1. The Necklace
Kyle Gloss
Johann Hour 3
A Liar’s Punishment – The Necklace
Flaws can lead to downfall and many things can be changed in someone’s life. Though there are
many ways to fix things, there are not always easy ways to fix them. To be able to mend something together
the right way can be hard but the ability to learn to be able to do that is something that can last a lifetime. In
the short story “The Necklace”, a beautiful elegant lady wants to live the rich life. Unfortunately, she had no
chance of doing that. When she gets a letter that may change her life forever, she must make many decisions
to decide her consequences.
The tragic turn of The Necklace had shocked many people. Not many things happen that can be bad,
but there is a small number of good things that can happen as well. The main character in The Necklace is just
an average woman who wants to be rich an live the life of money. Money, beauty and jewels is all she
thought about, she wanted nothing but that. While living the life of average people, she received a letter that
was a once in a million chance. She had gotten a letter to go to a ball, not an average ball for fun, but one of
rich people with beauty and elegance. Something that only the people living the high life could obtain.
Thanks to her husband, she could live that life for one night. She wore the most beautiful dress and borrowed
an astonishing necklace from her friend. She was the center of attention, just for this one night, but that is all
she needed. She had become the guest of honor. Though when it was past midnight and everyone was
leaving, she had put on her jacket and noticed a hole in it. She did not want to let anyone see, she left
immediately. When she arrived home, she noticed, she had lost the necklace. The one key mistake to
someone’s life could be such a small one.
While she was having the time of her life that night. Many years later, she was in trouble. When she
had lost the necklace, she had paid 36k francs for another one to replace it. She was in debt. She must work
overtime for the next 10 years to pay it off. When she had finally finished, she met her friend in the local
park. Astonished to see her, she crept up like a cockroach to talk to her. She wanted to, but she was nervous.

2. She had not seen her in 10 long years, she wanted to talk to her about the necklace. When she had gathered
enough courage and strength, she had begun to engage in a conversation. She told her about the necklace
and she finally got to the part where she lost it. When the words came out of her friends mouth that she
would regret the rest of her life. “The necklace was paste, why, it was worth no more than 500 francs”. This is
when she realized, she had been the victim of this irony. That all adds up to this story being an irony. Her flaw
was going to the ball and borrowing the necklace from her friend. The fall was she lost in had to work
overtime for over ten years. Nothing could have made her more enraged. The irony of it, was that if she had
just told her the truth, then she would not have to had to pay off all of the debt she owed. There were also
things in the story that had told it before it began.
Symbols help express a story for certain things or the story in general. In The Necklace, the necklace
had been a show of beauty and elegance, yet it had also meant misery and despair. It had been the reason
that her life was miserable, but it was also the reason that she had been so beautiful that night. It was the
key of the story and nothing was more important, hence the name The Necklace. Though it was showing
most of the story like it was, there were more symbols such as the letter she had received. When she had
received the letter that told her and her husband that they could travel to one of the most famous balls in
the area. Only rich people could go, with the exception of a few more poor families. This letter represented
acceptance and royalty, even if it was for only one night. These are important things to look for in a story.
They help describe what to look for and help comprehend it. While they may not be obvious, they can really
help a reader when they don’t understand something.
Sometimes things do not go your way. Like in this story, she finally got the opportunity to be fancy
and be rich like all the other women, even if it were for one night only. She obtained her dream, and her
dream drove her to the ground. A liar does not succeed in the end, just like their fibs. Looking into a story to
really get a feeling for it is the best way to figure it out. It helps to know how the characters feel and think.
While not everything goes someone’s way, it is not because of destiny, it is because of themselves and their
mistakes.