book review about the necklace

A Summary and Analysis of Guy de Maupassant’s ‘The Necklace’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘The Necklace’ is an 1884 short story by the French writer Guy de Maupassant (1850-93), first published in Le Gaulois as ‘La parure’ in February of that year. If you’re unfamiliar with Maupassant’s work, ‘The Necklace’ is his most famous tale, and worth taking the time to read. If you’re a fan of stories with twist endings , you’ll probably love it.

Plot summary

Mathilde Loisel is a pretty woman who is married to a clerk who works in the Ministry of Education. They do not have much money, and Mathilde spends her days fantasising that her life is more glamorous and upmarket than it actually is.

When her husband is invited to a ball hosted by the minister for whom he works, he is keen for them both to attend, but Mathilde tells him she has nothing to wear to such a high-class social occasion. He tells her he will buy her a nice dress, even though it will mean sacrificing his own pleasure.

Then, Mathilde becomes worried that she has no jewels to wear with the dress. Loisel, her husband, suggests she ask her friend, Madame Forestier, if she has something she will lend to Mathilde for the night. Madame Forestier is happy for her friend to borrow whatever she wants, and Mathilde chooses a diamond necklace.

Mathilde enjoys the ball, and especially likes all of the attention she attracts from the men in attendance. When they are due to leave, at four in the morning, they go outside and try to find a cab to take them home. When they arrive home, however, Mathilde is horrified to discover she has lost the necklace!

Loisel retraces their steps but cannot find the lost necklace anywhere. They realise that they will have to replace the necklace, whatever the cost. To buy them some time, they compose a letter to Madame Forestier, claiming that they are having the necklace repaired. They then try to find out where the necklace was made, and have to buy the clasp and the diamonds from separate jewellers.

Loisel racks up thousands of francs in debt, borrowing from friends and from professional moneylenders to raise the cash. They finally have the necklace, which is returned to Madame Forestier, but now they have to pay back the money to all of their creditors.

This takes them ten long years. They dismiss their servant girl and Mathilde has to perform all of the housework, which ages her rapidly. Loisel, meanwhile, takes on a second job, working for a merchant in the evenings. Finally, though, their debts are cleared.

One day, Mathilde bumps into Madame Forestier, who doesn’t recognise her at first because her friend looks so poor and haggard. Now the debt is paid off, Mathilde feels she can tell her friend the truth, and confesses that she lost her friend’s necklace and she and her husband had to buy a replacement.

In a twist, Madame Forestier tells her friend that the necklace she lent Mathilde was made of imitation diamonds, and was virtually worthless. Mathilde and her husband had spent ten years toiling away for no reason.

In ‘The Necklace’, Guy de Maupassant explores the relationship between appearance and reality. The necklace, of course, is the most explicit example of this: it looks like a genuine diamond necklace but is actually an imitation or fake. And this final twist in the tale leads us to think more carefully about the other details of the story.

But ‘The Necklace’ is more specifically about the dangers of not being happy with what one has, and always wanting more. The nineteenth century saw a rise in the prevalance of consumerism, with many middle-class people seeking to improve their lot and keep up with their friends and neighbours in terms of their possessions, clothes, and social status.

Although Maupassant’s story is hardly searing social satire, the fate of the female protagonist does act as a cautionary tale about the dangers of chasing consumerist gratification in order to impress and be admired by others. The Loisels have a perfectly comfortable lower-middle-class life, and Mathilde has one servant to help around the house.

But this isn’t enough. She dreams of having more. Her food is not enough for her and she wants to dine on finer dishes. One would think she was living a life of poverty from how dissatisfied she is.

This constant desire for more is her undoing, of course – and her husband’s. Her insistence that she have some jewels to wear to the ball is what leads her to find out what real poverty is like, when she and her husband have to downsize from a modest flat to a small garret, and Mathilde has to learn how to work as a servant in her own house. She also loses the natural beauty she had as she has to work so hard at scrubbing the floors.

The critic Rachel Mesch, in her book Having It All in the Belle Epoque , has pointed out that ‘The Necklace’, among other stories, is a kind of Cinderella-story gone awry: whereas Cinderella begins by scrubbing floors and ends up going to the ball in all her finery, Mathilde goes to the ball and, as a result of losing her necklace (not her glass slipper), is reduced to a life of scrubbing floors.

Because she longed for more than she had, she ended up with less than she had to begin with. But the delicious ironic twist at the end of the story shows that her reduction to a life of poverty was all for nothing: just like the admiration she was foolishly and vainly chasing, the necklace she was working to replace was, after all, a sham.

Modern consumerism, then, is a con, with anyone able to afford a cheap imitation necklace able to pass themselves off as a member of the upper classes. Maupassant seems to be suggesting that the ‘finer things’ in life which tempt us are often, at their core, hollow and worthless.

At the same time, however, even when she is reduced to a life of grinding poverty, Mathilde still remembers that one night at the ball when she was admired. It is almost as if she thinks it was worth it, despite what happened next. She wonders what would have happened if she’d never lost the necklace.

Of course, at this stage of the narrative she hasn’t learned that the diamonds she was wearing that night were fakes; perhaps that revelation would make her revise her opinion. And yet, knowing they were imitation diamonds raises further ‘what if’ questions.

If they cost five hundred francs at the most, as Madame Forestier reveals at the end, Loisel’s husband could have easily bought her a cheap necklace and nobody – except for the Loisels themselves – would have been any the wiser. After all, Mathilde was admired at the ball even though she was, it turns out, wearing fake diamonds.

‘The Necklace’ is narrated in the third person by an omniscient narrator. The style is broadly realist, with Maupassant’s narrative voice relating the main details of the story in crisp, concise prose. We don’t get – as we would in the work of later modernist writers – detailed insight into the characters’ thoughts and feelings, although we are given occasional details about Mathilde’s feelings towards her situation.

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“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant: A Critical Review

Imagine a simple twist of fate that forever alters your life – this is the captivating premise of “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant.

Introduction: “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

Table of Contents

Imagine a simple twist of fate that forever alters your life – this is the captivating premise of “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. First published in 1884 within the French newspaper Le Gaulois, this short story later found a home in Maupassant’s broader collection, Boule de Suif . With its focus on the deceptive nature of appearances, the relentless pursuit of social status, and the crushing weight of debt, “The Necklace” continues to enthrall readers. Its themes remain timeless, made even more poignant by Maupassant’s skill as a storyteller: his prose is crisp, his irony sharp, and his iconic twist ending will haunt your thoughts long after you’ve reached the final line

Main Events in “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

Unhappiness and Longing:

• Mathilde’s discontent is clear: “She suffered constantly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries.” (Maupassant, Paragraph 1)
• Her dreams of wealth are detailed: “… dainty dinners, with gleaming silverware … tapestries peopling the walls with ancient figures and with strange birds flying in fairy forests …” (Maupassant, Paragraph 1)

The Invitation:

• The invitation arrives and throws Mathilde into despair. She has nothing suitable to wear for an event of such high society.
• Her husband, Monsieur Loisel, sacrifices his savings for a new dress: …”and he gave her four hundred francs.” (Maupassant, Paragraph 9)

The Dress and the Necklace:

• Mathilde, still dissatisfied, borrows a diamond necklace from Madame Forestier: “She was overcome with emotion when she saw her own reflection.” (Maupassant, Paragraph 14)
• Mathilde’s transformation is complete: “She was prettier than any of them, elegant, gracious, smiling and wild with joy” (Maupassant, Paragraph 18)
• She is the envy of the party, reveling in the attention of high-ranking men.
• The party ends, and the luxurious facade crumbles: “…and in the street they found one of those ancient night cabs that crawl, only at night…” (Maupassant, Paragraph 22)
• Panic sets in as Mathilde discovers the loss of the necklace.

Desperation and Debt:

• The Loisels exhaust every possibility of finding the necklace: “…he retraced his steps… they went to the police headquarters, to the newspaper offices… to the cab companies…” (Maupassant, Paragraph 25)
• In a desperate act, they purchase an identical necklace with an enormous price tag, plunging them into debt.

A Decade of Hardship:

• The years become a blur of hard labor and sacrifice: “…she came to know the hateful work of the kitchen… all the loathsome tasks of a household.” (Maupassant, Paragraph 30)
• Mathilde’s youthful charm fades with the burdens: “She became… strong, hard and coarse woman…” (Maupassant, Paragraph 30)

The Shocking Truth:

• Ten years later, by chance, Mathilde encounters Madame Forestier, who doesn’t recognize her.
• In a heartbreaking twist, Madame Forestier reveals: “Oh, my poor Mathilde! But mine was imitation. It was worth at the very most five hundred francs!” (Maupassant, Last Paragraph)

Literary Devices in “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

Charact erization in “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

Mathilde loisel.

• Obsessed with wealth and luxury: “She suffered constantly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries.” (Opening paragraph)
• Dreams of fancy dinners, expensive furnishings, and servants.
• Values appearances above all else.
• Her greatest joy at the party is derived from the attention and envy of others.
• Willing to sacrifice everything and endure years of hardship for the facade of wealth.
• Doesn’t consider the consequences of borrowing the necklace.
• Underestimates the effort required to replace the necklace, assuming they could easily purchase another.
• Ten years of labor change her physically: “She had become the strong, hard, and coarse woman…”
• May have gained some wisdom and understanding of true value through her suffering.

Monsieur Loisel

• Seems satisfied with their modest life.
• Sacrifices his own savings for Mathilde’s dress: “…and he gave her four hundred francs.”
• Works tirelessly to repay the debt, demonstrating loyalty and love.
• Yields to Mathilde’s demands and goes along with her plans, even when he likely sees the potential for trouble.
• Less dynamic character than Mathilde, primarily serving to highlight her flaws.

Additional Notes on Characterization:

• Maupassant uses indirect characterization: We understand the characters primarily through their actions, dialogue, and thoughts, rather than explicit descriptions.
• Madame Forestier remains somewhat enigmatic. This hints at the theme of the deceptiveness of appearances since, even through her kindness, she unwittingly causes Mathilde’s downfall.

Major Themes in “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

Writing Style in “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

• Realism and Simplicity:
• Straightforward language: The story progresses without complicated sentence structures or excess verbosity.
• Example: “She suffered constantly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries.” (Opening paragraph)
• Vivid Descriptions:
• Details paint a picture: Descriptions focus on characters, settings, and actions, allowing the reader to visualize the story.
• Example: “…the silk-lined walls, with alternating stripes of light and dark velvet… enormous chandeliers blazing…” (Description of the party)
• Irony and Social Commentary:
• Situational irony drives the plot: The borrowed necklace, a symbol of wealth, turns out to be worthless, highlighting the emptiness of materialism.
• Example: “Oh, my poor Mathilde! But mine was imitation. It was worth at the very most five hundred francs!” (Madame Forestier’s revelation)

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

• Marxist Theory : The story reflects the social and economic inequalities prevalent in the 19th century French society, where the bourgeoisie lived lavish lifestyles while the lower class struggled to make ends meet. Mathilde’s obsession with material possessions and desire to fit in with the upper class can be seen as a criticism of capitalism and its emphasis on material wealth.
• Feminist Theory : Mathilde’s character can be viewed through a feminist lens, as she is a victim of gender inequality and the limited opportunities available to women in her time. Her dissatisfaction with her life is a result of the limitations imposed on her as a woman, and the societal pressure for women to conform to a certain standard of beauty and class.
• Psychoanalytic Theory : The story can be interpreted through a psychoanalytic lens, where Mathilde’s desire for material possessions can be seen as a manifestation of her unconscious desires and repressed emotions. Her obsession with the necklace and desire to fit in with the upper class can be seen as a reflection of her own insecurities and dissatisfaction with her life.
• Reader-Response Theory : The reader’s interpretation of the story is influenced by their own experiences, beliefs, and cultural background. The story can be read in different ways depending on the reader’s own perspective, and the meaning of the story is not fixed but can change depending on the reader’s interpretation.
• Formalist Theory : The story can be analyzed in terms of its literary techniques and devices, such as the use of imagery, symbolism, and irony. The author’s use of irony in the ending, where it is revealed that the necklace was a fake, can be seen as a commentary on the superficiality and materialism of society.
• Structuralist Theory : The story can be analyzed through a structuralist lens, where it is viewed as a system of signs and symbols that convey meaning. The necklace can be seen as a symbol of material wealth and the social status it represents, while Mathilde’s desire for the necklace can be seen as a reflection of her desire for social status and acceptance.

Questions about “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

• How does Guy de Maupassant use irony in “The Necklace” to convey his message?
• What role does appearance and social status play in “The Necklace”?
• How does the theme of pride affect the main character’s actions in “The Necklace”?
• In “The Necklace,” how does the author use symbolism to enhance the story’s themes?
• How does “The Necklace” reflect the societal norms and values of the time it was written?
• What is the significance of the ending of “The Necklace”?

Thesis Statements of these Questions About “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

• The story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant explores the theme of the dangers of vanity and the illusion of social status through the character of Mathilde Loisel, who becomes obsessed with material possessions and her desire for social acceptance.
• In “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, the theme of appearance versus reality is portrayed through the necklace that Mathilde borrows, thinking it is a valuable piece of jewelry, only to find out it is a fake.
• Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace” is a story about the power of perception and the consequences of deceit. The theme of appearance versus reality is explored through the character of Mathilde, who tries to present herself as someone she is not.
• The short story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant examines the consequences of greed and the importance of honesty. Through the character of Mathilde Loisel, the story illustrates that material possessions are not the key to happiness and that honesty is always the best policy.
• “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant explores the theme of irony and the unexpected twists of fate that can occur in life. The story teaches us that even the smallest lies and deceptions can have long-lasting and devastating consequences.
• The story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant is a commentary on the social expectations placed upon women in the late 19th century. Through the character of Mathilde, the story highlights the limitations and constraints imposed on women in terms of their education, opportunities, and social mobility.

Short Questions andAnswers about “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

• What is the irony in “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant?
• The irony in “The Necklace” is that Mathilde Loisel spends her life trying to appear wealthy and high-class, but her desire for material possessions leads to her downfall. She borrows a diamond necklace from a friend to wear to a party and loses it. Instead of telling her friend, she and her husband go into debt to replace it. After ten years of hard work to pay off the debt, Mathilde finds out the necklace was a fake, which renders all of her struggles meaningless.
• What is the significance of the title “The Necklace”?
• The title “The Necklace” refers to the diamond necklace that Mathilde Loisel borrows from her friend Madame Forestier to wear to the party. The necklace represents the allure of material possessions and the desire for social status. It is the catalyst for Mathilde’s downward spiral, as it leads to her and her husband’s financial ruin.
• What is the moral of “The Necklace”?
• The moral of “The Necklace” is that being obsessed with material possessions and social status can lead to misery and despair. Mathilde Loisel spends her life trying to appear wealthy and high-class, but her desire for material possessions ultimately leads to her downfall. The story warns against the dangers of coveting what one cannot afford, and the importance of being content with one’s own circumstances.
• What is the conflict in “The Necklace”?
• The main conflict in “The Necklace” is between Mathilde Loisel and her own desires. Mathilde is unhappy with her simple life and longs to be wealthy and high-class. When she gets the opportunity to attend a fancy party, she borrows a diamond necklace to fit in, but loses it. The conflict comes when she and her husband go into debt to replace the necklace, leading to years of hardship and misery. The conflict is ultimately resolved when Mathilde finds out the necklace was a fake, realizing that all of her struggles were for nothing.

Literary Works Similar to “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

• “ The Gift of the Magi ” by O. Henry: This beloved short story revolves around a young couple who sacrifice their most prized possessions to buy gifts for each other on Christmas Eve, highlighting themes of love, sacrifice, and the true meaning of wealth.
• “ The Lady, or the Tiger ?” by Frank R. Stockton: In this short story, a princess must decide the fate of her lover who is put on trial in an arena, raising questions about choice, consequence, and the nature of justice.
• “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst: This poignant short story tells the tale of a young boy with physical disabilities and his brother’s efforts to help him, exploring themes of love, pride, and the consequences of pushing someone beyond their limits.
• “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov: In this short story, a banker and a young lawyer make a bet regarding the value of life imprisonment versus capital punishment, delving into themes of human nature, morality, and the pursuit of wealth and power.
• “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs: This classic horror short story revolves around a magical monkey’s paw that grants its owner three wishes, but with unforeseen and tragic consequences, exploring themes of greed, fate, and the dangers of tampering with destiny.
• “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe: In this chilling tale, an unnamed narrator becomes increasingly disturbed by the eye of an old man and resolves to murder him, only to be haunted by guilt and paranoia, delving into themes of guilt, madness, and the human psyche.
• “Rappaccini’s Daughter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne: This Gothic short story explores themes of obsession, pride, and the consequences of meddling with nature through the tragic tale of a young woman who becomes poisonous to the touch due to her father’s experiments.
• “The Lottery Ticket” by Anton Chekhov: This short story follows a couple who experience a surge of excitement after winning a small lottery prize, leading them to imagine the possibilities of wealth and the changes it could bring to their lives, touching on themes of greed, desire, and the illusion of happiness.

Suggested Readings: “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

• Bloom, Harold. “Themes and Meanings in ‘The Necklace’.” Short Story Criticism 33 (1999): 30-32. Gale Literature Resource Center . Web. 22 March 2024.
• Knapp, Bettina L. “Maupassant’s ‘The Necklace’: Object of Desire, Symbol of Defeat.” The French Review 56.5 (1983): 661-668. JSTOR . Web. 22 March 2024.
• Cogny, Pierre. Guy de Maupassant: The Short Stories . Paris: Hatier, 1987. (Note: If resources in French are relevant to your research)
• Steegmuller, Francis. Maupassant: A Lion in the Path . New York: Random House, 1949. (Consider including this for a broader biographical approach)
• SparkNotes. “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. [ SparkNotes website ], n.d. Web. 22 March 2024.
• Short Stories and Classic Literature. “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. [Website Name], n.d. Web. 22 March 2024.

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The Necklace

By guy de maupassant.

The girl was one of those pretty and charming young creatures who sometimes are born, as if by a slip of fate, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no expectations, no way of being known, understood, loved, married by any rich and distinguished man; so she let herself be married to a little clerk of the Ministry of Public Instruction.

She dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was unhappy as if she had really fallen from a higher station; since with women there is neither caste nor rank, for beauty, grace and charm take the place of family and birth. Natural ingenuity, instinct for what is elegant, a supple mind are their sole hierarchy, and often make of women of the people the equals of the very greatest ladies.

Mathilde suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born to enjoy all delicacies and all luxuries. She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at the bareness of the walls, at the shabby chairs, the ugliness of the curtains. All those things, of which another woman of her rank would never even have been conscious, tortured her and made her angry. The sight of the little Breton peasant who did her humble housework aroused in her despairing regrets and bewildering dreams. She thought of silent antechambers hung with Oriental tapestry, illumined by tall bronze candelabra, and of two great footmen in knee breeches who sleep in the big armchairs, made drowsy by the oppressive heat of the stove. She thought of long reception halls hung with ancient silk, of the dainty cabinets containing priceless curiosities and of the little coquettish perfumed reception rooms made for chatting at five o'clock with intimate friends, with men famous and sought after, whom all women envy and whose attention they all desire.

When she sat down to dinner, before the round table covered with a tablecloth in use three days, opposite her husband, who uncovered the soup tureen and declared with a delighted air, "Ah, the good soup! I don't know anything better than that," she thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware, of tapestry that peopled the walls with ancient personages and with strange birds flying in the midst of a fairy forest; and she thought of delicious dishes served on marvellous plates and of the whispered gallantries to which you listen with a sphinxlike smile while you are eating the pink meat of a trout or the wings of a quail.

She had no gowns, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that. She felt made for that. She would have liked so much to please, to be envied, to be charming, to be sought after.

She had a friend, a former schoolmate at the convent, who was rich, and whom she did not like to go to see any more because she felt so sad when she came home.

But one evening her husband reached home with a triumphant air and holding a large envelope in his hand.

"There," said he, "there is something for you."

She tore the paper quickly and drew out a printed card which bore these words:

The Minister of Public Instruction and Madame Georges Ramponneau request the honor of M. and Madame Loisel's company at the palace of the Ministry on Monday evening, January 18th.

Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she threw the invitation on the table crossly, muttering:

"What do you wish me to do with that?"

"Why, my dear, I thought you would be glad. You never go out, and this is such a fine opportunity. I had great trouble to get it. Every one wants to go; it is very select, and they are not giving many invitations to clerks. The whole official world will be there."

She looked at him with an irritated glance and said impatiently:

"And what do you wish me to put on my back?"

He had not thought of that. He stammered:

"Why, the gown you go to the theatre in. It looks very well to me."

He stopped, distracted, seeing that his wife was weeping. Two great tears ran slowly from the corners of her eyes toward the corners of her mouth.

"What's the matter? What's the matter?" he answered.

By a violent effort she conquered her grief and replied in a calm voice, while she wiped her wet cheeks:

"Nothing. Only I have no gown, and, therefore, I can't go to this ball. Give your card to some colleague whose wife is better equipped than I am."

He was in despair. He resumed:

"Come, let us see, Mathilde. How much would it cost, a suitable gown, which you could use on other occasions--something very simple?"

She reflected several seconds, making her calculations and wondering also what sum she could ask without drawing on herself an immediate refusal and a frightened exclamation from the economical clerk.

Finally she replied hesitating:

"I don't know exactly, but I think I could manage it with four hundred francs."

He grew a little pale, because he was laying aside just that amount to buy a gun and treat himself to a little shooting next summer on the plain of Nanterre, with several friends who went to shoot larks there of a Sunday.

But he said:

"Very well. I will give you four hundred francs. And try to have a pretty gown."

The day of the ball drew near and Madame Loisel seemed sad, uneasy, anxious. Her frock was ready, however. Her husband said to her one evening:

And she answered:

"It annoys me not to have a single piece of jewelry, not a single ornament, nothing to put on. I shall look poverty-stricken. I would almost rather not go at all."

"You might wear natural flowers," said her husband. "They're very stylish at this time of year. For ten francs you can get two or three magnificent roses."

She was not convinced.

"No; there's nothing more humiliating than to look poor among other women who are rich."

"How stupid you are!" her husband cried. "Go look up your friend, Madame Forestier, and ask her to lend you some jewels. You're intimate enough with her to do that."

She uttered a cry of joy:

"True! I never thought of it."

The next day she went to her friend and told her of her distress.

Madame Forestier went to a wardrobe with a mirror, took out a large jewel box, brought it back, opened it and said to Madame Loisel:

"Choose, my dear."

She saw first some bracelets, then a pearl necklace, then a Venetian gold cross set with precious stones, of admirable workmanship. She tried on the ornaments before the mirror, hesitated and could not make up her mind to part with them, to give them back. She kept asking:

"Haven't you any more?"

"Why, yes. Look further; I don't know what you like."

Suddenly she discovered, in a black satin box, a superb diamond necklace, and her heart throbbed with an immoderate desire. Her hands trembled as she took it. She fastened it round her throat, outside her high-necked waist, and was lost in ecstasy at her reflection in the mirror.

Then she asked, hesitating, filled with anxious doubt:

"Will you lend me this, only this?"

"Why, yes, certainly."

She threw her arms round her friend's neck, kissed her passionately, then fled with her treasure.

The night of the ball arrived. Madame Loisel was a great success. She was prettier than any other woman present, elegant, graceful, smiling and wild with joy. All the men looked at her, asked her name, sought to be introduced. All the attaches of the Cabinet wished to waltz with her. She was remarked by the minister himself.

She danced with rapture, with passion, intoxicated by pleasure, forgetting all in the triumph of her beauty, in the glory of her success, in a sort of cloud of happiness comprised of all this homage, admiration, these awakened desires and of that sense of triumph which is so sweet to woman's heart.

She left the ball about four o'clock in the morning. Her husband had been sleeping since midnight in a little deserted anteroom with three other gentlemen whose wives were enjoying the ball.

He threw over her shoulders the wraps he had brought, the modest wraps of common life, the poverty of which contrasted with the elegance of the ball dress. She felt this and wished to escape so as not to be remarked by the other women, who were enveloping themselves in costly furs.

Loisel held her back, saying: "Wait a bit. You will catch cold outside. I will call a cab."

But she did not listen to him and rapidly descended the stairs. When they reached the street they could not find a carriage and began to look for one, shouting after the cabmen passing at a distance.

They went toward the Seine in despair, shivering with cold. At last they found on the quay one of those ancient night cabs which, as though they were ashamed to show their shabbiness during the day, are never seen round Paris until after dark.

It took them to their dwelling in the Rue des Martyrs, and sadly they mounted the stairs to their flat. All was ended for her. As to him, he reflected that he must be at the ministry at ten o'clock that morning.

She removed her wraps before the glass so as to see herself once more in all her glory. But suddenly she uttered a cry. She no longer had the necklace around her neck!

"What is the matter with you?" demanded her husband, already half undressed.

She turned distractedly toward him.

"I have--I have--I've lost Madame Forestier's necklace," she cried.

He stood up, bewildered.

"What!--how? Impossible!"

They looked among the folds of her skirt, of her cloak, in her pockets, everywhere, but did not find it.

"You're sure you had it on when you left the ball?" he asked.

"Yes, I felt it in the vestibule of the minister's house."

"But if you had lost it in the street we should have heard it fall. It must be in the cab."

"Yes, probably. Did you take his number?"

"No. And you--didn't you notice it?"

They looked, thunderstruck, at each other. At last Loisel put on his clothes.

"I shall go back on foot," said he, "over the whole route, to see whether I can find it."

He went out. She sat waiting on a chair in her ball dress, without strength to go to bed, overwhelmed, without any fire, without a thought.

Her husband returned about seven o'clock. He had found nothing.

He went to police headquarters, to the newspaper offices to offer a reward; he went to the cab companies--everywhere, in fact, whither he was urged by the least spark of hope.

She waited all day, in the same condition of mad fear before this terrible calamity.

Loisel returned at night with a hollow, pale face. He had discovered nothing.

"You must write to your friend," said he, "that you have broken the clasp of her necklace and that you are having it mended. That will give us time to turn round."

She wrote at his dictation.

At the end of a week they had lost all hope. Loisel, who had aged five years, declared:

"We must consider how to replace that ornament."

The next day they took the box that had contained it and went to the jeweler whose name was found within. He consulted his books.

"It was not I, madame, who sold that necklace; I must simply have furnished the case."

Then they went from jeweler to jeweler, searching for a necklace like the other, trying to recall it, both sick with chagrin and grief.

They found, in a shop at the Palais Royal, a string of diamonds that seemed to them exactly like the one they had lost. It was worth forty thousand francs. They could have it for thirty-six.

So they begged the jeweler not to sell it for three days yet. And they made a bargain that he should buy it back for thirty-four thousand francs, in case they should find the lost necklace before the end of February.

Loisel possessed eighteen thousand francs which his father had left him. He would borrow the rest.

He did borrow, asking a thousand francs of one, five hundred of another, five louis here, three louis there. He gave notes, took up ruinous obligations, dealt with usurers and all the race of lenders. He compromised all the rest of his life, risked signing a note without even knowing whether he could meet it; and, frightened by the trouble yet to come, by the black misery that was about to fall upon him, by the prospect of all the physical privations and moral tortures that he was to suffer, he went to get the new necklace, laying upon the jeweler's counter thirty-six thousand francs.

When Madame Loisel took back the necklace Madame Forestier said to her with a chilly manner:

"You should have returned it sooner; I might have needed it."

She did not open the case, as her friend had so much feared. If she had detected the substitution, what would she have thought, what would she have said? Would she not have taken Madame Loisel for a thief?

Thereafter Madame Loisel knew the horrible existence of the needy. She bore her part, however, with sudden heroism. That dreadful debt must be paid. She would pay it. They dismissed their servant; they changed their lodgings; they rented a garret under the roof.

She came to know what heavy housework meant and the odious cares of the kitchen. She washed the dishes, using her dainty fingers and rosy nails on greasy pots and pans. She washed the soiled linen, the shirts and the dishcloths, which she dried upon a line; she carried the slops down to the street every morning and carried up the water, stopping for breath at every landing. And dressed like a woman of the people, she went to the fruiterer, the grocer, the butcher, a basket on her arm, bargaining, meeting with impertinence, defending her miserable money, sou by sou.

Every month they had to meet some notes, renew others, obtain more time.

Her husband worked evenings, making up a tradesman's accounts, and late at night he often copied manuscript for five sous a page.

This life lasted ten years.

At the end of ten years they had paid everything, everything, with the rates of usury and the accumulations of the compound interest.

Madame Loisel looked old now. She had become the woman of impoverished households--strong and hard and rough. With frowsy hair, skirts askew and red hands, she talked loud while washing the floor with great swishes of water. But sometimes, when her husband was at the office, she sat down near the window and she thought of that gay evening of long ago, of that ball where she had been so beautiful and so admired.

What would have happened if she had not lost that necklace? Who knows? who knows? How strange and changeful is life! How small a thing is needed to make or ruin us!

But one Sunday, having gone to take a walk in the Champs Elysees to refresh herself after the labors of the week, she suddenly perceived a woman who was leading a child. It was Madame Forestier, still young, still beautiful, still charming.

Madame Loisel felt moved. Should she speak to her? Yes, certainly. And now that she had paid, she would tell her all about it. Why not?

She went up.

"Good-day, Jeanne."

The other, astonished to be familiarly addressed by this plain good-wife, did not recognize her at all and stammered:

"But--madame!--I do not know---- You must have mistaken."

"No. I am Mathilde Loisel."

Her friend uttered a cry.

"Oh, my poor Mathilde! How you are changed!"

"Yes, I have had a pretty hard life, since I last saw you, and great poverty--and that because of you!"

"Of me! How so?"

"Do you remember that diamond necklace you lent me to wear at the ministerial ball?"

"Yes. Well?"

"Well, I lost it."

"What do you mean? You brought it back."

"I brought you back another exactly like it. And it has taken us ten years to pay for it. You can understand that it was not easy for us, for us who had nothing. At last it is ended, and I am very glad."

Madame Forestier had stopped.

"You say that you bought a necklace of diamonds to replace mine?"

"Yes. You never noticed it, then! They were very similar."

And she smiled with a joy that was at once proud and ingenuous.

Madame Forestier, deeply moved, took her hands.

"Oh, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste! It was worth at most only five hundred francs!"

The Necklace is a world famous morality tale. It featured in our collection of Short Stories for Middle School and our collection of Morality Tales . Readers may also enjoy another story with ironic twists, The Gift of the Magi .

In the final sentence, the word "paste" means that the loaned necklace was a fake, an imitation. Alternate translations use the word "imitation" rather than "paste." I chose to use this translation here because it is the version that inspired Henry James' short story Paste

For an alternate translation read this version of the story.

Return to the Guy de Maupassant library , or . . . Read the next short story; Theodule Sabot's Confession

The Necklace

Guy de maupassant, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Guy de Maupassant's The Necklace . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Necklace: Introduction

The necklace: plot summary, the necklace: detailed summary & analysis, the necklace: themes, the necklace: quotes, the necklace: characters, the necklace: symbols, the necklace: literary devices, the necklace: quiz, the necklace: theme wheel, brief biography of guy de maupassant.

Historical Context of The Necklace

Other books related to the necklace.

• Full Title: The Necklace
• When Written: 1884
• Where Written: Paris
• When Published: 1884
• Literary Period: Literary realism
• Genre: Realism
• Setting: Paris
• Climax: The lost necklace that Mathilde Loisel spends ten years trying to pay for is revealed to be a fake.
• Antagonist: Social ambition, greed, and false appearances
• Point of View: Third person

Helpful Discussion Questions for 'The Necklace'

'The Necklace' discussion questions for book clubs or classrooms

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• M.A., English Literature, California State University - Sacramento
• B.A., English, California State University - Sacramento

"​ The Necklace " is a favorite French short story by  Guy de Maupassant . A tragic piece about vanity, materiality, and pride, it's definitely a humbling story that will get rid of any little girl or boy's princess complex. Although short, Maupassant packs many themes, symbols, and even a surprise ending into " The Necklace ." Here are some discussion questions helpful for teachers or anyone looking to talk about the story. 

Let's start from the very beginning with the title. By titling his work, "The Necklace," Maupassant is immediately notifying readers to pay special attention to this object. What does the necklace symbolize? What theme does the necklace convey? What other themes exist in the story? 

Turning towards the setting, this story takes place in Paris. Why did Maupassant decide to set this story in Paris? What was the social context of life in Paris at the time, and does it relate to "The Necklace"?

Although Mathilde is at the center of the story, let's consider the other characters as well: Monsier Loisel and Madame Forestier. How do they advance Maupassant's ideas? What role do they play in this story?

Speaking of characters, do you find the characters likable, or detestable? Does your opinion of the characters change throughout the story?

Finally, let's talk about the end. Maupassant is known for springing twist-endings on his readers. Did you think the ending to "The Necklace" was unexpected? If so, why? 

Let's take this discussion beyond just analyzing the story; did you like "The Necklace"? Would you recommend it to your friends?

• 'The Necklace' Study Guide
• Biography of Guy de Maupassant, Father of the Short Story
• Discussion Questions to Use in English Conversation
• 'The Necklace' Review
• English Vocabulary Practice: The Necklace
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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Short Story — Short Story Review: The necklace

Short Story Review: The Necklace

• Categories: Short Story The Necklace

About this sample

Words: 456 |

Published: Dec 12, 2018

Words: 456 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited

• De Maupassant, G. (1884). The Necklace. Retrieved from https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace
• Worton, M. (1998). Critical analysis of “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/critical-analysis-of-the-necklace-by-guy-de-maupassant-english-literature-essay.php
• Lewis, P. (2018). 5 Lessons we can learn from Guy de Maupassant’s ‘The Necklace’.
• Park, J. (2018). The power of objects in Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace”. Retrieved from https://the-artifice.com/the-power-of-objects-in-guy-de-maupassants-the-necklace/
• Hines, G. (2019). A literary analysis of Guy de Maupassant’s ‘The Necklace’.
• Lai, D. (2020). The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant: summary and analysis.
• Segal, E. (2019). Short stories: The necklace by Guy de Maupassant.
• White, J. (2016). Symbolism in Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace”.
• Colombo, A. (2018). “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant.
• Beech, H. (2019). Analysis of “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant: themes and symbols.

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The Necklace: Thirteen Women and The Experiment That Transformed Their Lives Paperback – August 25, 2009

• Print length 256 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Ballantine Books
• Publication date August 25, 2009
• Dimensions 5.17 x 0.57 x 7.97 inches
• ISBN-10 0345500725
• ISBN-13 978-0345500724
• See all details

Editorial Reviews

About the author, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved., product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books; Reprint edition (August 25, 2009)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0345500725
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345500724
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.6 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.17 x 0.57 x 7.97 inches
• #680 in Friendship (Books)
• #9,655 in Women's Biographies
• #18,577 in Personal Transformation Self-Help

About the author

Cheryl jarvis.

Cheryl Jarvis is an award-winning essayist and author whose books have been published in 19 countries and translated in 16 languages. The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives (with the Women of Jewelia) was a New York Times bestseller. The Marriage Sabbatical: The Journey That Brings You Home was featured in major media worldwide. She has written for many national and regional publications, including The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, Publishers Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Healthy Woman, MORE, Reader's Digest and Writer's Digest. A former television producer, magazine and newspaper editor, and freelance journalist, she has taught writing at the University of Southern California and at Washington University in St. Louis.

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Customers find the storyline wonderful, highlighting the strength of women's bonds. They also describe the book as a really good read with a fun concept. Opinions differ on the writing style, with some finding it remarkable and others finding it confusing.

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Customers find the book easy to read and fast. They also say it's a really good read that makes them laugh, cry, and sympathize.

"...are a woman who enjoys other women and community service this is a viable read that may inspire you to create your own ideas for a service minded..." Read more

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" Good true story .I liked the author's final chapter much better than all of the others. It's worth reading if you already have it on hand...." Read more

"...This book is an absolutely amazing TRUE story about 13 women who buy and share a diamond necklace worth $37,000 dollars...." Read more

"... Amazing little story , could have been a better "read" if only written in a different perspective...." Read more

"...The main story line is good , and what they do with the necklace through the years is heart warming...." Read more

Customers find the book concept fun, interesting, and intriguing. They also say it's good for a book club discussion, and a good book for all ages.

"...A fun and sometimes thought provoking book. If you are a woman who enjoys beautiful jewelry this is a must read...." Read more

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"We really got to know all the women. It is a book all ages will enjoy . It makes you wonder what other things we could share." Read more

"...A great book to be passed amongst friends and female relations!..." Read more

Customers find the necklace in the book beautiful and wonderful. They also say the story is about 13 women and a wonderful outcome.

"...If you are a woman who enjoys beautiful jewelry this is a must read...." Read more

"...Every one of the women is beautiful , graceful, yada yada...but if you get past that you find pearls of wisdom in the book...." Read more

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Customers find the storyline to be strong and reaffirm the bonds between women.

"...The story reiterates the strength of women's bonds and how much we all need this connection...." Read more

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" Great story of friendship and how one can make things happen, even when you think it is impossible...." Read more

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Readers have mixed opinions about the writing style. Some find it remarkable and graceful, while others find it confusing.

"...Every one of the women is beautiful, graceful , yada yada...but if you get past that you find pearls of wisdom in the book...." Read more

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“The Necklace” by Matt Witten – Book Review

Curt Jansen – has served twenty years for raping and murdering young Amy Lentigo. He is due to be executed in a matter of days. He has recanted his confession and adamantly proclaims his innocence.

Robert Pappas – the FBI agent who was on Amy’s case. Now retired from the Bureau, the Lentigo case has always haunted him.

Kyra – a rebellious teenager who helps Susan when she needs it most.

What a satisfying read! As a reader of crime novels, it is always SO very gratifying when justice is served!

This story is told in a dual timeline format, with the present day and flashbacks to the time immediately after Amy’s murder.

Susan Lentigo is an underdog – a woman with no money, no power, yet she is courageous and strong. Despite her wavering thoughts about who killed her daughter, she does want to see justice done. I thoroughly enjoyed accompanying Susan on her harrowing trek from Upstate New York to North Dakota. She was a very empathetic character.

This was one of those novels that you just don’t want to put down. The pace was fast, the characters and setting vividly portrayed, and the writing skillful.

The title was a perfect fit for the novel as Amy’s little plastic bead necklace played a pivotal role in the plot.

Although the subject matter of this novel is dark, the book itself didn’t feel dark. If anything, I found it upbeat for most of the time probably due to Susan’s focused sense of purpose. The suspense ramped up and up until the denouement. I can heartily recommend this novel to all lovers of crime fiction and psychological thrillers.

Publication date: Sept. 7, 2021 – Paperback publication date: June 21, 2022 Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

ISBN: 9781608094585   ASIN: ‎ ‎ B08SR91BD4 – 321 pages

Killer Story is his most recent novel. His previous novel, The Necklace , has been optioned for film by Appian Way and Cartel Pictures, with Leonardo DiCaprio attached as producer.

Connect with Matt Witten via Twitter or Instagram .

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8 responses to “the necklace” by matt witten – book review.

Pingback: “Killer Story” by Matt Witten – Book Review Paperback #PublicationDay @oceanviewpub #KillerStory @MattZWitten #BookReview | Fictionophile

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Nice review, Lynne, I enjoyed this one too.

Thanks Virginia. I’m tempted to request his new book on NetGalley but I hesitate because I have more than I can read in a timely fashion.

I’m going to check this one out. Thanks for writing about it.

Like Liked by 1 person

Thanks. I hope you enjoy it Neil.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this post. Cancel reply

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Books of The Times

Diamonds: A Girl’s Best Path to Selflessness?

By Janet Maslin

• Sept. 5, 2008

One day at a mall in Ventura, Calif., a real estate agent named Jonell McLain had a retail epiphany. She had just sold a house and wanted to buy her clients a box of candy. Honestly that was all. That was the only reason she was out shopping.

But as Ms. McLain passed a jewelry store something stopped her in her tracks. It was a diamond necklace. “It was, she thought, simply exquisite — and exquisitely simple.” It was morally indefensible and outrageously expensive. And yet. And yet.

“Over the next three weeks Jonell was surprised how often she thought about the diamond necklace,” Cheryl Jarvis writes in “The Necklace,” an inspirational-bling book that means to position itself somewhere between “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” Jonell McLain’s innocence turned inspirational when she realized she could buy the necklace for entirely unselfish and uplifting reasons.

What if a group of women were to split the purchase price, own the necklace together and set up a system for sharing it? What if they used their collective energy to help others, learn important life lessons and repudiate materialism? What if they “rewrote the narrative of desire”? It was this kind of thinking that would eventually lead Ms. McLain to want to write a column called “The Champagne Socialist” for a Ventura magazine.

And it was this selfless yet highly marketable ploy that led the story of the necklace to People magazine, “Today,” a movie deal and no doubt, imminently, the best-seller lists. What accounts for this instant popularity? Perhaps that everything about “The Necklace” can be summed up in a single sentence. “It’s the story of 13 women who transformed a symbol of exclusivity into a symbol of inclusivity and, in the process, remapped the journey through the second half of their lives,” Ms. Jarvis writes.

The inclusivity began at the haggling stage, when Ms. McLain and her friends returned to the jewelry store. Its proprietor, Tom Van Gundy, found these women surprising. Most of his female customers looked sad and needy. This bunch seemed happy and empowered. Mr. Van Gundy liked that. It made him want to accommodate them. “It was the same feeling he had when he played quarterback in high school and didn’t want to disappoint the fans,” according to the book.

But the women couldn’t quite match the purchase price. So Mr. Van Gundy had an idea. He looked at his wife, Priscilla, who did the store’s bookkeeping. She didn’t share the necklace-buyers’ warm glow. She looked beleaguered. She didn’t have female friends. Mr. Van Gundy realized that if he bought his wife a share in the necklace, he could make the sale, brighten lives, encourage sharing and make Priscilla smile again. The deal was done.

Then came the “possibility thinking,” the brainstorming, the rules. The women would have monthly meetings in their earth-tone living rooms, sharing mineral water, wine, goat cheese, artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes as they conducted business.

During one such meeting they decided to give the necklace a cute name. Now it was a she: Jewelia, in honor of Julia Child, who had lived nearby. The women of Jewelia, as they began to speak of themselves, sorority-style, learned to share their hopes and dreams as well as the necklace. And when they talked together, one of them noticed: “The women expressed differing opinions, but without raising their voices like the male pundits on Fox News. The women didn’t call one another ‘wrong’ or ‘stupid.’ ”

It was initially decided that each would have Jewelia for a month. Making love at least once while wearing the diamonds was mandatory. So much for the basics: now came creativity. Various Jewelia wearers went skydiving, karaoke singing, shooting, motorcycle riding. One of them insisted on wearing the necklace to a gynecological exam. The book includes photographic records of all of the above.

Because Ms. Jarvis writes in the simple, virtual Young Adult format of self-help, “The Necklace” gives each woman a stereotypical handle: “The Loner,” “The Traditionalist,” “The Leader,” “The Visionary” and so on. (“The Feminist” is the group’s only brunette.) It shapes each thumbnail character sketch to fit these stereotypes. And nobody does anything without finding a path to self-improvement.

Among the aphorisms that crown “Necklace” chapters are these: “Women friends are essential to a healthy life.” “It affirmed that I don’t need diamonds to be happy.” “We are not what we wear or what we own.” “Today when I look in my closet I feel sick.”

One member of the group wears the diamonds to bed, feels sexually reinvigorated, decides to lose 25 pounds and starts ordering special costumes — schoolgirl, cowgirl, harem girl, bar wench — that drive her husband wild. But most of the others learn preachier lessons. And most of these lessons are legitimately useful. The group unquestionably helps others by using the necklace to raise money for charities and by appreciating the intangible, self-actualizing gifts that can’t be had in jewelry stores.

But real honesty and insight are antithetical to this book’s experiment. It wants to simultaneously exploit and renounce the same craving. So the diamonds are cannily manipulated throughout “The Necklace” to both titillate and congratulate readers and to reinforce what they already know. On an outing one day Ms. McLain goes to a bookstore while her friend and necklace mate Patti Channer eyes a chiffon poncho. Which one of them will learn the error of her ways?

We aren’t what we own or wear. But we are what we read. And “The Necklace” will be read widely. Though Ms. Jarvis never says so, the best way to honor the book’s principles is to share your copy with a friend.

THE NECKLACE

Thirteen women and the experiment that transformed their lives.

By Cheryl Jarvis

210 pages. Ballantine Books. $24.

Dark Matter's Ending Clearly Begs For a World Beyond The Book

The Dessens story has taken a turn. But what about the other multiverse travelers?

After several different universes and a plethora of alternate versions of Jason Dessen , Dark Matter has reached its Season 1 finale with the explosive episode, “Entanglement.” In terms of material that comes straight from Blake Crouch’s original novel, Dark Matter has now arrived at the end of the story told on the page. But because the Apple TV+ series has expanded, and outright added new elements to the tapestry of these various parallel worlds, there now seems like various new directions the story could take, with or without the Dessen family being directly involved.

Here’s how Dark Matter wrapped up Season 1, what the ending means, how it changes the book, and what it all could mean for a hypothetical Season 2.

Spoilers ahead.

Dark Matter ending explained

Daniela (Jennifer Connelly ) and Charlie (Oakes Fegley ) make a hard choice in the Dark Matter finale.

After reuniting with his true family, Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), Charlie (Oakes Fegley), and Jason 1 (Joel Edgerton) — or at least the character we think of as Jason 1 — hole up in a vacation home owned by one of Charlie’s friends. As in the novel, after accessing a group chat consisting of hundreds of versions of himself, Jason realizes he can’t hide from his various other selves anymore. Unlike Jason 2, all of these Jasons were derived from the moment of the switch that occurred in the first episode. Each Jason splintered into other versions as they traveled through the multiverse in the box, but all have the same memories up until a certain point.

This existential crisis becomes a literal one, as various violent versions of Jason pursue the family, and are only fended off by the intercession of a reformed Jason 2. This previously evil Jason then supplies Jason 1, Daniela, and Charlie with enough ampoules and supplies so they can enter the box and find a new world. When the family arrives at the box, they discover several peaceful versions of Jason, all of who received Daniela’s message about having “made a choice” to stay with Jason 1. Eventually, they all stand aside and let the family enter the box where Charlie chooses the next world that they’ll enter.

That specific ending — in which Charlie is the one to open the door to a new dimension — comes straight from the novel. But, intercut with this moment is a whole world of possibilities from beyond the pages of the book.

All around the multiverse

Could Dark Matter Season 2 focus on Ryan’s journey?

In the final moments of the show, we see that the Leighton (Dayo Okeniy) from Jason 1’s universe is still traveling through the box, looking as though he’s been to several worlds. At the same time, one version of Blair (Amanda Brugel ) — from a world that was ravaged by strange airborne creatures — seems determined to enter the box again and try to find a better world.

And, most surprisingly, a version of Ryan (Jimmi Simpson), who was previously exiled to a utopian timeline in Episode 6, finds Amanda (Alice Braga), who, coincidentally, decided to stay in this ideal world in Episode 7. We also see Ryan creating a version of the compound that can be used to create the ampoules, which allow people to exist in superposition inside the box. This means that the first version of Ryan we met, from the first universe, has now found Amanda from Jason 2’s world, and they’re both about to (probably) team up in the utopian world.

Hints for Dark Matter Season 2

Will Amanda (Alice Braga) really leave the utopian world?

While there’s been no official green light for Dark Matter Season 2, author and showrunner Blake Crouch told Inverse that “as the writer, I know these characters and I can imagine where they might go after,” and indicated there “could always be a Season 2.”

Clearly, with this final coda, Season 2 could hypothetically explore what all these secondary characters, separate and apart from the Dessens, could be doing on their own multiverse journeys. And while Blair and Leighton are on solo trips, the pairing of Amanda and Ryan feels pointed. Perhaps Crouch has some kind of idea of what these two could do, and whether or not Ryan actually wants to get back to his home dimension or not.

There is no book sequel to Dark Matter , but its season finale suggests that this take on the multiverse could get a lot bigger on TV.

Dark Matter Season 1 streams on Apple TV+.

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