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Mr. Hobbs,

(1.) What are the symbolic implications of the necklace?

I am in group 1 and there was a discrepancy about what the implication of the necklace actually was. So we conjoined the two meanings and concluded our answer.

To me, the symbolic implication of the necklace is something like the, "American dream". The American dream is something that no one actually knows what it is but they work hard to get it even if in actuality it does not exist.

The necklace is similar to me because she worked hard for 5 years for something that he thought was real and did not know was fake and its actually value did not exist.

Donetta
ENGL 121.003 Humanities Literature MWF 11:45-12:45

24 January 2007

Professor Hobbs,

Today in class the question I had to answer was whether or not Guy de Maupassant (1.) thought that trying to be someone you aren't was a "bad" thing and (2.) if this was part of his little anecdote's message. This was question #14.

Although, I don't personally believe that persons who try to be someone that they aren't are necessarily bad people (It seems that we all like to "try on" something new when we are younger to find out who we are/what we like), but it does seem to be that Mr. Maupassant was saying something like "it's just best if you try to be yourself." Or, maybe, stop trying to impress the world with what you have (by pretending you have it) and just go with the strengths and talents you already have! Otherwise, you might pay a big price later for this kind of superficiality.

We have to remember that not only was Mr. Maupassant a Frenchman, he was also from the 1800s so his culture and social values may have been different than ours are today. Women, in the U.S. at least, couldn't even vote at this time (they got that right in 1920). There was a definite "caste" built in between men and women in Western society in the 1800s and it would be good if we could try to remember that when we read a story such as this.

On the other hand, there were issues of class, economic class that is, that Mathilde had to deal with (not being as "well-off" as her friend Jeanne, for instance) that has not really "gone away" from today's world. We are not living in a "classless" society and there is a definite, ever-widening gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots." It appears to me that Mathilde felt she was a "have not" and would go to great length to pretend that she was. Ironically, her years of hard labor to repay her husband's debtors just rubbed in her fact all the more. She would have to work her fingers to the bone to have the things that Jeanne *seemed* to have. In that regard, things are the same today as they were then.

I look forward to reading and discussing "Young Goodman Brown" as our next assigment!

Sincerely,

Dudley D.
ENGL 121.003 Humanities Literature MWF 11:45-12:45

Shayne Schmidt

Question 11:

The other characters in the story really are not that important as Mathilde. The reason is because the story shows only her actions and dreams. Also the story shows how spoiled and ashamed she is of her social status. Even if the others characters where absent from the story you would know everything about Mathilde’s personality because of her actions and daydreams of a better life. The others characters such as her husband kind of tell us how unhappy she is because of her social status. He implies this when he offers to buy her a new dress to wear.

Q: What symbols for wealth and station could be used in a story written like this today?

Symbols of wealth today are much flashier than they were in the old days. In “The Necklace”, the woman was so excited about wearing a single diamond necklace. You can find woman wearing an assortment of diamonds and gems all over their body. A woman’s dress might even use diamonds as part of the design. I think the brand name would have been an important part of the dress too. There is not much chance a rich couple would be riding home in a carriage today either. A limo would be waiting out front for them. The described the house they lived in as being an attic flat in the end of the book. Today they might describe a less fortunate family’s home as an apartment. Also in the end of the book, the woman had to write to her friend about the lost necklace. Today everyone has a phone at hand in their home. There are many more things that may have been portrayed or described differently in a story written like this today.

Andy Hood
Group 6

(7.) Compare and contrast the lives of Mathilde and her friend Mrs. Forrestier. How are they alike? How are they different?

Though the main character, Mathilde, of Guy de Maupassant’s, “The Necklace,” seems a great deal different than her friend, Mrs. Forrestiere, there is actually a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to their similarities. For instance they both, as all hopefully already know, are women. Aside from stating the obvious, they also both enjoy lavish material possessions. This is seen throughout the story by Mathilde’s yearning for the life of a queen, and Mrs. Forrestiere’s seemingly owned life of a queen. Though this next similarity between the two of them changes as the story progresses, in the beginning they were both beautiful women. In a way it can be seen as similar that they both lied at one point or another during the story. Mrs. Forrestiere lied, although valid arguments could be made, about the necklace being fake to begin with, and Mathilde lied in telling Mrs. Forrestiere that the clasp broke on the necklace and it was getting fixed, when really it was nowhere to be found.
However, there are also very distinct differences between the two women. Right away one sees that they are clearly both on a different page when it comes to lifestyles. Mrs. Forrestiere, a very wealthy person, heavily contrasts Mathilde, who became depressed at the thought of never being able to live the life of her friendly counterpart. Inverse to what was said before, at the end of the story their appearances differ greatly, as Mathilde appears worn and old, and Mrs. Forrestiere appears clean and youthful. Mathilde appears throughout the story depressed about the life that she was leading, while Mrs. Forrestiere felt as though fully content with everything she had going in her life. Finally, and similar to the last point made, Mrs Forrestiere seemed kind and helpful when Mathilde was in need of jewelry, but Mathilde always seemed as though she only cared about herself and her situation.

“The Necklace”

7. Mathilde and her friend Mrs. Forrestier are very similar and different in many ways. They are similar in the fact that they are both women, in other words neither woman has a job or makes money in their society. However, Mrs. Forrestier is of a higher, richer social class than Mathilde. Due to this Mathilde is very unhappy and ashamed of her life, unlike Mrs. Forrestier, who is very happy with her life. Both women are also different in the way they act and think. Mathilde thinks only of herself, where as Mrs. Forrestier is a very kind and helping person. For example, Mathilde is very selfish in looking beautiful for the ball that she needs jewels, so she goes to Mrs. Forrestier who is very helpful to Mathilde by allowing her to borrow her jewels. At the start of the story Mathilde and Mrs. Forrestier are both very beautiful, but as time passes in the story Mathilde grows old and worn in her appearance and Mrs. Forrestier remains beautiful. Both women are also dishonest in the story when it comes to the necklace. Mathilde is dishonest because she lied to Mrs. Forrestier about losing the necklace and buying a new one, which led to her haggardness. Mrs. Forrestier is dishonest in the fact that she didn’t tell Mathilde that they were fake diamonds and not real ones, had Mathilde known this she would not have worried as much about losing them.

Katie Kovac
English 121 003

Group 6

Question 6: What symbols for wealth and station could be used in a story like this written for today?

Answer: In the story The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant, the necklace is the easily identifiable symbol of wealth and status. Mathilde yearned for the diamonds of the sparkling creation for what those shined orbs represented, not necessarily for what they were. In the same sense, symbols of wealth and prestige can still be found easily today. The rapper with the five Escalades and the two Hummers; he doesn’t need that many vehicles for his bachelor self by any means, but yet he has them—it shows how wealthy he is that he can afford luxuries he will never need or probably ever use. People do not need plasma screen televisions, extremely overdone and luxurious month upon month long vacations, or that extra baker’s dozen of maids and butlers to clean up the everyday little messes. Why then does a certain small percentage of the population undertake such pleasures for themselves? Simply because these material symbols represent a higher lifestyle with riches and status that some strive for. Not to say that a desire for luxuries is a bad one, but by having such things, one adopts a certain elevation of status through the owning. Mathilde of days gone by had her diamonds; today we have our BMW’s. Both represent the wealth Mathilde strove for, the symbols simply moved ahead a few generations.

Carlos R. Gonzalez

(4.) How did an evening at a ball offer Mathilde a chance to present herself in a new guise?
Mathilde was able to be something / someone she is not, like a fairy tale. Once she put on the dress and the necklace she was portraying an individual in a higher social and economic class. She enjoyed a night of activities that she usually does not have the chance to. She stood behind a mask as her dreams came true for one night.

An anecdote is defined in a dictionary as “a short narrative of an occurrence”. An anecdote could be in the form of a tale like The Boy Who Cried Wolf or used to reference something that has happened. Usually, when anecdotes are in stories or tales, they are there to extend the message of a certain moral. Other examples of these types of anecdotes in literature are; Tortoise and the Hare, Little Red Ridding Hood, Three Little Pigs. Anecdotes are popular in literature, and can be found in a lot of writings and spoken stories.

Jan. 24, 2007

Professor Lee Hobbs,

In my group #12, I had to answer the question that states, What is the biggest disaster for Mathidle? Not telling the truth or the losing the necklace. Explain.

I believe the biggest disaster that Mathidle did was not telling the truth. If she would have went up to Mrs. Forresier, after she had lost it, then it would have been a lot easier for Mathidle and her husband to pay the debt to get another necklace. I’m sure if Mrs. Forresier found out, she probably wouldn’t be the kind of person who would have someone slave their life, just to repay for a necklace. Mrs. Forresier seems like a caring person who is willing to understand the problem if something goes wrong.

Your Student from Humanities Literature,
Jenny T.

The word anecdote, according to Webster's Dictionary is defined as, "a short narrative of an occurance." After looking up this defination, our group came up with a few examples that would be considered anecdotes. Our examples were as follows, Tortous and the Hare, The Boy who Cried Wolf, and The Three Little Pigs. We thought these were considered anecdotes because they all had a moral in the end of the story.
Thank you,
Amber Dunmire

9) Mr. Loisel is a clerk for the Ministry of Education. I believe this job is something along the lines of a secretary, performing tasks such as keeping and organizing files and doing other minor tasks in the office. The reason they can’t easily repay Mrs. Forrestier is because a clerk isn’t a high paying job, and it also sounds like a competitive field when he says “I had a lot of trouble getting the invitation. Everyone wants one. The demand is high and not many clerks get invited.” So with a lot of people able to do this job there is probably a lot of people who will work for low pay. People would rather make a small amount of money than none at all. On this salary alone it would take a very long time to come up with the money for a diamond necklace.

24 January 2007

Professor Hobbs,

Today in class my group had question #13. Guy de Maupassant writes in the first paragraph that “women have no caste or class.” Do you agree with this? Why or why not? What about men: do they have caste or class?

Around the time the story took place, women probably didn’t have much of a class, whether it is social or economic class women tended to be looked down upon. Their class was almost determined for them, dictated by what type of class their husband was. So back then, I think women had a caste that was permanent and they could work to gain a higher class but it really didn’t matter because they still weren’t as “high” as the men. Today, women have more choices and I believe that they can establish their own class by working hard and accomplishing something in their life. Women are more successful today because they are given the chance to be, unlike Mathilde.

I feel men were some what born into a class and follow their family, job wise. If they were born into a wealthy family they obviously will be in a higher class and I don’t think there caste would change either. Today there is just more opportunity to establish your class early on in your life. Caste is permanent but class can change, I believe you can set your caste early in life and your class can change anytime whether you’re male or female.

10) In the beginning of the story Mathilde feels that material things are very important in life. Because she doesn't live a wealthy life, she is jealous of people who do. After her experience with the diamond necklace, she realizes that there are more important things in life. She works hard to pay off her debts and learns a lot from her experince. Mathilde's personality changes for the better by the end of the story.

Derek Hensley
Eng 121.003

(5.) What do we learn from the story about the structure of French society at the time “The Necklace” was written?

We learn that French society at that time did not appear to have a middle class. Either one was wealthy or one did not have much. Members of the lower class of society did not live the same type of lifestyle as the rich lived. The Higher class individuals seemed to have more opportunities, and obviously lived much more lavishly than lower class citizens. The Author made it seem like the lower class was looked at differently as apposed to people with money, as is the case in many cultures even today.

Lyndsay Krall

Group 7 question:

Compare and contrast the lives of Mathilde and her friend Mrs. Forrestier. How are they alike? How are they dead?

Similarities:
• They are both women
• Both women enjoy nice and expensive things
• In the beginning of the story both women are considered to be very beautiful
• Both women can be considered dishonest, seeing as how Mrs. Forrestier never told Mathilde in the beginning that the necklace was merely costume jewelry, and Mathilde wasn’t honest about losing the necklace

Differences:
• Social status
• By the end of the story, Mathilde has become very old and worn-out looking, while Mrs. Forrestier remained youthful and beautiful
• Mrs. Forrestier is proud of who she is, while Mathilde longs to be someone else
• Mrs. Forrestier is willing to share and help others, while Mathilde seems selfish and only worries about herself

Professor Hobbs,

Today in class my group had to answer What are anecdotes? Do we use anecdotes like “The Necklace” to point out moral lessons today? Explain, which was (question 2)

Anecdotes are short stories told about an interesting incident it is usually an anecdote is based on real life, an ancedote can be just like a fable for example little red riding hood. Yes, I beleive that we still do use ancedotes today to point out moral lessons. Examples of anecdotes would be stories that pertain to real life, in a sense to teach a lesson to the reader and readers.

Sincerely
B. Decker

9.) What kind of occupation do you think Mister Loisel (Mathilde’s husband) has? Why are they not able to easily repay Mrs. Forrestier?

In the beginning of “The Necklace”, the story explains that Mathilde grew up poor, with a family of clerk and copyists, and she settled for a marriage with Mister Loisel, a minor clerk. A minor clerk gives the impression that this is a low ranking occupation, and he is probably not paid well. It seems that Mathilde and Mister Loisel grew up in the same economic class. Mister Loisel may have a hard time finding a higher paying job due to his economic status or lack of higher education. It takes the Loisel’s ten years to repay Mrs. Forrestier because Mister Loisel is only able to find work in lower-class jobs.

Jen Naugle

#9 Mister Loisel’s occupation is a clerk, which further means that he is some kind of a sales person. At this time period there were an abundant number of clerks which lead to competitive pay, and not many hours to spread through all the clerks. The author referred to him as a “frugal clerk” stating that his pay makes him have to pinch pennies and live a thrifty life style. This is why it took the Loisel’s so long to pay off the debt from replacing the lost necklace.

Professor Hobbs,

I had to answer question 13.
13. Maupassant, the author, writes in the first paragraph that "women have no caste or class.“ Do you agree with this? Why or why not? What about men: do they have caste or class?

I believe, given the particular time period this was written, it's possible that women may have been thought of as having no caste or class. This may have also just been the author's opinion, but this story was also written in 1884...in France.

I on the other hand, believe that as a part of society, women do have a determined caste and/or class based on:
1.) the family she comes from, and
2.)who she marries.

Regardless of time period, these two factors will almost always contribute to where a lady stands in society.

Men on the other hand carry a class and caste based on different factors. Like women, men will still be partially determined by the family into which they are born. After that, if the man's family is capable of schooling him, he may go on to pursue a career that would further determine his caste and class. The more money that can be fronted for education, the better the job, the higher the place in society.

Joe T
ENGL 121 sec 003
group 13

Question 13: Maupasant, the author wrote in the first paragraph that “women have no caste or class”. Do you agree with this? Why or why not? What about men? Do they have a caste or class?
The term “caste” can be defined as a social class. The term “class” has to do with your income such as the working class. Every man and woman is born into a specific caste that they cannot change. Therefore, I do not agree with the statement “women have no caste or class”. Now whether or not she is in a specific class varies. Usually women back then were placed into whatever class their husband was in. He was the one who was allowed to work, putting the food on the table, while the woman didn’t have such freedoms. If the man she married were rich, they would have been in a higher class. That doesn’t mean class cant change. People can become either richer or poorer in time.

(4.) How did an evening at a ball offer Mathilde a chance to present herself in a new guise?

Mathilde was able to use her evening at the ball as a chance to present herself in a new guise. In other words, she was able to take on a new appearance or image while at the ball. Mathilde had dreamt of living the life of the upper class with expensive clothing and fancy belongings. However, on the contrast, she lived a very simple life with plain foods, a standard house, and plain clothing/belongings. During her evening at the ball, Mathilde was able to put on a fancy dress and an expensive diamond necklace to fit in with the economic class of citizens that were also in attendance. As she mingled and enjoyed herself, she felt that she fit in with the upper class wealthy people and was fulfilling her fantasy of being one of them. Although she knew she was not truly rich, her outward appearance and ensemble created an image that she was in fact a rich respectable woman. Such an opportunity to pretend allowed Mathilde to escape her life and almost go undercover in the disguise of someone she wished to be. As the people accepted her, she shined more brightly as she felt that this appearance would give her the happiness she dreamed of day in and day out in her real lifestyle.

The symbolic representation of the necklace has great implications regarding Mathidle’s feelings and wants. The necklace represents wealth and the luxurious that she can not afford in real life. Having the necklace on makes her into some whom she is not both physically and mentally. She is much happier when she appears to come from a wealthier status. Thus the necklace almost symbolizes a second life, which is the life she wants to achieve and have.

Justin Bleggi Group 2

Q. What is an anecdote? Do we use anecdotes like “The Necklace” to point out moral lessons today? Explain.

An anecdote is a short story that recounts an event in order to convey an idea, moral, or information. Short stories such as “The Necklace” by de Maupassant, Aesop’s Fables, parables from the Bible, and fairy tales are all examples of anecdotes. Modern anecdotes can take form in speeches or sermons, newspaper articles, and magazine articles (e.g. Reader’s Digest, Time) to name a few. The anecdote, when used as a public speaking device is an excellent way of imparting an idea to an audience that might not be able to grasp an abstract of the idea.

5.What did we learn from the story about the structure of French society at the time “The Necklace” was written?

The structure of France was set up in a way that you were either rich or poor and the poor had no connections to the upper class. In most cases, the poor seemed to be jealous of the rich. Money was very important to the French society. Everyone wanted to be rich and material things were of utmost importance.

6.) What symbols for wealth and station could be used in a story like this written for today?

In Guy de Maupassant’s the Necklace, Mathilde wishes to live a life of luxury. She dreams of a fine-looking home, rich meals, beautiful clothes, and breathtaking jewelry. During 1800s, when this story takes place, she could not possibly ask for anything more. Today however, symbols of wealth have grown exponentially. They include all of the above mentioned items, and also include everything brought by new technology.

Instead of worrying about a carriage a person of wealth would travel in the latest model car, boat or plane. The rich have the luxury of traveling in style with expensive label names and lavishness features in there cars. They may choose to live elaborate lifestyles by traveling to exclusive places all over the world, or by having extraordinary parties. Their mansions at home would be filled with the most expensive furniture, plasma screen televisions, and the most up to date computers available. The rich can sport the latest fashions and chat on a phone with every possible feature. They, like Mathilde wanted, would have the best that they could dream up. Social status is determined by ones ability to own or experience the finer things in life. Basically, the better your “stuff” the higher your social status.

Erika Knox
Humanities Literature
M/W/F 11:45-12:45

11. How important are the other characters? What would we know about Mathilde if the other characters weren't present? What do the other characters "tell" us about her?

It's evident even without other characters that Mathilde is spoiled, yet ashamed of her social status. Her actions, as the narrator describes them, speak louder than any words or dialogue. When she scurries away, this is shown. We would still know this without other characters, except maybe her husband. He "tells" us that Mathilde is very selfish, and despite his hard work, she still wants more. She's unhappy due to her lack of material wealth and is ashamed of it.

Today i was an SA!

Brooke DECKER

13) Maupassant, the author, writes in the first paragraph that "Women have no caste or class.“ Do you agree with this? Why or why not? What about men: do they have caste or class?

I do not agree with Maupassant with this issue. In order for a person to be included in a society they must have a caste or a class. When a woman is born, she becomes a member of the caste and class that her family is in. In the time period this story was written, 1884, there was a certain permanence given to the caste or class a family possessed. People were seen to marry within the economic or social class they were born. While this may have been so a century ago, today this caste system does not exist in every country. In America, there is no such caste system. There is, however, a breakdown of class. If a man or a woman strives to elevate their economic status, they have the resources and opportunities to do so. Men, as well did belong to a class and caste when this story was written. The job that a man would have in the future was predetermined by their social class, giving him is permanent caste and class.

Stephanie Vrabel

(10.) Does Mathilde’s core character or personality change throughout the story? What kind of person would you say she was at the beginning? What kind was she at the end?

Yes, I do think Mathilde’s core character changes throughout the story. In the beginning of the story Mathilde is concerned about how much money she has and she wants more expensive clothes and more material things. She is really unhappy with the way her life is in the beginning of the story. By the end of the story, Mathilde definitely changes because she had to learn to work for the things she owned and therefore she appreciated them more. She is happier at the end of the story because she learned to appreciate her life for what it is now and stopped longing after a life that she couldn’t have.

Melisa Parsons
Group #11

11.) How important are the other characters in the story? Look through the text and decide how much would we know about Mathilde if the other characters were absent from the story? What do the other characters “tell” us about Mathilde?

In “The Necklace “the other characters are not significant but since the author gives the readers background on how women were looked upon at this time it explains Mathilde’s insecurities. Women were judge by their beauty and the things they possessed ,although her husband wanted to please her by inviting her to this special event , Mathilde did not want to feel like everyone was looking down on her because she was not wealthy like the other wives. Mathilde’s husband actions shows that although his wife’s feelings were probably superficial to him he knew it would make her happy to have something knew to wear so he gave up money that he have saved for a special event for himself. Mathilde buys a new dress and she still was unsatisfied which tells us that no matter how much she has she will always want more.

Mr. Hobbs,

Irony is the use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of its literal meaning.
An example of irony in this story called, “The Necklace” is when Mathildes feels her friend is respected because she wears and owns beautiful clothing and jewelry. Mathilde is asked to go out and she does not want to because she does not have anything nice to wear and she does not think she will get respect from other people. She ends up borrowing her friends’ piece of jewelry, which is a diamond necklace. She ends up losing the necklace and her and her husband work hard for ten years to get the money back to repay her friend. When she finally repays her friend, she realizes that the necklace was actually costume jewelry, or fake. So, Mathilde thought the whole time that her friend is only respected because of her “nice things”, and that is not true. The meaning of this story is you do not have to have to have expensive jewelry to get and have respect.

Deidra K.

Professor Hobbs,

Question 5: What do we learn from the story about the structure of French society at the time “The Necklace” was written?

From the story “The Necklace,” we can get a general understanding of the French society. The story is based on two separate classes of people; the rich and poor. From reading this story we can learn how the two classes compare to one another. It seems that there is a great amount of friction between the two classes over the power of money. Money seems to be the most important factor in living a great life. Because of this issue the two classes began to create a jealous personality between one another. Instead of living life with love and compassion, the structure of the French society seems to focus more on materialistic things. For example in “The Necklace,” the necklace symbolizes to Mathilde happiness and power. However, after the necklace is taken off she goes back to being an unhappy woman. Between these two points in the story there is a dramatic change in her personality, because of her unrealistic dream of being rich. Overall we can learn that money and materialistic objects have created a impact of the structure of the French society.

April H.

Steve Petrone

10. Yes Mathilde’s personality changes throughout the story. In the beginning of the story she is very unhappy and frustrated with her cheap lifestyle. She longs for wealth and expensive luxuries but she cannot have them. By the end of the story she is accustomed to her poverty stricken lifestyle and takes some matters into her own hands like housework. She is no longer jealous of her friends. She no longer dreams about the rich and wealthy life and accepts her new way of life for what it is.

Prof. Hobbs,

Group Activity Question 3. Anecdote- A short narrative of an occurrence.

Three examples of moral instruction in popular literature are Tortoise and the Hare, The Boy who Cried Wolf, and Three Little Pigs.

Lauren W.
ENGL 121

Hello Class,

Today, we discussed Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace" in our class meeting. All of you who had a chance to speak had wonderful things to contribute. Let's keep this spirit of participation going for all of our future meetings .

I feel I need to say thanks to all the groups who discussed today but didn't get to speak due to restraints on time. For two meetings now we've begun with group 1 and closed up shop before we had a chance to get down to group 13. Our next meeting will change that (someone please remind if I am the one who forgets). Next time, we'll begin with group 13.

By now, you should be getting a pretty good idea of what “literature” is all about from the course readings you’ve done since the beginning of the course. Now, we will be shifting gears into some ways to “write” about literature. Hopefully you have gained something useful from the first half of the “Preliminary” chapter in WAL about how to take notes on your readings (underline/highlight & write copiously in the margins!) and how to think about writing about literature. So, for the next class meeting (Friday):

1. Read WAL 27.5 to 52 (&) WAL 222-230 “Young Goodman Brown”
2. Type up your answer to today’s group activity question in a word document, spell check it, grammar check it, proofread it and have someone you trust proofread it for mistakes. Your answer should sound thoughtful and cogent.
3. Copy-and-paste your polished answer (should be at least a good paragraph) into the comment box of this blog entry. You may have to scroll down to find it. After you click “submit” you won’t see your answer right away. I have to go back into the blog later and “approve” it. So don’t worry, it's there!

If you need to look at the story again, and you still haven't purchased the textbook, you can find a copy of the story online by clicking HERE.

In case you've forgotten the questions, here they are. Each group member must do this for himself or herself. Even though you have the same question, you might have different answers, which is okay. In fact, I DON'T want to see the same answer duplicated three times.

Here are the questions*:

(1.) What are the symbolic implications of the necklace?
(2.) What are anecdotes? Do we use anecdotes like “The Necklace” to point out moral lessons today? Explain.
(3.) Define “anecdote.” What other examples of this kind of moral instruction can you think of in popular literature?
(4.) How did an evening at a ball offer Mathilde a chance to present herself in a new guise?
(5.) What do we learn from the story about the structure of French society at the time “The Necklace” was written?
(6.) What symbols for wealth and station could be used in a story like this written for today?
(7.) Compare and contrast the lives of Mathilde and her friend Mrs. Forrestier. How are they alike? How are they different?
(8.) What is irony? How is this story ironic?
(9.) What kind of occupation do you think Mister Loisel (Mathilde’s husband) has? Why are they not able to easily repay Mrs. Forrestier?
(10.) Does Mathilde’s core character or personality change throughout the story? What kind of person would you say she was at the beginning? What kind was she at the end?
(11.) How important are the other characters in the story? Look through the text and decide how much would we know about Mathilde if the other characters were absent from the story? What to the other characters “tell” us about Mathilde?
(12.) Which is the biggest disaster for Mathilde? Losing the necklace or not telling the truth? Explain.
(13.) Maupassant, the author, writes in the first paragraph that "women have no caste or class.“ Do you agree with this? Why or why not? What about men: do they have caste or class?

Just in case you were absent today for some reason and forget your group #, here is the (hopefully) groups list:

Group 1: Sherrie, Donnetta, and Pat
Group 2: Justin, Kristin, and Brooke
Group 3: Greg, Amber, and Lauren
Group 4: Erika G., Bettina, and Carlos
Group 5: Jaime, Derek, and April
Group 6: Erin K., Erika K., and Andy
Group 7: Lyndsay, Katie, and Colin
Group 8: Tatiana, Kyle, and Deidra
Group 9: Jeffrey, Jen N., and Nicole
Group 10: Steve, Erin R., and Rebecca
Group 11: Kendra, Shayne, and Melisa
Group 12: Jenny T., Thomas, and Ashley
Group 13: Joe, Lorin, Tina, and Steph

By the way, today's SAs are exempt from this exercise since they were not in the groups today to discuss the answers to their group's questions. Today's SAs should respond simply with "Today I was an SA" and leave their name so I'll remember when I pull out the gradesheets.

Also, a few of you've asked if you can see the results of the survey you took. Absolutely! If you are interested to see what the class has (or hasn't) read and seen, click on the following link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/Report.asp?U=316934562730

There are only 39 responses (one was from me, as a test) so it looks like one or two people didn't participate. I was hoping to get some higher percentages on at least one or two examples from each genre, but, alas, it seems we'll have to deal with about an 86% commonality tops.

A few parting words. We are beginning to use some concepts in our discussions that you may or may have had practice using before. I want to be sure that you have a clear understanding of the words we use in class (no more blank stares!) so be sure you are looking up words you don't feel you yet "own" (means, making it a part of your personal vocabulary) by utilizing your dictionaries to the fullest.

In your journals, please write down the following words that have come up in class on several occasions: (1.) elite (2.) canon (3.) class (4.) caste (5.) irony (6.) anecdote (7.) guise

Source: Some ideas for study questions gleaned from Jane Quest's wonderful resources HERE.

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*NOTE* The deadline for this assignment has now passed. Comments are no longer being accepted for this exercise

~Lee