The Effect of Social Environment on One's Character in Literature
Summary:
In "Paul's Case," by Willa Cather, and "The Necklace," by Guy de Maupassant, the main characters end up in despair because their dreams are so far removed from their realities. The characters can't achieve their dreams, in part, because of their social environment.
In the world that we as people all live in everyday, there is much chaos. Almost everyone has their own points of view, their own belief system and their own way of thinking. Most of which is determined by the environment, in which they have been raised and have lived in. The Necklace written by Guy De Maupassant and Paul's Case written by Willa Cather illustrate all too well how a person's social environment can and does shape that person. There are several specific examples cited in both stories that vividly show how it is exactly that this is the case.
The Necklace is about a young woman, Mathilde Losiel, who was not well off, but was also not poor. She spends most of her days dreaming of more. One day her husband comes home with an invitation to a dinner party hosted by the Chancellor of Education, attended by the wealthy and the influential. Mathilde immediately breaks down into tears to the shock and dismay of her husband. After explaining to him that she feels "poor" when dressed as a commoner in the presence of the important she decides to borrow what she needs to fit in from her wealthy friend Jeanne Forrestier. She finds a beautiful pearl necklace, which she loves. She wears it to the party, but to the dismay of her and her husband, she loses the necklace on the way home (Wilson 2). In order to replace the necklace, the young couple, take on a massive debt and become truly poor. Years later, Mathilde passes by her old friend Jeanne Forrestier, and soon after lashing out at her, discovers that the necklace she lost was but a replica, and was not worth near that of her debt.
The entire story of the Necklace is the epitome of illustrating what one's social environment can do to affect their character. At the beginning of the story, while Mathilde is financially ok, she is somewhat reserved, and much more of a hopeful dreamer. As time passes by, and she is forced to work hard to repay the debt that she has brought onto herself, she begins to lose sight of her dream, and eventually become full of spite and malice for what was once her dream. As she fell down the economic ladder, her environment changed, and with that, her personality, and character. The reader witnesses a transition from the optimistic dreamer, to the pessimist, as her dreams become more and more distant. If she had begun at the very bottom where the story closes, and finished where she started, she may not have taken for granted what she had. She took for granted her life and this is shown repeatedly on pg 6. of the story when asked by her husband why she will not attend the dinner party, Mathilde responds with "I have nothing to wear and therefore can't go to the party. Give your Invitation to someone else at the office whose wife will have nicer clothes than mine." The character at the end of the story would probably have done whatever she could to return to the life that she once had, but instead her life had been morphed from her one night of glory as the center of everyone's attention "The Chancellor himself eyed her" pg. 7 into a poor common woman, worn with age well beyond her years.
Wilson 3
The story "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather is about a troubled young man who lies without concern "Paul stated, politely enough, that he wanted to come back to school. This was a lie, but Paul was quite accustomed to lying; found it, indeed, indispensable for overcoming friction" pg 165. He works as an usher for an upscale concert hall. He has an incredible imagination that is fueled by only the slightest spark. Paul is a lover of music, and fantasy. But due to his environment, he has trouble accomplishing his dreams, which are not yet set, but his potential is wasted by lack of a stable environment.
Much like the Necklace, Paul's Case, deals with character being devastated, or in this case, possibly never found due to what is deemed by society to be a poor social environment. The boy, Paul has a youthful mind and heart that is not properly developed or molded due to his social environment, and therefore his character becomes questionable at best.
In conclusion, both stories, the Necklace, and Paul's Case enter the realm of "Social Environment" and it's affects on people's character. The woman, Mathilde is somewhat spoiled with what she has, only wants more, then ends up losing it all. The young boy, Paul, may never have had the opportunity to reach his dreams. Both main characters are lower-middle class people, who have what little of their dreams they have reached they have ripped from them.
Works Cited
Cather, Willa. "Paul's Case" 1905
Maupassant, Guy De. "The Necklace" 1884
This is the complete article, containing 818 words
(approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page).
