Loisel

In The Necklace Mme. Loisel is portrayed, by Brander Matthews, as unsatisfied with her life and yearns for more material wealth. The story begins with the reader learning about  her situation and the uncontentment she feels because of her class in society. Mme. Loisel constantly lusts for more wealth and power throughout the story. Although she does her best to achieve this, eventually providence lends Loisel to a life of suppression and misery because of her actions. 

Early on in the story it is clear Mme. Loisel dissatisfaction because she feels, “as Unhappy as though she had married beneath her” (82). It later goes on the say, “She suffered endlessly” (82) because of feelings that, “fate had blundered over her” (82). However, this is clearly not an act of fate or even chance, but rather a result of providence through her own selfish actions. 

She even remains saddened and even ungrateful when her husband shows her their invitation to the ball and throws a fit. This tantrum is thrown simply because she doesn’t have a dress she feels is good enough for such an occasion. The husband in the story, however, remains constantly selfless and even sacrifices ten years of his life to pay back his wife’s ridiculous and costly mistake. All the while, she keeps a feeling of spite toward the world for her circumstances and not a single feeling of remorse for her own careless actions. 

Mme. Loisel suffers in this story because of her own greedy actions as a result of providence allowing her to control her own destiny by acting completely under her own control.