Question

Why is Guy de Maupassant known as one of the fathers of the modern short story? How might his personal life have influenced his writing? Does his short story "The Necklace" seem to fall into his usual style and theme? Explain.

Answer 1

Guy de Maupassant was a celebrated writer who wrote over 300 short stories and six novels in only 11 years. He wrote stories that were based in realism and everyday events. He was hospitalized after a suicide attempt and died at the age of 42 in an asylum in Paris. Maupassant’s mental anguish and his time as a patient likely influenced the theme of psychiatry that runs throughout many of his stories. “The Necklace” is a story about the troubled mind of Mme. Loisel and how she suffers emotionally in two very different circumstances. Her initial “trouble” is in her head but becomes her reality. Mme. Loisel is in conflict with herself. But “The Necklace” is not a story that delves much into psychiatry. The characters are all relatively normal and are more tormented by their surroundings than by their mental state.