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| Story The Diamond Necklace: Role of Chance or Fate in the Story and Meaningful Title |
Role Played by Chance Or Fate in "The Diamond Necklace":
Chance plays a very important part in the story 'The Diamond Necklace'. But the use of chance is not excessive. It does not make the story unbelievable. The use of chance is always welcome within reasonable limits. Shakespeare, the world's greatest dramatist, also uses chance in his plays. The truth is that chance plays an important part in life itself.
What Is Chance?
What is chance? Chance is an event which takes place for no obvious cause. In other words, chance is an accident. Bearing this in mind, let us see what part is played by chance in this story.
Mrs. Matilde's Birth:
We see some hand of chance or fate in the birth of Matilde. She is beautiful and ambitious. She wants people to praise her beauty. She feels that she is 'born for all the luxuries and delicacies of life'. But 'by an error of destiny', she is born into a poor family of clerks. And upon this depends the whole story.
Her Marriage:
Here while after, there is no chance occurrence for a long while. There is nothing of chance in the marriage of Matilde with Loisel. She was the daughter of a clerk. She had no dowry. Her marriage with a poor clerk is, therefore, reasonable.
Invitation to the Party:
There is again nothing of chance in Loisel's getting invitation to the dance party. He had tried hard for it; and there was a reason to do it. He always wanted to please his wife. He thought that the invitation would please her. It is quite natural that Matilde buys a new dress for the party and also borrows the diamond necklace from Forestier. Matilde hated 'to look poor among other women who were rich.' She would not wear 'natural flowers' instead of jewels. Without jewels, she said, she would "look like distress'. Both the difficulties are naturally removed. Loisel had saved four hundred Francs with which a new dress was bought. Forestier, a rich and old friend of Matilde lent her some jewels.
The loss of the Diamond Necklace:
The loss of the diamond necklace is purely a chance, an accident. And this chance is of great importance. Without it the story would not have been what it is. It would have lost its point. It could not have taught the lesson that pride has a fall and that vanity makes a man suffer.
This chance of losing the necklace ruins the couple's life. For ten long years they have to work hard like slaves. Matilde loses all her beauty and becomes old before time.
Yet Another Chance:
The borrowing of money to buy a new necklace and hard work to pay the debt are all natural results of the loss. But it is a chance again that the truth about the lost necklace is known only too late. And this chance, too, is important. It makes the end of the story very successful. It gives the reader a pleasant shock. It leaves him thinking about the cruelty of fate.
Thus, we see that chance plays an important part in the story and its use is quite reasonable.
Suggestiveness of the Title of the Story
Appropriate Title:
The title of the story "The Diamond Necklace" is very suggestive, meaningful and appropriate. The whole story from the beginning to the end moves round the diamond necklace, its borrowing, its loss and its discovery of being artificial.
Borrowing of the Diamond Necklace:
Mme. Matilde Loisel was a woman of ordinary means but very ambitious and mad after her charms and fashions. One day her husband brought an invitation to a ball (dance) party at the palace of the Ministry to please his pleasure-loving wife. Mme. Matilde felt happy but she was sad to think that she had no jewels to put on. She did not like her husband's idea of wearing natural flowers on the ball day. She, therefore, decided to borrow some jewels from her rich friend, Mme. Forestier. Next day she visited her friend. She borrowed from her a superb necklace of diamonds and returned home with a feeling of joy.
The Party:
On the day of the ball, she went to the party with all her jewellery and finery. She looked prettier than any other woman there. All men stared at her, asked her name, and wanted to dance with her. She danced drunk mad with joy until 4 o'clock in the morning.
Loss and return of the Diamond Necklace:
When the party was over, she went home with her husband. When she stood before her glass to see herself once more in al! her glory, she uttered a cry. There was no longer the necklace around her neck. She bought a new but similar necklace for thirty six thousand francs with borrowed money.
Truth about the Diamond Necklace:
She took ten years to pay the heavy debt. She worked very hard day and night to repay the borrowed money. She was. very much changed in ten year's time. She lost her physical charms. One day she met Mme. Forestier on the way and told her about the loss of the diamond necklace and its replacement. Her friend was greatly moved. She told her that the necklace was an artificial one costing only five hundred francs.
Thus the story begins with the borrowing of the diamond necklace and comes to a surprising end with the replacement of the diamond necklace. The diamond necklace is in the beginning, middle and end. It is a source of temporary joy for Mme. Matilde but a cause of long drudgery and misery for her. Thus the title is very suggestive and meaningful.