for she had no jewels to wear, she refused to settle forflowers. She begs a favor from a companion of hers, Madame Forestier to lend her somejewelry. After looking through a “large box” of assorted jewelry she was unable to findanything that could possible suit her desires, so she begs her friend for something else. When she discovered the diamond necklace “her heart began to beat covetously,” for sheknew this would beckon the attention of everyone at the ball. At the ball she was in factthe center of attention, “drunk with pleasure” for she had fulfilled her fantasy; at least for atime. The moment she lost the necklace Mathilde’s world was turned upside down andany hopes of ever living the life she felt worthy of were dashed. Her lust for fine thingswas halted on account of her obsession and she had aged herself dramatically. Loisel, herhusband, had risked his entire life with loans and agreements to purchase the replacement. Thus any aspirations of living her fantasy were dashed not only because of hergreed, but because desire, or obsession, had preoccupied her to the point wheresatisfaction could not be met under the terms she had been raised with. Mathilde couldhave very well gone to the ball without buying a new dress and wearing fancy jewelry, butit wasn’t enough for her. Her mind had always told her she was worth more and deservedmore and true to her character she conformed to that. Suffering the consequences of herobsession she lost her natural beauty and became “like all the other strong, hard, coarsewomen of poor households,” for she now truly was poor. She was forced to give upeverything that gave her some semblance of an upper class life. The servant no longercame so Mathilde had no choice but to take on the “hateful duties” that she had broughtupon herself. Had she only looked at her life before the ball for what it really was andfound cont...
