Final Timed-Writing

0531053
Chenny Qian
June 21, 2007
Final Timed-Writing

Directions: From The Necklace, what might have been the quality of Mme. Loisel’s life if she had not lost the necklace? Is her life better or worse now?

What would have happened if Mme. Loisel had not lost the necklace? In my opinion, I do concede that maybe she could enjoy admiration from others because of her beauty and charm. However, I believe that her life would be worse in the long run.

To begin with, Mme. Loisel’s vanity and pride decide her misery life. Although she has good appearance and is always praised by others, there is always a voice in her inner world that she wants to be noticed, to be praised and to be admired. The fantasy of extravagant life haunted her life and she just cannot be herself in the reality of poor and low social status. Thus it makes it impossible for her to cherish the goodness of her husband, the beauty of the nature and the importance of working hard. As a result, she would sink into a sea of negative attitudes and her life would be a burden of misery to her after a few years.

Moreover, not until Mme. Loisel realizes the value of hard working can she lead a better life. As in the story, after her lost of the necklace, she became a diligent lady by whose great efforts, she finally made it in returning the debt and being her real self. However, think about the opposite circumstance that she did not lose the necklace. Instead of making effort to gain all that she wants, she might still be in her dream filled with shining jewels and expensive clothes and do nothing to help herself. Thus, her life would be in a great conflict between ideal and reality, which makes her sad, cry or even crazy. That kind of quality in life has something to do with her attitude towards life and what it brings might destroy the future of Mme. Loisel who could have enjoy a happy life by her own effort and content.

Lastly, the society at that time did not allow a woman like Mme. Loisel to enjoy that kind of extravagant life and as a result, her quality of life could not become better. Although after the exciting ball, Mme. Loisel gained others’ preference and maybe those admirations would bring her a lot, the society decides that it is no easy job to meet the needs of what she desires. In a time when people put great value on social status as well as the descent of birth, it is difficult for Mme. Loisel to be always in the highlight of admiration in the long run. Without realizing the reality, and always be addicted to fantasy would make her life a misery as a result. She is not allowed to enjoy long-term extravagance and as matter of fact she could not change her low social status. What her beauty could bring about is just a short period of preference that disappear quickly in the ocean of indifferent or even disgust because of her status.

To sum up, I do not think that Mme. Loisel could lead a better life if she had not lost the necklace. Furthermore, her vanity and social status would make her quality of life worse. Without realizing and adapting to the reality, a woman like her would no doubt live in sadness, conflicts, fantasy and misery.