B. Answer the following questions in a sentence each:

I. Why did Mathilde suffer ceaselessly?
Ans: Mathilde suffered ceaselessly, because she tortured herself into thinking she was born to enjoy the delicacies and luxuries of the world, but her low socio-economic status prevented her from doing so.

II. Why did Mathilde not like to go to see her former schoolmate?
Ans: Mathilde did not like to go and see her former schoolmate, because seeing her rich friend made her sad when she returned to her middle class home.

III. What was in Mathilde’s mind when she saw the invitation her husband brought for her?
Ans: When she saw the invitation her husband brought for her, her mind was filled with the sad thought that she had no suitable gown to wear to the ball.

IV. What was Mathilde’s objection to wearing roses to the party?
Ans: Mathilde’s objection to wearing roses to the party was that it would make her look poor among other women who were rich.

V. What were the feelings of the attaches of Cabinet on seeing Mathilde dance?
Ans: On seeing Mathilde dance, the attaches of Cabinet wished to waltz with her.

VI. Why did Mathilde and her husband hurry towards the Seine in despair after the dance?
Ans: After the dance, Mathilde and her husband hurried towards the Seine in despair to find a carriage to take them to their flat.

VII. “Loisel returned at night with a hollow pale face.” Why did M. Loisel look so?
Ans: M. Loisel looked hollow and pale because he could not discover anything about the lost diamond necklace.

VIII. Why did Mrs. Loisel dismiss her servant?
Ans: Mrs. Loisel dismissed her servant because they could no longer afford to keep a servant. They were in a dire financial situation after borrowing money to replace the lost diamond necklace.

IX. “But sometimes when her husband was at the office, she sat down near the window and she thought of that……..”What did Mathilde think of?
Ans: Mathilde thought of that gay evening of long ago, of that ball where she had been so beautiful and so admired.

X. At the Champs Elysees why could not Madame Forestier recognize Mathilde?
Ans: At the Champs Elysees, Madame Forestier could not recognize Mathilde, because ten years of hard work and acute poverty had changed her beyond recognition.

C . Answer each of the following questions briefly:
i. What circumstances forced Madame Loisel to marry a clerk?
Ans: Madame Loisel was born into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no expectations, no way of being known, understood, loved, married by any rich or distinguished man. So, the fate of being born in a poor family with low social status forced her to marry a little clerk.

ii. Mathilde had no gowns, no jewels, nothing. What was her feeling at her own condition?
Ans: Mathilde loved the things she did not have. She felt she was made for these things. She would like so much to please, to be envied, to be charming and to be sought after. She longed for the delicacies and luxuries but the low standard of her living crippled and tortured her and made her angry. The absence of what she yearned for in life greatly distressed her and made her suffer ceaselessly.

iii. What was M. Loisel’s expectation when he brought the invitation?
Ans: When M. Loisel brought the invitation for the party, he had expected his wife to be delighted and glad to be invited to such a big party where the whole official world would be present .

iv. “She threw her arms round her friend’s neck, kissed her passionately, then fled with the treasure.” Why did Madame Loisel behave in such a way after she borrowed the necklace?
Ans: As soon as Mathilde saw the necklace, it made her heart throb with an immoderate desire and her reflection in the mirror made her lost in ecstasy. When Madame Loisel’s friend agreed to lend the necklace on which her heart was set, her happiness knew no bounds. It made her so happy that she behaved in such a manner.

v. In what sense was Madame Loisel a great success in the party?
Ans: Draped in the fine gown and having adorned the diamond necklace, Madame Loisel was prettier than any other woman present. She was elegant, graceful, smiling and wild with joy. All the men present looked at her and desired to be with her. Even the minister remarked her. It was what her heart desired. In this sense, she was a great success in the party.

vi. “She removed her wraps before the glass so as to see herself once more in her glory.” What does this line tell about Madame Loisel?
Ans: Madame Loisel’s success at the ball intoxicated her and made her live in a cloud of happiness. She enjoyed the adulation that she received at the party. These were the things she felt she was born for. But when they returned home to their petty flat, she was sad again to be faced with the stark reality of her life. She felt all had ended for her. As she wanted to recapture herself once more in all her glory, she stood before the mirror. It shows that Madame Loisel was shallow and gave much importance to superficial things.

vii. “They looked, thunderstruck, at each other.” Describe M. and Madame Loisel’s feelings at the discovery of the loss of the necklace.
Ans: When M. and Madame Loisel discovered that Madame Loisel had lost the borrowed diamond necklace, they were very perplexed and horrified. M. Loisel decided to go over the whole route on foot to see whether he could find it. On the other hand, Mathilde sat huddled in her ball dress in a chair without strength to go to bed, without volition or power of thought.

viii. “Loisel who had aged five years…….” Why had Loisel aged five years?
Ans: When Mathilde lost the diamond necklace, M. Loisel had tried every possible way to discover it but without any luck. At the end of a week, they had lost all hope of finding it. When all efforts failed, the economical clerk was struck hard because they believed the necklace to be expensive, and this worry and shock had aged Loisel by five years.

ix. Madame Loisel loved to be an elegant lady. How did she look after she had paid for the necklace?
Ans: After Madame Loisel had paid for the necklace, she, who once loved elegance, became a changed woman. She looked old, and became the woman of impoverished households- strong, rough and hard. With unkempt hair, skirts askew and red hands, she talked loud while washing the floor with great swishes of water.

x. “What would have happened if she would not have lost that necklace?” Try to guess what Madame Loisel’s life would have been if she had not lost the necklace.
Ans: Had Madame Loisel not lost the necklace, she would have still lived the pathetic life of being ungrateful with what she had and wishing for the superficial material things which she was not destined for. She might not have experienced hardship and poverty, but would have still been unhappy with her life and circumstances.

D. Answer the following questions in about 80 words each:

i. Bring out the character of Madame Mathilde as revealed in the opening paragraphs of the story.
Ans: In the opening paragraphs of the story, Mathilde is shown as a pretty and charming young woman who is born into a family of clerks. She longs to be known, understood, loved, and married by a rich and distinguished man. Thus, it saddens her to be married to a little clerk and makes her unhappy at Loisel’s house. She is shown as a person who has not reconciled to her fate, and laments belonging to a humble family because she feels she is born to enjoy all the delicacies and luxuries. What she has and what she wants contradict greatly and she suffers ceaselessly as an outcome. The absence of the material things which she envies made her discontent so much so that it pains her to see both her rich friends and her humble dwelling. Thus, Mathilde is reflected as a shallow, immature and vain person who longs for material wealth.

ii. Why was Mathilde always unhappy? Do you think she was right in being unhappy? Justify your answer.
Ans: Mathilde was always unhappy because of her own making. She was born into a family of clerks but despite her circumstances, she longed to be known, loved and married by a rich and distinguished man. She did not have fine dresses to wear nor a lavish mansion to live in but she dreamt of enjoying the delicacies and luxuries of the highest kind. These conflicts between what she had and what she wanted always tormented and angered her. She shunned the company of her rich friends because  she did not want to show her poor self in front of rich people. Just to attend a ball, she spent a big amount, and even borrowed a diamond necklace which she lost, and for which they had to suffer for ten long years. Therefore, Mathilde was not right in being unhappy because the cause of her unhappiness was herself. Had she realized the reality of what she was, and had she put a hold on her unrealistic dreams and inspirations, her unhappiness would not be there.

iii. From the way Mathilde behaved from receiving the invitation to the end of the party, comment on Mathilde’s character.
Ans: Mathilde’s husband, M. Loisel, was a petty clerk of the Ministry of Public Instruction. He managed to get an invite to a party hosted by the Minister at the palace of the Ministry. Instead of being delighted at getting the invitation, she was irritated and complained that she had nothing suitable to wear. Then, she managed to spend the four hundred francs which her husband had saved to buy a gun. She even borrowed a splendid diamond necklace from her rich friend,
Madame Forestier. At the ball, Mathilde was a sight to behold. Dressed in the beautiful gown and paired with the necklace, she was prettier than any other woman present –elegant, graceful, smiling and wild with joy. She caught the attention of every man there including the Minister himself. She danced with rapture, with passion, intoxicated by pleasure. This was what her heart desired –homage and adoration from others and a sense of triumph and glory on her part. Mathilde is presented as a shallow, superficial woman who is blinded by the glittery, materialistic world around her. What is unfortunate was the fact that she failed to gracefully accept the life she was given and hence suffered endlessly.

iv. How did M. Loisel try to retrieve the lost necklace?
Ans: When M. and Madame Loisel returned after attending the party successfully, they realized that the diamond necklace was lost. The panic-stricken couple frantically looked for it everywhere –among the folds of her skirt, of her cloak and in her pockets but it was not to be found. In the hope of getting the necklace, Loisel decided to go back on foot over the whole route. He then went to police headquarters, to the newspaper offices to offer an award to the finder. He even went to the cab companies in the hope of getting the necklace. But he was not lucky. At the end of a week, they had lost all hope of finding it and so thought of replacing with a new one. They went from jeweler to jeweler in the hope of finding a similar one and at last found one in a shop at the Palais Royal which was worth forty thousand francs but they got for thirtysix. 

v. How did the Loisels raise the money for the necklace and how did they repay the money?
Ans:  They had with them eighteen thousand francs which Loisel’s father had left him and they borrowed the rest. He borrowed a thousand francs from one, five hundred of another and even as little as three or five sows. He gave notes, took up ruinous obligations, dealt with usurers and lenders. They changed their lodgings to a garret and dismissed their servant. Mathilde did all the heavy household chores.  Every month they had to deal with debts, Loisel worked evenings, making up a trademan’s accounts and late at night he often copied manuscript for five sous a page. Thus, working hard for ten years, they were able to pay everything, with the rates of usury and the accumulations of the compound interest.

vi. “Thereafter Madame Loisel knew the horrible existence of the needy.”Bring out the circumstances that compelled Madame Loisel to experience the existence of the needy.
Ans: The Minister of Public Instruction’s invite to the Ball was a life-changing event in the life of M and Madame Loisel. To be seen as equals to the rich women who were invited, Mathilde used her husband’s four hundred francs and bought a suitable gown. When she had no jewellery to go with the gown, she went to her rich friend, Madame Forestier and borrowed a splendid diamond necklace. Mathilde was a huge success at the party. Every man wanted to know her and waltz with her. The homage and admiration intoxicated her and she danced with rapture till the wee hours of the morning. Thus, the party was a great success for Mathilde. However, when they returned home, tragedy struck them as they found that the diamond necklace was lost. They were grief stricken. Even though Loisel tried everything in his human capacity, they could not find it. At the end of seven days, they accepted that it was lost for good and tried to find a replacement. At last they found one in a shop at the Palais Royal. It was an expensive one and cost them thirty-six thousand francs. They had only eighteen thousand francs which Loisel’s father had left them. The rest they borrowed from others. In order to pay back the borrowed money, they had to make huge changes in their lives. In the process, Madame Loisel was compelled to experience the existence of the needy.

vii. Do you think the ending of the story is unexpected? What is the intention of the writer in ending the story in this way?
Ans: The ending, though surprising, and having an ironic twist, is expected. Guy de Maupassant wrote stories which had unexpected turns, and brought out the irony of life. The intention of the writer in ending the story is to impart the moral lesson that one should be true to oneself, or follow the policy of honesty, which is the best policy. The writer portrays Mathilde, a young and beautiful woman, as vain and superficial. She gave much importance to material wealth. She did not accept the fact that she was born in a middle class family and married to a lowly clerk. Since she had already decided that she had been born to enjoy the delicacies and luxuries of the world, she was discontented with whatever her husband offered. She spent beyond her means on a gown to attend a party and in the process lost a diamond necklace which she borrowed from her rich friend, Madame Forestier. If she was true to herself, accepted herseld for what she was, and was not vain and shallow, she would not have borrowed or lost the necklace. Again, she did not tell her friend that she lost the necklace. If she had done so, she would have known the real worth of it and not suffered so much. Ten years of hard work and losing her youth and beauty turned out to be for nothing.

viii. Why did Maupassant entitle the story ‘The Diamond Necklace’?
Ans: Guy de Maupassant’s ‘The Diamond Necklace’ revolves around a young and pretty woman, Mathilde who borrowed and lost a diamond necklace. It is this necklace which takes the story forward. The diamond necklace also symbolizes wealth and status which Mathilde yearns for but does not have. It is also ironically sad to see how hard the Loisels had to struggle in order to replace the fake diamond necklace with something real. Just as the diamond necklace is a fake one, Mathilde lives a life of lie and deception. Mathilde, a disgruntled housewife dreamt of great material wealth in spite of her humble background. Her husband provided her with everything that was within his means. But she remained unsatisfied and ungrateful. She even borrowed a diamond necklace from her rich friend, Madame Forestier to be worn to a party. She felt that wearing an expensive gown and the diamond necklace would raise her status in the eyes of the rich. For some time she was in a make-believe world where she was the centre of attraction. She loved the adulation and considered herself successful. She was even very happy. But it was short lived and misfortune befell the Loisels because Mathilde had lost the diamond necklace. Without knowing the actual worth of the necklace, they bought a real and hence, an expensive one. In doing so, she spent ten years of her life in extreme poverty to repay the money which M. Loisel borrowed from others with interest to replace the lost necklace. Because of the necklace she had to embrace the life of a commoner, lost her youth and beauty, all for nothing. The story of the diamond necklace warns us to be honest and truthful and also not to hanker after material wealth.

ix. Write how M. Loisel is a contrast to Madame Mathilde.
Ans: M. Loisel was a little clerk of the Ministry of Public Instruction. He loved his wife, Mathilde and tried to provide her with whatever he could. He managed to get an invite to a ball hosted by the Minister of Public Instruction just because he thought his wife would be delighted. He was ready to give Mathilde the four hundred francs (which he had saved to buy a gun for himself) to buy a gown. When Mathilde lost the diamond necklace, he used his savings and also borrowed from others to buy a new necklace. He was a simple and economical man who was satisfied with his humble surroundings but because he loved his wife, he bore her without any complaint and he had to suffer ceaselessly. Madame Loisel was a young and beautiful woman who was also shallow and superficial  She was a direct opposite to her husband, M. Loisel. She was born in a humble family and married to a lowly clerk. But she hankered after material wealth and riches and gave too much importance to them and became unhappy when she failed to have them. At the ball hosted by the Minister of Public Instruction, she was very happy and full of joy because she had worn an expensive gown and a diamond necklace and considered herself a success among the rich people. Her life changed for the worse when she lost the diamond necklace which she had borrowed to be worn to the party. The Loisels replaced the necklace with a new one and in the process, she sacrificed ten years of her life and aged prematurely. Thus, she lost her youth and beauty just because she wanted to impersonate the life of a rich person.

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