Close Analysis Of A Short Story: This Essay Requires You To

Close Analysis Of A Short Storythis Essay Requires You To Develop An A

This essay requires you to develop an argument based on close analysis of a passage or selection of no more than three passages from one of the short stories that we’ve read for this week. You need to read a representative part of the text closely, explicate the language—what it says and why it is important—and place it in the context of the story as a whole. You will identify what the author is doing in this particular passage and why. Your argument’s effectiveness depends on your analysis, interpretation, and discussion of textual evidence to substantiate your claims. Include a minimum of five (5) carefully selected details—key words or phrases—from the primary source and format citations according to MLA style. The essay must be 2+ pages (700+ words). It should analyze the selected passages critically without merely summarizing the story or paraphrasing content.

Paper For Above instruction

In this paper, I will conduct a close analysis of Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace," focusing on a carefully selected passage that exemplifies the story’s themes of superficiality, vanity, and social class. The passage I analyze describes Madame Loisel's initial dissatisfaction with her modest life juxtaposed with her desire for wealth and social status. I will explicate the language used—such as the description of her "imagination," her "dreams of grandeur," and the "beautiful necklace" she longs to possess—to demonstrate how Maupassant employs vivid imagery and symbolism to evoke her inner life and societal pressures. This passage is pivotal because it reveals Madame Loisel’s materialistic values and sets the foundation for her tragic downfall.

The author’s technique in this passage emphasizes Madame Loisel’s feelings of inadequacy, contrasting her internal aspirations with her external reality. Maupassant’s choice of words like "dissatisfaction" and "dreams" illustrates her longing for luxury, which fuels her dissatisfaction. The detailed description of the necklace—its shimmer and beauty—serves as a symbol of superficial wealth that ultimately blinds her to her true social standing. Maupassant’s use of subtle irony, especially when Madame Loisel considers herself deserving of a life of elegance, highlights the rigid class distinctions of 19th-century France and underscores the fragility of social status based on material possessions.

In relation to the story’s overall theme, this passage underscores the idea that superficial appearances and material wealth are fleeting and deceptive. Maupassant’s critique of social pretension is exemplified by Madame Loisel’s obsession with worldly possessions, which leads to her downfall. The passage also foreshadows the tragic consequences of valuing appearances over genuine worth. The language and imagery Maupassant uses serve to make the reader question the societal values that prioritize wealth and external beauty, thus reinforcing the story’s message about the corrosive power of vanity and social ambition.

By analyzing this passage, I demonstrate how Maupassant’s economical yet vivid language encapsulates the central themes of "The Necklace." The symbols and imagery create a compelling portrait of Madame Loisel’s discontent and her misguided values, ultimately leading to her suffering. This close reading reveals the story's critique of superficial social climbing and serves as a timeless reminder of the dangers of valuing appearances over genuine worth—a message as relevant today as in Maupassant’s time.

References

  • Greenwald, L. M., Levy, J. M., & Ingber, M. J. (2000). Favorable Selection in the Medicare+Choice Program: New Evidence. Health Care Financing Review, 21(3), 127.
  • Malish, R. G. (2016). Capitation as an Incentive for Transitioning to Patient-Centered Medical Homes in the United States Army: A Brief Report. Military Medicine, 181(10). doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-
  • Sorbero, M., Dick, A., Zwanziger, J., Mukamel, D., & Weyl, N. (2003). The Effect of Capitation on Switching Primary Care Physicians. Health Services Research, 38(1).
  • Van Herck, P., Annemans, L., Sermeus, W., & Ramaekers, D. (2013). Evidence-based health care policy in reimbursement decisions: Lessons from a series of six equivocal case-studies. PLoS One, 8(10), 1-10. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone
  • Hutchison, B. (2000). Needs-Based Primary Medical Care Capitation: Development and Evaluation of Alternative Approaches. Health Care Management Science, 3(2), 89-99.
  • Brunoni, J., Dolinger, T., Walker, I., Wood, D., & Coustasse, A. (2016). Is Capitation An Effective Tool For Reducing Health Care Cost? Insights To A Changing World Journal, 2016(1).

Related Assignments