Matilda Loisel was a woman of excessive ambition and vanity, which ultimately destroyed her life.
Discontent and greed: Matilda was never satisfied with her modest life. She constantly craved luxury, jewels, and elegant dinners, though she was married to a petty clerk. This dissatisfaction was the root of her ruin.
Over-ambition at the ball: Unsatisfied with her dress, she borrowed a diamond necklace from Mme Forestier, driven by her desire to appear wealthy and impress others. Her obsession with status led to recklessness.
Loss of the necklace: In her hurry to hide her modest wrap from rich women, she carelessly lost the necklace — a direct consequence of her pride and vanity.
Ten years of suffering: To replace a necklace worth only 500 francs, the Loisels spent 36,000 francs borrowed from usurers, enduring ten years of grinding poverty.
Dishonesty worsened the ruin: Had she confessed to Mme Forestier, she would have discovered the necklace was fake. Her pride prevented this, multiplying her misery needlessly.
Thus, Matilda's ambition, vanity, and inability to accept her circumstances were entirely responsible for her destruction.
Source: The Necklace, Guy de Maupassant — Chapter 7
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Examiners look for: (1) identification of Matilda's character flaw — vanity/over-ambition, (2) how each key event links back to that flaw, (3) the ironic twist (fake necklace) as the climax of her self-destruction. Use textual evidence (36,000 francs, ten years, 500 francs). Avoid retelling the whole plot — keep it analytical. Six well-linked points or three tight paragraphs work best for 6 marks.