CBSE

CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet – The Necklace Summary

✍️ Written By Arushi Kaul
🗓️ Publish on May 28, 2024

Chapter 7 of the Class 10 English Supplementary Reader ‘Footprints Without Feet’ consists of a prose titled – The Necklace written by Guy de Maupassant. It is a fictional story about Matilda Loisel and her husband that teaches us to be satisfied and content with what we have. The story emphasizes that we should not desire extravagant luxuries that are beyond our means.
Here’s a simple summary of the prose– The Necklace.

Summary of The Necklace

This fictional story revolves around a beautiful woman named Matilda Loisel, who lives in a small, cozy flat with her husband. He worked as a clerk in the Board of Education and loved his wife dearly. Despite their modest means and simple lifestyle, Matilda was unhappy with her situation and constantly yearned to be wealthy. She often felt disappointed and brooded over her financial condition, lamenting her lack of a grand mansion and luxurious riches. Matilda longed to wear beautiful dresses with matching jewelry, but she had none.

One day, Mme Loisel’s husband brought her an invitation to a grand ball at the Minister’s residence, expecting her to be thrilled. However, she reacted with disappointment, tossing the letter aside and weeping about her situation. When he asked what was wrong, she complained that she had nothing beautiful to wear for such an important event. She wanted to look stunning and be admired by everyone at the party. Feeling sorry for her, her loving husband gave her his entire savings of four hundred francs to buy a beautiful dress. He had been saving that money to buy a rifle for himself but chose to spend it on her dress instead.

As the week of the grand party drew near, Matilda became anxious once more. This time, the lack of jewelry to complement her beautiful dress worried her. Her husband suggested that she ask her friend, Mme Jeanne Forestier, for a necklace. Matilda promptly went to Jeanne’s house and borrowed a dazzling diamond necklace.

Mme Loisel and her husband attended the ball, and her appearance delighted her. She was thrilled at successfully capturing the attention of the attendees. They had a wonderful time at the party. In the early hours of the morning, they prepared to head home. Upon arriving home, Matilda realized the necklace was missing. Panic-stricken, she and her husband feared it might have fallen in the cab they took back. Her husband immediately went out to search the streets, hoping to find it, but his efforts were in vain.

Soon after, he contacted the police and placed an advertisement in the newspapers offering a reward, but it was all in vain. With no other options, Matilda’s husband suggested that she write to Mme Forestier, explaining that the clasp had broken, and promising to return the necklace once it was repaired. In the meantime, they found a replica of the necklace and decided to replace the original with the new one. However, the new necklace was very expensive, costing thirty-six thousand francs. Matilda’s father-in-law had left his son eighteen thousand francs, so they decided to borrow the remaining amount to buy the necklace. They purchased the necklace using all their savings and borrowed funds.

In the following years, the enormous loan drastically altered their lives and deteriorated their situation. They moved to a smaller residence, and Matilda took on all the household chores herself. Her husband worked multiple jobs at odd hours to repay the debt. Ten years passed, and their appearances changed significantly due to the intense workload. One day, Matilda encountered Mme Jeanne Forestier, who didn’t recognize her because she looked so worn and aged. Matilda then revealed the truth to her friend, explaining how the need to repay the loan for the expensive necklace had ruined her and her husband. This shocked Mme Forestier when she heard it. She informed Matilda that the necklace she had lent for the ball was actually a fake, worth no more than five hundred francs.

Conclusion of The Necklace

The conclusion of “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant has a surprising twist. After ten years of hard work and suffering to repay the debt for a replacement necklace, Mme Loisel learns from Mme Forestier that the original necklace was a fake, worth only five hundred francs. This shocking news shows that all of Mme Loisel’s struggles and sacrifices were for nothing. The story ends with the irony that her desire to appear wealthy and important ruined her life, only for her to find out that her suffering was completely unnecessary.

We trust that this summary of the CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Prose, “The Necklace,” has provided you with a quick grasp of the chapter. Stay connected with GK Publications for the latest updates on CBSE and study materials. Explore sample papers and question papers from various years to enhance your preparation for the Board exams.