1. Why did Matilda think that she was born in a family of petty clerks by some error of destiny?
Matilda was a beautiful young lady with high dreams and aspirations. She had no dowry, no hopes, no fame and no wealth. She lost all hopes of marrying a man either rich or distinguished. She believed that she was born into a family of clerks only by some error of destiny. So, she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education.
2. Why was Matilda always unhappy? Or Why did Matilda suffer incessantly?
Matilda was always unhappy. She was not satisfied with what life and fate had given to her. She believed that she was born in a family of petty clerks through some error of destiny. She dreamt of a big and grand house, marvellous dishes, good dresses and jewels. She hated to give an image of poverty. But the harsh realities of life made her unhappy and dissatisfied with her lot.
3. What things tortured and angered Matilda? Or Do you think that deep divide between her grand dreams and ordinary living was the cause of her unhappiness? What did she dream of?
Matilda ( Mrs. Loisel ) was not among those who take or accept life what it is. She was never satisfied with her lot. Het humble family background didn’t match with her grand dreams. She believed that she was born for all delicacies and luxuries of the world. Her dreams were beyond her means. She dreamt of a big and grand house, marvellous dishes, costly clothes and jewels. The harsh realities of life dashed her to the ground from the seventh haven of her dreamy world. Hence, she suffered and remained dissatisfied.
4. Why didn’t Matilda like to visit her rich friend?
Matilda or Mrs. Loisel always dreamt of things that were beyond her means. She dreamt of a grand house, costly dishes, good dresses and jewels. She was disillusioned that she couldn’t get them. When she visited her rich friend, she really suffered because she became intensely conscious of her poverty in the presence of her fortunate and rich friend. She suffered so much when she returned to her modest and miserable surroundings.
5. Why did Matilda throw the invitation card spitefully upon the table? Or Why did Matilda ask her husband to give the invitation card to some colleague?
One evening, Matilda’s husband returned home carrying in his hand a large envelope. She drew out a printed card quickly, but threw it on the table spitefully. It was an invitation for a ball arranged by the Minister of public Instruction. She complained that she didn’t have a suitable dress for that grand occasion. She asked him to give that invitation to some colleague whose wife was better fitted out than her.
6. How did Mr. Loisel meet the demand of a suitable costume for his wife for going to the ball?
Matilda refused to go the ball without having a suitable costume for the occasion. Her husband asked her to wear the dress that she wore while going to the theatre. When Matilda reacted strongly, he asked how much a suitable costume would cost. She replied that it would cost 400 francs. Mr. Loisel turned pale. He saved 400 francs to buy a gun for him to shoot larks. But he bowed down and agreed to give 400 francs to have a pretty dress.
7. What and why did Matilda (Mrs. Loisel) put up another demand after her husband gave her 400 francs for buying a pretty dress?
Mrs. Loisel’s demand of having a suitable constum was fulfilled and her dress was almost ready. But then, she put forward another demand, she was vexed not to have any jewels. She didn’t want to present a poverty-stricken look of herself amidst rich ladies. She ridiculed the idea of wearing natural flowers. She needed some jewels to adorn herself.
8. How was Matilda’s demand of adorning herself with jewels fulfilled?
Mrs.Loisel was adamant on having some jewels to adorn herself for the ball. Her poor husband felt helpless. However, an idea struck him. He told her that she could borrow jewels from her rich friend Madam Forestier. Madam Forestier easily agreed and placed her jewellery box before Matilda to make her choice. In the end, Matilda chose a superb diamond necklace and Madam Forestier happily gave the necklace to her friend.
9. What made Matilda a grand success at the ball? Or How did Matilda perform at the ball and why did men want to be introduced to her?
It was a great test for Matilda to present herself at the ball. And she was a grand success there. She was the prettiest of them all. She was elegant, graceful and full of joy. She danced with enthusiasm. All the men noticed such a wonderful lady, asked her name and wanted to be introduced to her.
10. Why did Mr. Loisel had to put on his clothes to go out into the cold at night, minutes after returning from the ball? Did he succeed in getting what he searched for?
Matilda had lost the diamond necklace that she had borrowed from Madam Forestier at the ball. When it was not found in the folder of her dress, in the folds of the cloak, in pockets, everywhere, Mr Loisel went out. He went over the track in search of the lost necklace. No, he didn’t succeed in finding what he had been searching for in the cold night.
11. How did Mr, and Mrs. Loisel replace the lost necklace and gave that to Madam Forestier?
When they had lost all hopes of getting the lost necklace, Mrs and Mr. Loisel decided that they must replace the necklace. In a shop, they found a necklace which seemed to them exactiy like the one they had lost. They could get in for 36000 francs. Mr. Loisel had left. They borrowed the rest of the money. The bought the new necklace and returned it to Madam Forestier.
12. Why and how did the Loisel spend the horrible life of necessity?
Loisels had heavy debts on their heads. To pay them off, they had to lead a very hard and even miserable life. They sent away their maid. They changed their lodgings and rented some rooms in the attic. Matilda learnt the odious work of a kitchen. She washed the dishes and soiled linen. She took down the refuse to the street. She clothed like an ordinary woman and did all odd jobs herself. Mr. Loisel put the books of some merchants in order. He did copying at five sous a page. It took ten years to pay off all the debts.
13. Why didn’t Madam Forestier recognise Matilda? How did both the ladies look?
One day, Matilda was taking a walk in the Champs-Elysees. She suddenly saw a woman walking with a child. It was Madam Forestier. She was still young, pretty and still attractive. But Mrs. Loisel looked just the different. Her face was telling her story. She had so much change that Madam Forestier couldn’t recognise her. She could only say, “Oh! My poor Matilda! How you have changed!”
14. Do you think Mr. Loisel had an enjoyable evening at the ball? Give reasons for your answer.
He did not have an enjoyable evening at the ball. He was quite bored with the ball. He felt half asleep in a little salon with three men.
15. Matilda and her husband suffered to pay off the debts which they took on their heads for a false necklace. Comment. Do you find the ending of the story unexpected and ironical?
In the end, Madam Forestier told Matilda that the necklace which she lent to her and for whose replacement they had to suffer so much was really a false one. The ending of the play is quite unexpected but logical. It is ironical as well. The necklace that bought so much ruin and miseries to Matilda and her husband turned out to be a false one.
16. What was the greatest mistake of Mrs. Loisel that became the cause of their miseries? Could she have averted t?
The greatest blunder that Matilda committed was that she didn’t take her friend into confidence. She should have told the whole story as it had happened. That would have pacified Madam Forestier quite easily as the necklace she lent to her friend was not of real diamonds but false ones.
17. Why do you think M. Loisel was a loving husband?
I think that M. Loisel was a loving husband because his behaviour shows that he was a caring husband. He tried his best to make his wife happy despite his penury. For example, he arranged four hundred francs to buy new dress of his wife.
18. Why did Matilda (Mme Loisel) leave the ball in a hurry? What does it show about her character?
Matilda (Mme Loisel) left the ball in a hurry so that she was not seen by the other women who were wrapping themselves in rich furs. The act of leaving the ball in such a hurry shows how desperate she was in hiding her poverty. She did not want the rich women to ever know that she belonged to a poor family.
19. Why was Matilda always unhappy after her marriage?
Matilda was always unhappy after her marriage because she felt that she was born for all delicacies and luxuries and in the absence of these she suffered again and again. Moreover, she was born into a family of clerks and she got married to a petty clerk in a government office.
She longed for good dresses and jewels to adorn her body. She loved these things, so she suffered a lot due to their absence.
20. How did M. Loisel try to make his wife happy?
Mme Matilda Loisel was always unhappy because of her poor condition. She had no good dress, nor did she have any jewels. So, her husband, Mr. Loisel, tried to make her happy by purchasing new luxury dress and by arranging necklace from her friend, Mme Forestier.
21. What was Mme Loisel shocked to know at the end of the story?
At the end of the story, when Mme Loisel met Mme Forestier told her the story about her lost necklace. She said that the necklace was an artificial one and its cost was only about five hundred Francs. This made her shocked when she came to know this.
22. Why did Matilda not want to see her rich friends?
Matilda did not want to see her rich friends because she had inferiority complex. Whenever she visited her rich friends, she felt dejected and disappointed because of her poverty. Moreover, she had no attractive dresses and jewellery to adorn herself with.
23. Why was Mme Loisel always unhappy?
Mme Loisel was always unhappy because of her poor condition. She did not like her lifestyle. Moreover, she did not get what she aspired for. But, she crazy to enjoy all the luxuries and delicacies. Unfortunately, her husband was a poor clerk.
24. Do you think Mme Loisel had an enjoyable evening at the ball? Give reasons for your answer.
I think, Mme Loisel had an enjoyable evening at the ball. She was the prettiest of all – elegant, gracious, smiling and full of joy. She danced with enthusiasm. Her victory at the ball was sweet to her heart.
25. How did the Loisels react when they realized that the necklace had been lost?
The Loisels because very unhappy when they understood that the necklace had been lost. They were sure that the loss of the necklace would make their life miserable because Mr. Loisel was a poor clerk. So, it was very difficult for them to replace the lost diamond necklace.
26. What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin?
Matilda’s greed for high lifestyle and daydreaming was the cause of her ruin. In fact, she was not ready to accept the reality of life. She liked to have luxury dresses and jewellery to adorn her. She never followed her husband’s advice. So her unrealistic dream and immaturity ruined her.
27. How did the Loisels replace the necklace?
The Loisels replaced the necklace by purchasing a diamond necklace with same design. The cost of the necklace was 36000 francs. Mr. Loisel had to borrow money on a high rate of interest from a moneylender. Thus, they could replace the necklace but their hard life started
28. When Matilda lost the necklace, what should she have done?
When Matilda lost the necklace, she should have gone directly to her friend Mme Foresteir and confessed to her about the loss of the necklace. She could know that it was an artificial necklace.
29. Why did Matilda change her lifestyle after the ball?
After the ball, the lifestyle of Matilda changed because she realized that her poverty clashed with the elegance of the ball costume. She walked towards the river, hopeless and shivering. She reached home by an old carriage. She lost the necklace in the ball and then her hardship in life began.
30. Why was Matilda sad after the ball?
Matilda was sad after the ball because she found that her necklace was not around her neck. When she removed the wraps from her shoulders before the glass, for a final view of herself in glory, she told her husband that she no longer had the necklace after the ball.
31. How had Mme Loisel’s sacrifice all been in vain?
Matilda always thought that she was born to enjoy all the material comforts of life. But after the loss of the necklace in the ball, she had to sacrifice all the comforts of life in order to replace the necklace. She had to do all hazardous works herself. But all these sacrifices and ‘distress’ were in vain because that was artificial necklace. The real one was still with her friend, Mme Forestier.
32. Why did Matilda’s husband go out into the cold night minutes after returning from the ball? Was he successful in his purpose?
Matilda’s husband Mr. Loisel went into the cold night minutes after returning from the ball because he went to find out the necklace that Matilda lost somewhere on the way when they were returning from the ball. He went everywhere but it was all in vain. Towards seven o’clock he returned, but he had found nothing.
No, Mr. Loisel was not successful in finding the necklace.
33. Why could Mme Forestier not recognize her friend Matilda at the end of the story?
Mme Forestier did not recognize her friend Matilda because she had completely changed in her appearance. She appeared now as an old, hard and crude-looking woman of a poor household. She had lost all the charm of her youthful days. Mme Forestier uttered a cry of astonishment, ‘Oh! My poor Matilda! How you have changed so much!’
34. What was Loisel’s reaction to his wife’s demand for a new dress?
Although Mr Loisel was a caring husband, his wife’s demand for a new dress pained him. Matilda told him that it might cost four hundred francs.
Mr Loisel turned a little pale because he had just saved this amount to buy a gun in order to join some hunting parties next summer. Thus, he was not happy with his wife’s whimsical demand for a new dress.
35. Why did Matilda not like to visit her friend Mme Forestier?
Matilda did not like to visit her friend Mme Forestier because she had lost the necklace in the ball. She was afraid that Mme Forestier might ask her to replace the same immediately.