<u>Symbols</u><em>: The Necklace</em> has 2 main symbols -- the necklace itself and a mirror.
<u>Theme</u>: The theme of the story is greed. <em>Greed</em> can be and usually <em>is quite destructive.</em>
<u>Connection</u> The necklace in this story depends largely on what it is made of. To use a modern day example, it can be made of clear plastic or diamonds. An untrained eye will not know the difference. The main character (: Mathilde Loisel) has anything but a trained eye. She goes to a party where only special people are invited. She is not impressed by the generosity of her husband who gives her enough money to buy a dress -- a good looking one at that. Along the way she meets a friend who is wealthy who agrees to loan her a necklace. She is a hit at the party and when she leaves, she discovers that the necklace is lost. She does not report its loss: instead she and her husband take out a loan to buy another one. It takes them ten years to pay the loan back. It turns out the necklace she borrowed was not nearly as expensive as the one she replaced it with. Greed ruins she and her husband.
The mirror is another symbol. It is not a very complimentary one. It shows how vain and rather dense Mathilde is. She is not content with her natural beauty. She is not content with her charm. She looks in the mirror to confirm her lack of good looks and decides she needs something to enhance her appearance. The mirror provides what she sees.
