The Necklace In an article from USA TODAY, Andrea Yates had everything she could want, a loving hus

band and five children. Yates had been her high school's valedictorian, a nurse for eight years bef ore getting married. She was a stay at home mom that home schooled her children. Yates had a histo ry of depression, voices and visions started after her first son. After her fourth son, she was dia gnosed with postpartum depression. She had many attempted suicides to her own life. Doctor's had d iagnosed her as possibly psychotic, but stable and able to begin outpatient treatment. The medical s taffs concern was that she would harm herself and not her children. On the mourning of June 20, she drowned five of her children one by one in the family bathtub. Maupassant's story is the traditiona l Cinderella story because it is so endearing because it takes advantage of one's sense of justice. By sense of justice I do not mean one's sense that all evil should be punished, but one's sense that all virtue should be rewarded. Maupassant takes this Cinderella story, puts it in a more believable Third Republic setting, and, by making Mathilde slightly less perfect then the improbable Cinderell a, he makes Mathilde a more sympathetic and realistic character. It seems as if this more realistic Cinderella story was just about over, but Maupassant is not satisfied yet. He takes a trivial detail , Mathilde losing her necklace, and uses it to yank her from her new, happier life, to a horrible li fe of poverty. A world where any tiny, innocent mistake can ruin your life is certainly a wicked wor ld, and it is that world that Maupassant cynically tries to show we live in. In the first sentence o f the story Maupassant describes Mathilde, "She was one of those pretty and charming women, born, as if by an error of destiny, into a family of clerks and copyists, (Roberts, pg. 4)." She deserved mo re, unlike her husband and most others; she was one of those rare human beings capable of enjoying l ife's finer pleasures. She all the feminine virtues: beauty, grace, charm, an inborn finesse, and an engaging personality. She longs to use her talents, if only she could have her chance. I could imag ine her today saving up money for one night at an expensive restaurant rather then eating Applebee's type food for a year. She finally does when she gets a chance to go to the Ministry of Education Ba ll, and she is a huge success, the life of the party, the envy of all the women there. For this one night of glory Maupassant takes away Mathilde's bare middle-class life and plunges her into poverty. The advice Maupassant seems to give in "The Necklace" is "Don't get aspire for more then you have, it will ruin you," and he gives Mathilde as his example. She can be compared with Andrea Yates beca use Yates had everything that she needed and she was taken good care of. Yates had a good life, as d id Mathilde, they just made on massive mistake, so they had to pay for it in the end. Mathilde lives her life through her dreams and longs for more then she has. Yates also wanted as many children as "nature would allow, (USA TODAY)." I think that if Mathilde lived today you could compare her with Yates. I think that Mathilde was depressed and could be considered depressed. They were both were stay at home wives. They both took had really good lives and they had caring husbands that worked, while they took care of the house chores. Both families were considered middle-class. Mathilde and Yates had few friends and low self-esteem. Mathilde wanted more then what was given to her and used her natural talents to get what she aspired to. She did, and her only crime was trying to fly to hig h. Maupassant delights in melting her wings, and then cheapens her fall with his "ironic twist" at t he end. Why someone would write such a vicious and cynical story is beyond me. As Mauppasant warned, " Covet false values and you pay dearly for it, (Sosnof)." Works Cited Parker, Laura. 'Psychotic,' but is Andrea Yates legally insane? USA TODAY: Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Roberts, Edgar V. and H enry E. Jacobs. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 2001), pgs. 4-11. Sosnoff, Martin. False Values, Forbes, 6/3/96. Vol.157 Issue 11, Pg. 180. necklace article from today andrea yates everything could want loving husband five c hildren yates been high school valedictorian nurse eight years before getting married stay home that home schooled children yates history depression voices visions started after first after fourth dia gnosed with postpartum depression many attempted suicides life doctor diagnosed possibly psychotic s table able begin outpatient treatment medical staffs concern that would harm herself children mourni ng june drowned five family bathtub maupassant story traditional cinderella story because endearing because takes advantage sense justice sense justice mean sense that evil should punished virtue shou ld rewarded maupassant takes this cinderella story puts more believable third republic setting makin g mathilde slightly less perfect then improbable cinderella makes mathilde more sympathetic realisti c character seems this more realistic just about over maupassant satisfied takes trivial detail math ilde losing necklace uses yank from happier life horrible life poverty world where tiny innocent mis take ruin your certainly wicked world world cynically tries show live first sentence describes those pretty charming women born error destiny into family clerks copyists roberts deserved unlike husban d most others those rare human beings capable enjoying finer pleasures feminine virtues beauty grace charm inborn finesse engaging personality longs talents only could have chance could imagine today saving money night expensive restaurant rather then eating applebee type food year finally does when gets chance ministry education ball huge success party envy women there this night glory away bare middle class plunges into poverty advice seems give necklace aspire then have will ruin gives exampl e compared with andrea because everything needed taken good care good they just made massive mistake they lives through dreams longs also wanted many nature would allow today think lived compare with think depressed considered depressed they were both were stay home wives both took really good lives caring husbands worked while took care house chores both families were considered middle class frie nds self esteem wanted what given used natural talents what aspired only crime trying high delights melting wings cheapens fall ironic twist someone would write such vicious cynical beyond mauppasant warned covet false values dearly sosnof works cited parker laura psychotic andrea legally insane tue sday september roberts edgar henry jacobs literature introduction reading writing upper saddle river jersey prentice hall sosnoff martin false values forbes issueEssay, essays, termpaper, term paper, termpapers, term papers, book reports, study, college, thesis, dessertation, test answers, free rese

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