Comprehension Questions for “The Necklace”
1. At the beginning of the story, what is the cause of Madame Loisel’s constant
unhappiness?
a. Her marriage
b. Her desire to be wealthy
c. Her poor health
d. Her wish for more friends
2. Mathilde envies the social class and wealth of others because:
a. She was born wealthy but wants to be even wealthier
b. She feels that she deserves a more beautiful life
c. Her husband is very demanding
d. Her friends encourage her to be a social climber
3. How does Madame Loisel react to the invitation?
a. She is upset because she does not have anything appropriate to wear
b. She is upset because she does not know how to act at a ball
c. She is excited because she always wanted to go to a ball
d. She is nervous because her ball gown is old and used
4. Mr. Loisel gives up_______so that his wife can purchase a new dress:
a. A new briefcase
b. New shoes
c. A new suit for work
d. A new rifle to go hunting
5. Why is the borrowed necklace so important to Mathilde?
a. Because it will distract from her shabby old dress
b. Because it will convince others that she is someone else
c. Because she will look as though she belongs at the party
d. Because she will have the opportunity to steal it
6. What do the Loisels end up doing about the lost necklace?
a. They borrow money, buy a new necklace, and return it to Madame Forestier as if
it’s the original.
b. They eventually tell Madame Forrestier the truth about losing the necklace, and
lose her as a friend
c. They replace the diamond necklace with something less valuable and return it to
Madame Forestier
d. They borrow money to buy a replacement necklace, but then decide to steal it
7. Why don’t the Loisels tell Mme. Forestier that the necklace has been lost?
a. They fear Mme. Forestier will mock them.
b. They do not care what anyone thinks of them.
c. The minister advises M. Loisel not to tell the truth.
d. They are ashamed to admit their carelessness.
8. Which one of these does not happen?
a. Loisel borrows money from every possible source
b. Loisel does business with loan sharks
c. Loisel steals money from his boss
d. Loisel uses his father’s inheritance
9. How did the Loisel’s plan to replace the necklace affect their lives?
a. They became much more practical about borrowing money
b. They worked hard and lived cheaply to get out of debt
c. They blamed everyone else for their misfortune and poverty
d. They eventually gained respect and wealth for pretending to be rich
10. At the end of the story, it is plain that:
a. The Loisels will soon become wealthy
b. The Loisels have learned an important lesson about thrift
c. The Loisels have suffered needlessly
d. Mme. Forestier will help the Loisels
11. Providing an evening’s pleasure for his wife brings Mr. Loisel only:
a. Mathilde’s resentment
b. Years of hard work
c. Social acceptance
d. A promotion at his job
12. Which of the following statements best summarizes “The Necklace”?
a. A woman who wants to make a good impression goes to a dance
b. An expensive necklace is lost and needs to be replaced
c. A woman buys an expensive dress and borrows a diamond necklace
d. In pursuit of recognition, a woman is driven to financial ruin
13. Does the author ever judge Mathilde? Or does he leave the judging up to the reader?
Answer in a complete sentence and provide your reasoning:
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14. Is Mathilde a sympathetic character now (do you like her)? Do you care more about her
now than at the beginning of the story? Answer in a complete sentence and provide
your reasoning:
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15. All of Mathilde’s suffering was pointless. How do you think she feels when she realizes
this? Answer in a complete sentence and provide your reasoning:
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16. Explain the way in which situational irony is used in “The Necklace”:
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17. Recall that “theme” can be described as: what the author is trying to teach the reader
about the universal human experience. A theme statement should be a complete
sentence. You can choose one of the motifs from the story and ask yourself how the
author utilized the motif to teach us something. In “The Necklace,” possible motifs could
be: the pursuit of social status; desire for great wealth; dishonesty; sacrifice, etc. You
can refer to the PP for help constructing a theme statement. Practice crafting a theme
statement here:
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