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M. Loisel
Mme. Forestier is a well-to-do friend of Mathilde’s from her convent-school days. She has a marvelous collection of jewelry and lets Mathilde borrow an expensive-looking necklace for the party. Mathilde loses and replaces the necklace but Mme. Forestier does not notice the substitution, although she is annoyed that her friend took so long to return the jewelry. Ten years later, Mme. Forestier barely recognizes Mathilde when they run into each other on the Champs Elysées, and is dismayed to inform her that the necklace that Mathilde sacrificed ten years of her life to replace was in fact made of paste. The fact that Mme. Forestier owns a fake necklace despite being wealthy enough to afford a real one shows that she understands the illusory nature of class and status.
Jeanne Forestier Quotes in The Necklace
The The Necklace quotes below are all either spoken by Jeanne Forestier or refer to Jeanne Forestier. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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The Necklace
Quotes
Madame Loisel looked first at some bracelets, then at a pearl necklace, then at a marvelously crafted Venetian cross made up of gold and precious stones. She tried the pieces on before the mirror, wavering, unsure whether to keep them or leave them. She kept asking: “Don’t you have anything else?”
“Of course. Keep searching. I can’t tell what you’ll like.”
All at once, in a black satin box, Madame Loisel unearthed a superb diamond necklace, and her heart began pounding with unrestrained desire. Her hands trembled when she picked up the necklace. She placed it on her throat, against her high-necked dress, and remained ecstatic in front of her reflection.
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“You say you bought a diamond necklace to replace mine?”
“Yes. You didn’t catch on, did you? They were fairly alike.”
And she smiled with proud and naïve joy.
Madame Forestier, deeply moved, took hold of Madame Loisel’s hands. “Oh, my poor Mathilde! My necklace was paste. It was worth at most five hundred francs!”
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Jeanne Forestier Quotes in The Necklace
The The Necklace quotes below are all either spoken by Jeanne Forestier or refer to Jeanne Forestier. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
The Necklace
Quotes
Madame Loisel looked first at some bracelets, then at a pearl necklace, then at a marvelously crafted Venetian cross made up of gold and precious stones. She tried the pieces on before the mirror, wavering, unsure whether to keep them or leave them. She kept asking: “Don’t you have anything else?”
“Of course. Keep searching. I can’t tell what you’ll like.”
All at once, in a black satin box, Madame Loisel unearthed a superb diamond necklace, and her heart began pounding with unrestrained desire. Her hands trembled when she picked up the necklace. She placed it on her throat, against her high-necked dress, and remained ecstatic in front of her reflection.
Related Characters:
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Related Themes:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“You say you bought a diamond necklace to replace mine?”
“Yes. You didn’t catch on, did you? They were fairly alike.”
And she smiled with proud and naïve joy.
Madame Forestier, deeply moved, took hold of Madame Loisel’s hands. “Oh, my poor Mathilde! My necklace was paste. It was worth at most five hundred francs!”
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