Previous
Imagery
Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Paste Diamonds:
In true keeping with de Maupassant’s style, "The Necklace" relies on irony to depict the difficult realities of its characters’ world. In addition, irony plays a crucial role in developing the theme of illusion and false appearances in this piece. Much of the irony in this story is situational, such as the scene in which Madame Forestier reveals that the diamond necklace is not made of diamonds at all:
"Oh, my poor Mathilde! My necklace was paste. It was worth at most five hundred francs! ..."
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Belle of the Ball:
The key moment of dramatic irony in the story is the ball, in which the reader knows that Mathilde has dressed up in imitation of a wealthy woman, when she in fact is not. This fact is known to the reader, though not to the other characters in the scene:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Madame Loisel was a grand success. She was lovelier than any other woman […]. All the men gazed at her, asked for her name, and tried to get introduced. All the cabinet attachés wanted to waltz with her. The minister noticed her.
Related Themes:
