Matilda suffered every time she met Madame Forestier because Madame Forestier was the one who had given her the necklace that Matilda had been forced to pawn, and she was ashamed and embarrassed by her own poverty.
Who is Madame Forestier? Madame Forestier is a character in the Guy de Maupassant short story "The Necklace". She is a wealthy friend of the narrator's protagonist, Mathilde Loisel. Madame Forestier is known for her generous nature; when Mathilde and her husband come to borrow a necklace to wear to a ball, Madame Forestier offers her an expensive diamond necklace without hesitation. This necklace turns out to be a fake, and Mathilde and her husband are forced to spend the next ten years repaying the cost of the necklace. Madame Forestier does not find out the truth about the necklace until the end of the story, when Mathilde finally reveals the truth. Madame Forestier is a symbol of wealth and privilege, and her actions demonstrate her belief that wealth and material possessions should be shared with others.
