Since the beginning of time, people have been competing with each other in almost every facet of our lives that are, at the end of the day, pointless and lack any real importance. This is a phenomenon called "keeping up with the Joneses". People are always striving to get things as good as their neighbor because they believe that this will make them happy. In Guy de Maupassant's short story, "The Necklace", Mathilde Loisel is so consumed with what she does not have, that she does not even realize what she does have and this fatal flaw of hers affects her life long term.

Mathilde's unhappiness runs so deep that it is not even fully understood by her husband. He is content with the small pleasures in life and he is accepting of the non-glamourous life that they live together. He doesn't understand why so many problems arise with his wife arise when he simply shows her an invitation to an official party evening. Mathilde is in no way satisfied with what she has and is always looking at the wealthy people and wanting what they have. She knows she is beautiful and feels that her beauty is put to waste by her poor clothes and possessions.

Mathilde borrows four hundred francs to buy a dress for the event at the expense of her husband, because he had been setting this aside to purchase a gun for himself so that he could go hunting in the summers and she is completely oblivious to this. She is blinded by her ambitions to be perceived as rich in front of the large crowd at the Ministry palace. She's so self-centered that she cannot see how she is affecting her husband, the one that she is supposed to love. 

Mathilde purchases a dress to wear to the ball, but all is not well.  She realizes that she does not have any jewels to wear to the ball. Her husband suggests that she wear roses because it is very fashionable at that time of the year. Mathilde snidely replies ""No; there's nothing more embarrassing than to look among other women who are rich."" (Maupassant 4) which again shows how much of a materialist she is. She cares very much what others think of her external appearance. There is absolutely no way that she can achieve true happiness if she is constantly chasing these material things that others have because once she attains one thing, she will only want something else. Since she refuses to wear the flowers, Monsieur Loisel says that she should ring her wealthy friend Madame Forestier and ask to borrow some of her jewels.  Madame Forestier obliges to Mathilde's request and allows her to look through a wardrobe "She first saw some of the bracelets, then a pearl...could not make up her mind to part with them, to give them back.  She kept asking: "Haven't you anymore?""(Maupassant 4) which shows how even when a favor being done for her and any normal person would be grateful, she continues to keep asking for more. She is never satisfied with what is in front of her. 

They finally make it to the Ministerial ball and all of the people are in awe of Madame Loisel. She is having the night of her life because everyone is noticing her and asking about her. She dances and has a grand time. Meanwhile, her husband is in the next room alone for the most party as she has abandoned him. She does not necessarily notice this as she is so caught up in the fact that she has everyone's eye. The day was a great success to her "She was prettier than them all, elegant, gracious, smiling, and crazy with joy. All the men looked at her, asked her name, endeavored to be introduced.  All the...in a sort of cloud of happiness composed of all this homage, of all this admiration, of all these awakened desires, and of that sense of complete victory which is so sweet to a woman's heart." (Maupassant 4) which was very important because she felt that this is where she has belonged her entire life and she was merely not born into her destiny.  The materialism of this whole situation will go on to haunt the Loisels for years to come.

They did not leave the party until four o'clock in the morning.  The wrap she was going to be wearing when they left looked like a poor womans so "The wraps which he had brought, modest wraps of common life, whose poverty contrasted with the elegance of the ball dress.  She felt this and wanted to escape as not to be remarked by the other women, who were enveloping themselves in costly furs." (Maupassant 5) and again Madame Loisel is caring so much what other people think of her.  She basically runs out of the party to save her so called status that she had built up from this night.  Later, when the Loisels are just arriving home "She removes the wraps, which covered her shoulders, before the glass, so as once more to see herself in all her glory.  But suddenly, she uttered a cry. She had no longer the necklace around her neck!" (Maupassant 5) this last vain act of hers is a very important and poignant scene for Mathilde because although she looks at her physical appearance and notices something is missing, it is a symbol that something within her is missing as well.  She is missing the most prized "jewel" in life, thankfulness. She is completely unable to accept and be appreciative for what she does have.  Now her and her husband are faced with a problem, they must find and return Madame Forestier's necklace to her. Monsieur Loisel goes out that night to begin looking for it but to no avail. He retraces all of their steps together that night, all in search of that precious necklace but to find nothing, all while Madame Loisel sat at home in mad fear. She could have been out helping her husband look for the item that she herself had lost. Two pairs of eyes search better than one after all. After a very long while of not being able to find the necklace, the couple decides to tell a lie to Madame Forestier that the clasp on the necklace is being mended because they believe it will buy them some more time. She is now dragging her husband farther and farther down her dark path of vice.  They eventually begin to look for more necklaces that look like the one that Mathilde had borrowed. They find one but it is ridiculously expensive at thirty-six thousand francs. They go to great lengths to pay for this necklace thinking it will save their friendship with Madame Forestier. Monsieur Loisel draws out all of his savings and to borrow various amounts from various people. Finally they put down the thirty-six thousand for the necklace, knowing the pain that was about to come over them, all for one night. They had to change their whole lifestyle so that they could start repaying the debts that they had taken on.  For the next ten years of their lives, they toiled and labored until they had at last paid the last of their debts. One day when Mathilde is walking "She suddenly perceived a woman who was leading a child. It was Madame Forestier, still young, still beautiful, still charming... "Oh, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste. It was not worth more than five hundred francs!"" (Maupassant 8) Madame Forestier informs Mathilde that the necklace was not of real diamonds but it was more of a costume prop. 

The false pride that Mathilde lived by was the cause of her demise as a young person.  She lost everything that she had just because she was afraid to come clean with Madame Forestier about her necklace. She only cares about keeping up her reputation that she had from only one night in her whole life and this is foolish of her.  It is important to acknowledge that "Keeping up with the Joneses" should not be a priority in life.
