Literary Elements In The Necklace And The Tiger - 1509 Words

Authors have used literary elements to alter and enhance their readers’ experiences for centuries. Short stories are often full of these literary elements, giving the author the power to control and manipulate the emotions of everyone who reads their story. Whether it is through teaching an important lesson about materialism and irony or inspiring thought provoking questions, the use of literary elements can illuminate any story. The short stories The Necklace and The Lady, or The Tiger are two perfect examples of literary elements used to their full potential. However, although both stories utilize literary elements well, The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant uses literary elements to completely capture the reader. The Necklace by Guy de†¦show more content†¦The use of a character foil is very apparent here. As stated in the text, Mathilde’s husband expects her to be elated at the sight of the invitation, however she instead is ungrateful and upset. This shows a large contrast between the two characters, highlighting Mme. Loisel’s greedy personality and amplifying it. While irony and character foil add a lot to the plot of The Necklace, the use of details throughout the story also significantly impacts the plot. In the case of The Necklace, Guy de Maupassant leaves out details that are imperative to the plot, creating a conflict as well as adding elements of suspense and surprise into the story. After Mathilde loses her friend’s diamond necklace at a party and works for ten years in order to replace it, she confesses what happened to her friend. â€Å"‘Do you remember that diamond necklace you loaned me to wear to the dance at the ministry?’† During this conversation it is revealed that the necklace was really only worth around five hundred francs. Maupassant was clever in that he left out that crucial detail that gave the story a surprise ending, leaving many readers shocked and surprised. The reader never sees the ending coming and is left to ponder over the consequence Mathilde faced for her materialism, which is what makes it such a humorous and ironic story. Another important aspect of The Necklace is Guy