No matter what a person has in life, whether it is in large or small amounts, the way the person sees things is all that matters.  Throughout "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant, he uses extreme detail, specific word choices, punctuation, and imagery so the reader may learn and understand the power of perception. The theme, the power of perception, proves when people are focused on what they do not have, they will not be able to realize what they do have.

At the start of the story, de Maupassant begins to describe the main character, Mathilde she was also known as, Mme. Loisel.  Mathilde is described as a woman born into the wrong family, de Maupassant describes this as a "mistake of destiny" (21). This is an important phrase since it seems as if the main characters personality feeds off of that information. She began to describe herself as being born to live the lavish life of delicacies and luxuries, instead she is living in her own created poverty (22). He continues to describe her as someone that "let herself be married to a little clerk..." (22).  When the author uses the word "let" it implies Mathilde settled for less when it came to her life.  She did not want to work hard to have what she dreamed of, she felt it should be given to her.  With the information provided, her personality is being shaped around the fact that she feels like she doesn't have as much as she should have. The life that she is living is the wrong life, she feels as if she should have been married to a rich and distinguished man and not a little clerk (De Maupassant 22). 

Mathilde is a woman who actually has enough to be happy and survive her life happily, but that's not how she viewed things.  She already had a house, a loving husband, and food on her table. Still, that was not suitable for the life she wanted to live. Mathilde always believed she deserved better, she had been born to have more. De Maupassant states, "When she sat down to dinner, before the round table covered with a tablecloth three days old, opposite of her husband, who uncovered the soup..." (22). In this statement de Maupassant mentions a lot of important facts about the life Mathilde lived and despised. When de Maupassant mentions the tablecloth being three days old it becomes a major example of imagery. He describes the tablecloth as three days old, letting the reader imagine how timeworn the tablecloth has become. Just by describing the tablecloth, the reader can understand that Mathilde cannot afford to have a new tablecloth every night for dinner or a new tablecloth at all.  The reader can understand that a three-day-old tablecloth is not what Mathilde would prefer to eat from.  She views this tablecloth that she has been eating from for three days as a sign of poverty. 

Next, de Maupassant brings Mathildes husband into the story.  Throughout the story it becomes evident how faithful and loving he is to her.  De Maupassant shows him as a husband that is willing to do anything for his wife's happiness.  For example, "All right. I will give you four hundred francs" (23).  The husband was essentially saving just that amount to treat himself to a retreat with some friends, instead he gives it to his wife. When de Maupassant uses a period after all right instead of a comma, it gives off the impression there was some sort of hesitation and resentment before he finally gave into giving her the money. The husband was ending his agreement quickly before he could change his mind.  The period also makes the answer he gives her short and direct.  When the husband gave up his trip for his wife, he was also giving up a substantial amount of money.  An amount of money that he and his wife knew they did not have, which made the whole altercation more meaningful.  The husband wanted her to be happy even if it meant giving up his own piece of happiness in their world of poverty. Of course, Mathilde did not see it as such. She did not notice her husband sacrificing his wants for her, she sees it as his responsibility, being that he is the one that got the invitation for her. 

Finally, Mathilde has hot food in front of her, she wasn't starving and could go to bed with a full stomach.  That night, Mathilde and her husband had a hot dinner of "pot-au-feu" which is a French beef stew.  The husband was extremely happy to be having dinner with his wife and he was extremely satisfied with the meal prepared before him.  "Ah, the good pot-au-feu! I don't know anything better than that," (de Maupassant 22).  When de Maupassant uses the explanation mark to describe the dinner the couple is having, it shows the pure satisfaction and gratitude, from the husband only.  The irony of the phrase is when the husband says, "I don't know anything better than that" meanwhile the whole time his wife is thinking of anything better than what is in front of her (de Maupassant 22). De Maupassant deciding to enter a comma in the middle of the statement from Mathilde's husband was genius.  This comma not only adds a perfect example of imagery but, it also adds a dramatic pause and a rude interruption. While the husband is displaying his appreciation, gratitude, and satisfaction, his wife zones out without a care. 

Mathilde is thinking about how her life would be different if she was dining like the richer women she sees.  "She thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware, of tapestry which peopled the walls with ancient personages and with strange birds flying in the midst of a fair forest..." (de Maupassant 22).  The imagery in this phrase is very important because of the pure exaggeration.  Mathilde is beginning to imagine unrealistic lifestyles; lifestyles with "fairy forest" and "strange birds flying" are impossible.  These are lifestyles she hopes will make her famous and envied by the rich women around her. At this point Mathilde is imaging anything better that what she has now.  De Maupassant continues to say, "She thought of delicious dishes served on marvelous plates..." (22).  When de Maupassant uses the word "delicious" he is showing Mathilde doesn't appreciate what is sitting right there in front of her in real life. She believes she deserves something more than just the normal food she eats. Instead of the stew in front of her she wants a to be eating the pink flesh of a trout or the wings of a quail (de Maupassant 22). De Maupassant even includes, "marvelous plates" in the description of what she wishes her dining life would be like. He uses the word marvelous instead of beautiful or pretty, to be more descriptive and exaggerate her inner feelings of how worn down she felt her actual life was.

By looking at the details, word choices and imagery used by Guy de Maupassant, the reader can understand how Mathilde has fallen to the power of her own perception. She was so focused on what she did not have, she failed to realize everything she needed is right in front of her. Mathilde has a house over her head, a loving and supportive husband, and hot food on her table. None of those things were enough for her, the way she saw it, she needed more. Her need for more, her need for the envy of others, distracted her from what she already has. 
