The theme of “The Necklace” is that appearances can be deceiving. It’s the lesson that Madame Loisel learns when she spends all her savings on a diamond necklace for her husband’s birthday, only to lose it and have to spend the rest of her life working hard to pay off what she owes. Then, years later, she meets a woman who has been wearing the necklace all along—she was just too vain and selfish to admit it.
Another way to look at this story is that greediness can lead to ruin. That’s what happens with Madame Loisel, who can’t afford rent even though she has just become a fancy lady with a new husband and lots of money. Her greediness leads her into debt, which ends up ruining her life—and it seems like there was no way out besides death!
And then there’s pride: pride can lead to downfall! That’s what happens with Madame Loisel when she finds out that her friend had stolen the necklace and pawned it years ago—and then kept quiet about it until now. By keeping quiet about what she did.
