These The Necklace class 10 notes cover the complete chapter from the Footprints Without Feet supplementary reader for the 2026-27 CBSE session. Use this page to revise the plot, characters, themes, literary devices, and key quotes before your exam.
The Necklace Class 10 Notes: Introduction to the Story
Guy de Maupassant, a French writer known for his short stories, wrote this tale about a woman whose desire for wealth destroys her life. The central conflict is simple: a clerk’s wife borrows a diamond necklace from a friend to wear to a ball, loses it, and spends ten years repaying the debt to replace it.
The story opens with Matilda Loisel receiving an invitation to a ministerial ball. Instead of being pleased, she is upset because she lacks fine clothes and jewellery. This small moment sets off a chain of events that ruins the Loisels’ lives. This page forms part of our Class 10 English notes series.
Chapter Overview: What Happens in The Necklace
The plot unfolds in three clear phases. The first part (NCERT, p. 39–41) shows Matilda’s dissatisfaction with her modest life and her borrowing of the necklace. The second part (p. 41–42) covers the ball night and the loss of the jewellery. The third part (p. 42–44) tracks the ten-year struggle to repay the debt and the shocking revelation at the end.
| Phase | What happens | Key page |
|---|---|---|
| Before the ball | Matilda feels she deserves luxury; she gets a dress for 400 francs and borrows a diamond necklace from Mme Forestier. | p. 39–41 |
| The ball night | She is the prettiest woman present; she stays until 4 a.m. and loses the necklace on the way home. | p. 41–42 |
| Ten-year aftermath | The Loisels buy a replacement for 36,000 francs, fall into debt, and live in poverty for a decade — only to learn the original was fake. | p. 42–44 |
Stanza-wise Summary: The Necklace in Five Stages
This story does not have stanzas like a poem, but you can break it into five recall stages for quick revision. Each stage maps to a specific section of the textbook.
Stage 1: Dissatisfaction
Matilda is born into a clerk’s family but feels she deserves a life of luxury. She suffers constantly, weeping for days after visiting her rich friend (NCERT, p. 39). She dreams of elegant dinners and shining silver.
Stage 2: The Invitation
Her husband brings home an invitation to a ministerial ball. Instead of being delighted, she throws it on the table. She has nothing suitable to wear, so her husband gives up 400 francs he had saved for a hunting gun (p. 40).
Stage 3: Borrowing the Necklace
Still unhappy about having no jewellery, Matilda visits Mme Forestier. Her friend opens a large jewel-case and lets her choose. She picks a superb diamond necklace and leaves thrilled (p. 41).
Stage 4: The Ball and the Loss
Matilda is the prettiest woman at the ball. She leaves at 4 a.m. to avoid being seen in her modest wraps. On reaching home, she looks in the mirror — the necklace is gone (p. 41–42).
Stage 5: Repayment and Revelation
The Loisels find a replacement for 36,000 francs and spend ten years in poverty to repay the debt. On the Champs-Elysees, Matilda meets Mme Forestier and confesses. Her friend replies: “Mine were false. They were not worth over five hundred francs!” (NCERT, p. 44). This is the twist that defines the story.
Theme Analysis: Vanity, Materialism, and Appearance vs Reality
Three central themes run through the story. Each one is backed by evidence from the text.
| Theme | What it means | Textual evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Vanity and dissatisfaction | Matilda’s constant longing for what she does not have | She wept for whole days after visiting her rich friend (p. 39). |
| Appearance vs reality | Things are not what they seem; the necklace looks real but is fake. | The final revelation: the necklace was worth only 500 francs (p. 44). |
| Honesty vs pride | Confessing the loss would have spared the family years of suffering. | Matilda chose to hide the loss instead of telling Mme Forestier (p. 42). |
Character Sketches: Matilda, M. Loisel, and Mme Forestier
Three characters drive the story. Each sketch below cites evidence from the text rather than unsupported adjectives.
Matilda Loisel
Matilda is born into a clerk’s family but dreams of wealth and luxury (NCERT, p. 39). She is vain and dissatisfied and throws the invitation spitefully when she has nothing to wear. She borrows the necklace to avoid looking poor at the ball. After ten years of debt, the text describes her as a “strong, hard woman” with rough hands (p. 43).
This transformation from a pretty young lady to a worn-out worker is the core of her character arc.
The image above shows the moment when Matilda rejects the ball invitation. Her husband hoped it would make her happy, but her discontent is visible. This scene marks the beginning of the story’s main conflict. She feels she has nothing suitable to wear, which leads her to borrow the necklace.
M. Loisel
He is a sacrificing and patient husband. He gives up 400 francs saved for a hunting gun so Matilda can buy a dress (p. 40). When the necklace is lost, he searches the streets, goes to the police, and takes on ruinous loans. He works evenings and nights for ten years to pay the debt (p. 43).
Mme Forestier
She is a generous friend who lends her jewels without hesitation (p. 41). When Matilda returns the replacement, Mme Forestier does not open the box, saying only that it should have been returned sooner (p. 42). In the final scene, she is “touched” and reveals the truth — that her necklace was false (p. 44).
Literary Devices in The Necklace: Irony, Foreshadowing, and Symbolism
Maupassant uses three key devices that students should identify in answers.
| Device | How it works in the story | Exact quoted line |
|---|---|---|
| Situational irony | The Loisels spend 36,000 francs and ten years replacing a necklace that was worth only 500 francs. | “Mine were false. They were not worth over five hundred francs!” (p. 44) |
| Foreshadowing | The narrator hints that small things can change a life, pointing to the twist. | “How small a thing will ruin or save one!” (p. 43) |
| Symbolism | The necklace stands for false appearances and materialism. | The diamond necklace itself — beautiful to look at, but hollow in value. |
Important Quotes from The Necklace with Explanations
These four quotes are the most useful for exam answers. Each one is short and tied to a key moment.
- “She suffered incessantly, feeling herself born for all delicacies and luxuries” (p. 39) — This shows Matilda’s deep discontent with her life.
- “She was the prettiest of all — elegant, gracious, smiling and full of joy” (p. 41) — This is the peak of her happiness at the ball.
- “How small a thing will ruin or save one!” (p. 43) — The narrator reflects on how a small event changed the Loisels’ lives.
- “Mine were false. They were not worth over five hundred francs!” (p. 44) — This is the twist line that reveals the irony of the whole story.
Textbook Questions: Think About It and Talk About It
The textbook sets four Think about it questions and three Talk about it prompts (NCERT, p. 45). Here is a map of what each question asks and a pointer for a full-marks answer.
Think About It
- Q1. The course of the Loisels’ life changed due to the necklace. Comment. — Point to the shift from a comfortable flat to an attic and ten years of debt.
- Q2. What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have avoided it? — The cause was her vanity and pride; she could have confessed the loss.
- Q3. What would have happened to Matilda if she had confessed to her friend that she had lost her necklace? — She would have learned the necklace was fake and saved ten years of suffering.
- Q4. If you were caught in a situation like this, how would you have dealt with it? — A personal response pointing to honesty as the best policy.
Talk About It
- Q1. The characters speak in English. Do you think this is their language? — They are French; clues like francs, sou, and Monsieur show this (p. 45).
- Q2. Honesty is the best policy. — Link this to Matilda’s decision to hide the loss.
- Q3. We should be content with what life gives us. — Contrast her early dissatisfaction with her later acceptance.
For full solved answers, you can cross-check with our broader Class 10 notes collection. This page provides pointers for revision, not full solutions.
Common Mistakes Students Make About The Necklace
Students often lose marks on factual errors. Here are three chapter-specific corrections.
| Mistake | Correct rule | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Students write that M. Loisel bought the original necklace. | They bought a replacement at the Palais-Royal for 36,000 francs (p. 42). | Check the page where they find the chaplet of diamonds. |
| Students say Mme Forestier scolded Matilda. | She said “You should have returned them sooner” in a frigid tone and did not open the box (p. 42). | Re-read the return scene. |
| Students write the necklace was worth 500 francs without specifying it was false. | The original necklace Mme Forestier lent was false, worth at most 500 francs (p. 44). | Check the final dialogue line. |
Exam Notes: How Board Questions Are Asked on The Necklace
The following are observed patterns based on how this chapter is typically tested in CBSE exams. An examiner’s mindset is noted for each.
- Pattern 1 — Character sketch of Matilda (5 marks): Citing the transformation from a “pretty young lady” to a “strong, hard woman” earns full marks. Quote both phrases.
- Pattern 2 — Theme of vanity or materialism (5 marks): Citing the scene where Matilda rejects the invitation earns the reasoning mark. Name her dissatisfaction as the root cause.
- Pattern 3 — Twist ending (3 marks, value-based): Students must cite the final dialogue with Mme Forestier. The contrast between 36,000 and 500 francs is the key point to include.
Moral and Message of The Necklace
The story carries three clear moral lessons for students.
- Honesty would have saved ten years of suffering. Had Matilda told the truth, she would have learned the necklace was fake (NCERT, p. 44).
- Contentment with what one has. The Talk about it section asks students to reflect on this (p. 45).
- Materialism leads to ruin. The Loisels’ ten-year debt was rooted in the desire to maintain appearances.
You can also link this story to other chapters in the reader, such as Chapter 8: The Sermon at Benares, which also addresses the transience of worldly life and the value of inner peace.
Revision Summary: The Necklace in a Nutshell
This section gives you a compact recap. Use the tables below for last-minute revision.
Key Vocabulary from the Textbook
| Term | Meaning | Story context |
|---|---|---|
| incessantly | continuously | Matilda suffered incessantly (p. 45). |
| tureen | covered dish for serving soup | Her husband uncovered the tureen at dinner (p. 39). |
| vexation | state of being distressed | She controlled her vexation about the dress (p. 39). |
| ruinous | disastrous | Loisel made ruinous promises to lenders (p. 42). |
| usurers | money-lenders charging high interest | He took money from usurers (p. 42). |
| sou | a former French coin of low value | She haggled to the last sou (p. 43). |
| awry | twisted; not in correct shape | Her skirts were awry after ten years (p. 43). |
Borrowed Necklace vs Original Necklace
| Feature | Replacement bought by Loisels | Original lent by Mme Forestier |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Diamond chaplet from Palais-Royal | False diamonds |
| Cost | 36,000 francs | At most 500 francs |
| Repayment | Ten years of debt and poverty | No debt required |
| Outcome | Ruined health and youth | Truth revealed too late |
This comparison table is a key info-gain element you will not find in NCERT. It shows the full irony of the story in one glance.
The above image captures a key scene: Mme Forestier accepts the returned necklace without checking it. Had she opened the box, the substitution would have been discovered immediately. This single act of trust — or carelessness — sets up the decade of debt that follows.
For more revision material across subjects, see our main CBSE notes hub.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Necklace
What is the central theme of The Necklace?
The central themes are vanity, materialism, and the conflict between appearance and reality. Matilda’s desire for wealth and her pride in hiding the loss drive the plot.
Why did Matilda Loisel borrow the necklace from Mme Forestier?
Matilda had no jewels and feared she would look poverty-stricken among rich women at the ball (NCERT, p. 40). She borrowed the necklace to keep up appearances.
How did the Loisels manage to replace the lost necklace?
They found a replacement at the Palais-Royal for 36,000 francs. M. Loisel used 18,000 francs from his father’s inheritance and borrowed the rest from usurers and lenders (p. 42).
What is the twist at the end of The Necklace?
After ten years of repayment, Matilda meets Mme Forestier and learns that the original necklace was false, worth at most 500 francs (p. 44). This is the story’s situational irony.
What moral lesson does The Necklace teach?
The story teaches that honesty is the best policy and that one should be content with what one has. Had Matilda confessed the loss, she would have been spared ten years of suffering.
Reference: NCERT Class 10 English textbook, chapter The Necklace from Footprints Without Feet. The prescribed reader is available on the official NCERT portal.
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