Monsieur Loisel (The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant)

i s m o n s i e u r l o i s e l c o n t e n t ?

A French writer from the 1880s named Guy de Maupassant wrote a short story called "The Necklace", where this bitch (pardon my french. GET IT CUZ IT'S FRENCH) Madame Loisel is unhappy with her life. She is beautiful and charming, but she was born in the working class and she resents the "simple" life she has. Her husband, though, seems...content. Unlike her. He's a pretty simple dude, does not mind his simple life. (I'm not going to talk too much about Madame Loisel, but please take my word on her being an asshat)

When they sit down for a meal at "round table covered with a three-day-old cloth" as Madame Loisel puts it (she's seriously a dick), he uncovers the bowl and says "Ah! Beef stew! What could be better"...Fucken. Chicken stew. But whatevs, it's a funny line to me because it reminds me of my dad, who often just says shit like that with shitty food, I think all dads do that. (Yeah, I don't like beef stew, gimme da chickun.) Okay, so while it's funny to me, it really shows how Monsieur Loisel is just happy with what he has. He isn't superficial, not thinking that beef stew is bad because it's not "high class" or whatever (it's bad for other reasons). #DACHICKUN

Also, when they go to this ball thingy (which is pretty important for the story but not for my analysis of Monsieur Loisel, so I'm not elaborating lol), Madame Loisel starts whining about not having any jewelry, and Monsieur Loisel is just like "lol, get some roses". Just kidding, he says something slightly different: "You could wear flowers...They are very fashionable at this time of year. For ten francs you could get two or three magnificent roses." I dunno why, but I found this kinda cute, how he was just finding a solution that was nice but didn't require money. You can see that his mind works differently than his wife's. Although of course it's probably to do more with his frugalness than actual morality. But eh. Still better than his wife. HAHA.

I've put so much shade on Madame Loisel that you might start thinking that Monsieur Loisel is probably discontent with his marriage. And I don't think you're wrong. He is constantly trying to make her happy and is incredibly passive, doing anything for her. Yet Madame Loisel uses him, ungratefully at that, believing she married "beneath" her. However, I don't really think that his wife is too crucial to Monsieur Loisel's life. Sure, he's a kiss-ass but his contentedness does not depend on her. There's a mention that he was planning a hunting trip. When they return from the ball (no further explanation, go read the story dumbass) he is worrying about having to go to work in the morning. I am not implying there's anything wrong with either of these things, or that he disregards his spouse but that he isn't too wrapped up Madame Loisel's fantasies. I'm sure there could be another perfectly good argument stating he is unhappy, but I personally don't think certain life problems can can cause unhappiness for everyone. What may torment one person, will be manageable for another. Monsieur Loisel doesn't strike me as someone to care much about the state of his marriage. Neither do many from that era.

I think one reason for Monsieur Loisel's contentedness is that he is also weak-willed. I mentioned that he lets his wife walk all over him. He does not have the drive to stand up for himself, and in my opinion, neither to strive for more. Perhaps Loisel does indeed desire money and high society, but is too lazy for it. I wouldn't bat an eye. He was born into a certain life and he doesn't appear to want to change it or make it his own, he won't make a mark on the world. Because he won't try to change his life, he finds it very easy to accept it. Maybe his relationship with his wife is also a metaphor for his life. Maybe he isn't troubled with his marriage because he also accepts that. It's always accepting, being agreeable. A simple man with a simple heart, a simple brain, a simple soul? A simple life.

In conclusion (yes, I just blatantly labeled this paragraph as conclusion, bite me) Monsieur Loisel is not like his wife. No expensive mansions, priceless ornaments, lavish parties. He is okay with his simple life and content with it, because he matches it.

That is, of course. Until Madame Loisel fucks everything up. But you have to read the story to find that out.

A/N: Again. THIS IS SHIT. My two ideal responses are giving me advice on how to revise it, OR, just laughing at my jokes. The finished essay won't have most of them, so enjoy them now.

Talking about the finished essay, I will upload it here. I'm mainly saying this because if I make an online promise then I most definitely need to keep it, which would help me get in with revising. I'll upload it this Sunday.

I can't believe THIS is my first Wattpad book...