their 10 years to repay the loss of a fake necklace.

14. What did the Losels do to replace the necklace?

Answer: They had to save every single penny in order to repay the huge loan they had taken for the diamond necklace. Mrs Lisle sent away all the maids and did all the household work herself. They changed their lodging and shifted to a cheap rented room.

15What were the reasons for Matilda’s unhappiness?  

Answer: Matilda was a pretty young lady but belonged to a poor family. She was married to a petty clerk. Her poverty and lack of recognition made her angry and unhappy.

16. What was the cause of her ceaseless suffering?

Answer: Mrs Loisel was very beautiful. She wanted to lead a life of comfort and luxury. She wanted to enjoy life. But she was married to a clerk. She lived in a simple house and led an ordinary life. This was the cause of her ceaseless suffering.

17. What did her husband bring home one evening? Why was he so elated?

Answer: One evening, her husband brought home an invitation card. They were invited to a party at the residence of the Minister of Public Instruction. He was so elated because he thought that it would make his wife happy.

18. How did Matilda get the jewels to wear to the ball?

Answer: Matilda went to her friend Madame Forestier’ s house. She told her the story of her distress. She borrowed a necklace of diamonds from her. In this way, slit: got jewels for the ball.

19. What happened at the ball? Was her dream fulfilled?

Answer: At the ball, Madame Loisel was a great success. She was the prettiest of all women. She was full of joy. All the men noticed her and asked her name. Her victory was complete. Her dream was fulfilled.

20. Why was she not delighted on receiving the ‘invitation to the party?

Answer: Mrs Loisel wanted to lead a life of luxury. She wanted to attend parties. One day her husband got an invitation to attend a party given by the Minister of Public Instruction. But she did not have a good dress to wear at the party. So she was not happy to get the invitation.

21. Why was her husband saving money?

Answer: Her husband was fond of shooting birds. He wanted to take part in shooting larks next summer. Some of his friends were also going for shooting. So he was saving money. He wanted to purchase a gun with that money.

22. Why was Matilda married to a clerk?

Answer: Matilda belonged to a family of clerks. Her parents were not rich. They did not have a big dowry for Matilda. She had no means to be married to a rich and famous man. So she was married to Loisel who was a clerk.

23. How did Matilda’s husband obtain an invitation to attend the party?

Answer: Matilda’s husband was a clerk in the office of the Board of Education. The Minister of Public Instruction was giving a dance party. Clerks were not being invited to the party. But Matilda’s husband tried his best and obtained an invitation to attend the party.

24. Describe Matilda’s experience at the dance party.

Answer: Matilda looked very charming at the dance party. All the men at the party looked at her. They asked her name. Everybody wanted to be introduced to her. The officers at the party wanted to dance with her. She danced with joy. She had a great sense of victory.

25. When did the party end? What did Matilda find when she reached home?

Answer: The party ended at four o’clock in die morning. Matilda and her husband reached home. Matilda stood before the mirror. She wanted to see heme If again with the necklace. But she was shocked to find that she had lost the necklace.

26. What efforts did Matilda and her husband make to look for the lost necklace?

Answer: They looked into the folds of Mati Ida’s dress, in the folds of her cloak and in her pockets. Her husband searched the whole route by which they had come home. He returned at seven o’clock. He informed the police. He went to the newspaper’s office to announce a reward. But the lost necklace was not found.

27. How was Mrs Loisel ‘a mistake of destiny’?

Answer: Mrs Matilda Loisel was very charming and pretty. She appeared to be a lady of 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.’

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. What things tortured and angered Matilda?
Or
Do you think that the deep divide between her grand dreams and ordinary living was the cause of her unhappiness? What did she dream of?

Answer: Matilda (Mrs. Loisel) was not among those who take or accept life what it is. She was never satisfied with her lot. Het humble family background didn’t match with her grand dreams. She believed that she was born for all delicacies and luxuries of the world. Her dreams were beyond her means. She dreamt of a big and grand house, marvellous dishes, costly clothes and jewels. The harsh realities of life dashed her to the ground from the seventh heaven of her dreamy world. Hence, she suffered and remained dissatisfied.

31. Why didn’t Matilda like to visit her rich friend?

Answer: Matilda or Mrs Loisel always dreamt of things that were beyond her means. 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.

32. 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.

33. How did Mr Loisel meet the demand for a suitable costume for his wife for going to the ball?

Answer: Matilda refused to go to the ball without having a suitable costume for the occasion. Her husband asked her to wear the dress that she wore while going to the theatre. When Matilda reacted strongly, he asked how much a suitable costume would cost. She replied that it would cost 400 francs. Mr Loisel turned pale. He had saved 400 francs to buy a gun for him to shoot larks. But he bowed down and agreed to give 400 francs to have a pretty dress.

34. 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 costume 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.

35. 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.

36. What made Matilda a grand success at the ball?
Or
How did Matilda perform at the ball and why did men want to be introduced to her?

Answer: It was a great test for Matilda to present herself at the ball. And she was a grand success there. She was the prettiest of them all. She was elegant, graceful and full of joy. She danced with enthusiasm. All the men noticed such a wonderful lady, asked her name and wanted to be introduced to her.

37. Why did Mr Loiselhave 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.

38. 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.

39. Why and how did the Loisels spend the horrible and miserable life of necessity?

Answer: Loiselle had heavy debts on their heads. To pay them off, they had to lead a very hard and even miserable life. They sent away from their maid. They changed their lodgings and rented some rooms in the attic. Matilda learnt the odious work of a kitchen. She washed the dishes and soiled linen. She took down the refuse to the street. She clothed like an ordinary woman and did all odd jobs herself. Mr Loisel put the books of some merchants in order. He did copying at five sous a page. It took ten years to pay off all the debts.

40. 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 difference. 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!”

41. Why did Matilda say to Madame Forestier ”  and all because of you?”

Answer: Madame Forestier couldn’t recognise Matilda as she had changed so much during those years. Mrs Loisel told her that she had to spend really some hard days. And Madame Forestier herself was responsible for her misery. Then, she told her the whole story of the lost necklace and how they suffered as they had to pay off the debts.

42. Matilda and her husband suffered to pay off the debts which they took on their heads for a false necklace. Comment. Do you find the ending of the story unexpected and ironic?

Answer: In the end, Madame Forestier told Matilda that the necklace which she lent to her and for whose replacement they had to suffer so much, was really a false one. The ending of the play is quite unexpected but logical. It is ironical as well. The necklace that bought so much min and miseries to Matilda and her husband turned out to be a false one.

43. 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 klenn Forestier quite easily as the necklace she lent to her friend was not of real diamonds but false ones.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Matilda proved a roaring success due to Mme Forester lending her the necklace. How would you attain the stature of being generous?

Answer: Matilda got the invitation to attend a ball at the minister’s residence. But she did not have a good dress and jewelry to wear for the occasion. Her husband bought her a new dress with all his savings, and she borrowed a diamond necklace from her friend to match her dress wear on the occasion. On the day of the ball, Mme Lisle was a great success. She looked the prettiest of all elegant, gracious, smiling and full of joy. All the men noticed her, asked her name and wanted to be presented. She danced with enthusiasm intoxicated with pleasure, thinking of nothing but all this admiration. All these because of Mme Forester lending her the necklace. She was so generous that she offered all her jeweler without any hesitation. She did not even check the necklace returned by Mme Lisle. Later on, she told her that it was not a real diamond necklace but an artificial one.

2Matilda realized that one little act of negligence can lead to total ruin. How would you prefer to be guided to move on in life?

Answer: Matilda lost the necklace that she borrowed from Mme Forester. She had to buy a new necklace for thirty-six thousand francs which ruined all her savings. She had W change her lodgings and do all odd jobs like washing, cleaning and shopping grocery while her husband had to do extra work of copying after his office time. She lost all her chars’ and beauty. Now she realized that one little act of negligence can lead to total ruin. We will prefer to move on in life according to the situation. If we had committed any mistake we have to pay for it. And we should pay for it bravely. There is no harm in doing 811 household jobs or in earning extra money after office time. If we can live in a big house’ we should learn to live in a small one too with the demand of time.

3Lisle wished to keep his wife in good humor. Which values of Matilda impress him?

Answer: Lisle wished to keep his wife in good humor. My Lisle was a beautiful and Delicate woman. She was fond of all riches and luxuries. She thought she deserves all these and thought that it was an error of destiny that she is born into 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. These entire all he did because he loved his beautiful wife very much and wanted to keep her happy.

4The story The Necklace’ teaches us many lessons which form the crux of human values. Discuss. 

Answer: The story ‘The Necklace’ teaches us many lessons which form the crux of human values. The very first thing it teaches us is the need to be content in life. Matilda, though born into a family of clerks and married to a petty clerk with the Board of Education, remains unhappy. She suffers from the feeling that she is born for all delicacies and luxuries, but has to live miserably in ‘poverty’. So, when she has to attend the office party with her husband, she asks him for money to get a new dress. Her husband sacrifices the money he has saved to buy a gun to get her the dress. Then also she is not content. She feels that she could look still more beautiful with a jewel. She thus borrows a necklace from her friend, thinking that it is made of diamonds. At the party, she remains elegant, gracious, smiling and absolutely happy. She was thus the prettiest of all.

But this vanity is short-lived and is the beginning of all troubles in her life. She loses the necklace and she gets a new diamond necklace as its replacement by borrowing heavily. Subsequently, she is pushed to live in poverty as she slogs for ten years to save money to pay back the huge debt. Then the horrible reality frightens her. She realizes how her false pride has taken away her otherwise happy contented life. The story thus discusses the negative effects of pride and vanity and stresses the importance of being satisfied with what one has honesty, love and sacrifice.

5. ’Matilda’s craving for a bubble reputation was the cause of her ruin.’ Draw a conclusion as to how she could have avoided the misfortune that dawned upon her.

Answer: Matilda grows restless and unhappy when her husband shows her the invitation to the official party. What fills her mind is how she can present herself, be the prettiest and most attractive, at the party. Already she is frivolous, feeling herself to be born for all delicacies and luxuries of life. Now, this party gives her the opportunity to realize her dreams — at any cost — to show off her. Her vanity and false pride blind her, as she decides to flaunt her husband’s money to get a new dress for the party.

Then she also decides to borrow a necklace to add to her beauty. She is unaware that whatever reputation she would gain from these would be short-lived. If only her husband had stopped her from buying the new dress or borrowing the necklace, they both would have led a smooth life. The efforts they both take to buy that small-time happiness had really cost them a considerable time of their life. Matilda should not have yielded to temptations. She should have weighed the pros and cons of borrowing a jewel from a friend.

The jewel may or may not be ‘diamond’ — the need to keep it safe and returning it in good condition is a greater responsibility which a person of Matilda’s mindset could hardly handle. Antic such untoward happenings of losing the jewel, and the croon pulsing to return it safely, had perhaps slipped from Matilda’s mind. Also, a sense of false Pride and vanity were uppermost in Matilda’s mind. She was dissatisfied with her way of life, and even one night of splendor was welcome. If she had been content with her life and lived Within her means without falling for false and temporary ‘riches’ could have avoided the misfortune that dawned upon her and her husband on losing the jewel.

6. “Oh! My poor Matilda! Mine was false.” Confession saves you from a lot of trouble and a 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 disheveled 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.

7. ’The Necklace’ reveals that vanity is evil. It may bring joy for a short period but ultimately it leads to ruin. If you were placed in a situation similar to that of Matilda, what would you have done? Write your views.

Answer: It is true that vanity is evil. It may bring joy for a short period but ultimately it leads to ruin. Matilda, to get a little pleasure and to show her vanity, borrowed a diamond necklace to wear at the minister’s party. She lost it. Mr. Lisle her husband took a big loan to replace it. For ten years both of them worked hard to repay the loan. Poor Matilda had to sacrifice her comfort, youth, softness and beauty. She became a crude, hard, poor lady with rough hair and hands. Later, the irony was Mrs. Forester told her that it was a false diamond necklace only for 500 francs. If I were placed in such a situation, I would have told my friend the truth. I would have told her that I felt extremely sorry for losing it and would have assured her that I would replace it, only she should tell me where to get it from and how much it would cost.

8Write a character sketch of Mrs. Lisle.

Answer: Matilda was exceptionally pretty. By virtue of her good looks, she felt that she was born for all delicacies and luxuries. She wished to be admired and loved and to be married to some rich or renowned person. But she was unlucky. She was born into a family of clerks. Since she had no dowry, she agreed to marry a petty clerk. She was always grumbling. The welt/ of her house tortured her. She dreamt of lavish parties and rich dresses and jewels.

Her dreamy, ambitious and vain nature pushed her into trouble. She paid a heavy price for her foolish desires. She borrowed a necklace to wear at a ball. She was intoxicated with joy and success. But the necklace was lost. That ruined her physically as well as materiality from a beauty queen she became a crude, hard shabby woman of a poor family. But she was brave and honest. She worked hard ungrudgingly to pay off her loan.

9. Describe in detail the kind of life that Mrs. Loisel dreamed of.
Or
Why did Mrs. Loisel remain dissatisfied from her life?

Answer: Mrs. Loisel was pretty and charming. She was married to a clerk. She led an ordinary existence. But she was not happy with her life. She felt that she should have been born in a rich family. She wanted to lead a life of luxury and comfort. She wanted to enjoy life. She dreamed of a big house in which there was very good furniture. She dreamed of beautiful and costly curtains.

Mrs. Loisel dreamed of her private room which was filled with very good perfume. She wanted to enjoy the company of rich and famous guests. When she sat down to dinner, she disliked her cheap and ordinary dining table. She disliked her simple meals. She dreamed of delicious dinners served in shining silverwares. She dreamed of having a number of attractive dresses and costly ornaments. In short, Mrs Loisel dreamed of a rich and luxurious life.

10. What preparations did Mrs. Loisel make for the ball?
Or
How did Matilda manage a new dress and jewelry for the ball?

Answer: Mrs. Loisel did not have a good dress to wear at the party. She told her husband that a suitable dress would cost four hundred francs. Her husband had been saving money in order to buy a gun. He gave up the idea of purchasing the gun. Mrs. Loisel purchased a beautiful dress with that money.

But Mrs. Loisel was still not happy. Now she told her husband that she did not have any jewelry to wear at the party. Her husband asked her to request Mrs. Forestier for help. Mrs. Loisel and Mrs. Forestier were very good friends. Mrs. Forestier was very rich. She had a number of necklaces. Her husband suggested that she should borrow a necklace from her. Mrs. Loisel liked the idea. She went to her friend. Mrs. Forestier agreed to lend her a necklace. She showed her several of her necklaces. She asked Mrs. Loisel to choose any of those necklaces. All these necklaces looked attractive and costly. At last Mrs. Loisel selected a beautiful necklace and borrowed it. In this way, Mrs. Loisel made preparations for the party.

11. How did the couple’s life change after they raised the loan for the necklace?
Or
What kind of life did Matilda and her husband live after the loss of the diamond necklace?

Answer: The couple needed thirty-six thousand francs to purchase a diamond necklace and return it to Mrs. Forestier. But Mr. Loisel had only eighteen thousand francs with him. He raised a loan of eighteen thousand francs for purchasing the necklace.

Now Loisel and his wife worked hard in order to repay that debt. They changed their lodgings. They shifted to a small room. They dismissed their maid. Mrs. Loisel did all her household work herself. She had to be very frugal in her purchases. She bargained for small amounts. Mr. Loisel did extra work in the evenings. Sometimes late at night, he did the work of copying manuscripts.

After ten years of hard work, they were able to pay off their debt. But because of hard work and misery, Mrs. Loisel looked old. Ten years ago, she was pretty and charming. But now she looked unattractive. She had become an ordinary woman in a poor house. She remembered her past life with sadness. Sometimes she remembered that great party. She remembered how beautiful and attractive she had looked at the party. Thus the couple’s life was completely changed after they had raised the loan for the necklace.

12. Write a brief character-sketch of Matilda Loisel.

Answer: Mrs. Matilda Loisel is the central character in this story. She was born into a poor family. She was very pretty and attractive. She was married to a clerk. So she led to a simple life. She always dreamed of a rich and luxurious life. She wanted to enjoy life fully. She wanted to attend parties.

Matilda is a tragic character. She borrowed a necklace from a friend to wear at a party. Everybody praises her beauty. But she lost the necklace. The loss of the necklace changed her life. Her husband borrowed a lot of money to replace it. She and her husband worked hard for ten years to repay the debt. In the end, she came to know that the necklace was made of artificial diamonds.

Matilda was a woman of self-respect. She did not tell Mrs. Forestier that she had lost the necklace. She decided to suffer in life but not to lose her self respect. She worked hard for ten years. She faced difficulties. But she did not grumble. She suffered for no fault of hers. We feel sympathy for her.

13. What would have happened if Matilda had made the true confession to Mme Forestier?

Answer: Matilda would have saved herself and her husband a great deal of trouble if she had made the true confession to Mme Forestier. If Matilda had been truthful with Mme Forestier, she could have known from her that the necklace was of false diamonds. But Matilda had not the courage to speak the truth which cost her family full ten years. Matilda could easily have avoided a great deal of misery in her life by her confession. But she tried to hide the truth from her friend and so she and her husband had to face a lot of hardships and to lead a horrible life for ten years.

14. 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 means. 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 the 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 the 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.

15. Mr. Loisel was a caring, accommodating and helpful husband who tried to please his ambitious wife within his limited means. 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 means. 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 the 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 the 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.

16. Was Matilda’s dream fulfilled at the ball? Why did all men notice and wanted them to be presented to her?

Answer: Matilda always dreamt of grandeur, delicacies and luxuries in her life. She had prepared the ball so thoroughly as befitted a grand occasion. She didn’t want to present a poverty-stricken image of her, amidst rich ladies and gentlemen. She made her husband buy a new costume for this occasion. She born-owed jewels from Madame Forestier to adorn herself like a graceful and distinguished lady. And she proved to be a grand success at the ball. Her dream was fulfilled. She was the center of attraction for all ladies as well as gentlemen who were present there.

Matilda danced with enthusiasm. She was intoxicated with pleasure. She loved to be admired and appreciated. Her victory at the ball was so complete and sweet to her. She was the prettiest of all. She was elegant and gracious. She was smiling and full of joy. All the men noticed her. They asked her name and were eager to be presented to her. She was so attractive and appealing to them. They couldn’t avoid the temptation of noticing her.

17. 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 the 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.

18. What was the single mistake that ruined the Loisels’ lives and brought them so many 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!

19. How did Matilda and her husband struggle and suffer to pay off all their debts? What struggles, sufferings and sacrifices they had to make to become debt-free? What unfortunate changes came with the passage of the time in their lives? Comment.

Answer: One big mistake changed the very course of Matilda’s and her husband’s lives. They unnecessarily spent their whole savings of 18000 francs left by his father. They had to borrow the rest of the money. And just imagine that 36000 francs were lost to replace a false necklace! They could have avoided all this had they taken Madame Forestier into confidence before buying the replacement.

For ten long years, the beautiful young lady had to work as an ordinary maid. They sent away the maid. They changed their lodgings. They rented some rooms in an attic. Matilda did all the washing of the dishes and soiled linen. She took down the refuse to the street each morning. She clothed like an ordinary woman. She did all the shopping herself with her basket on her arm. She haggled to the last sous to save some money.

The husband, Mr. Loisel, worked in the evenings. He put the books of some merchants in order. He did some copying work at five sous a page. Their miserable life continued for ten years until they paid off all the debts on them.


Self-Assessment Test

Short Answer Questions

1. Why do you think that M. Loisel was a loving husband?
2. Why did Matilda marry a petty clerk?
3. Why was Matilda sad even after she got the dress?
4. How did Matilda react on seeing the invitation?
5. What did Matilda borrow from her friend and why?

Long Answer Questions

1. Give a character sketch of M. Loisel, Matilda’s husband.
2. What is the theme of the story, ‘The Necklace’.
3. How did Matilda bring misery upon herself and her husband?