Matilda Loisel's refusal to accept her modest circumstances was the root cause of her unhappiness and eventual ruin. Though married to a steady clerk, she constantly suffered "feeling herself born for all delicacies and luxuries," and was tortured by the sight of her shabby apartment and simple food. Her discontent led her to borrow a diamond necklace to appear wealthy at a party — and losing it forced the Loisels into ten years of grinding poverty to repay a debt of thirty-six thousand francs. Ironically, the necklace was fake and worth only five hundred francs. Had she accepted her life contentedly, this ruin could easily have been avoided.
Source: The Necklace, Chapter 7
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