CBSE Class 10 English The Necklace Important Questions Set 03

Short Answer Questions

Question 1. How did Mr Loisel meet the demand of a suitable costume for his wife for going to the ball?
Answer: Matilda refused — the ball — a suitable costume for the occasion — husband asked — wear the dress — wore while going to the theatre — Matilda reacted strongly — asked — how much — a suitable costume — cost — cost 400 francs — turned pale — had saved 400 francs — a gun for him — larks — bowed down — agreed to give 400 francs — have a pretty dress.

Question 2. What made Matilda a grand success at the ball? OR How did Matilda perform at the ball and why did men want to be introduced to her?
Answer: A great test — Matilda to present herself at the ball — a grand success — the prettiest of them all — was elegant, graceful and full of joy — danced with enthusiasm — men noticed such a wonderful lady — asked her name — wanted to be introduced to her.

Question 3. What things tortured and angered Matilda? OR Do you think that deep divide between her grand dreams and ordinary living was the cause of her unhappiness? What did she dream of?
Answer: Matilda — not among those who take or accept life what it is — never satisfied with her lot — humble family background didn't match — grand dreams — believed — born for all delicacies and luxuries of the world — dreams — beyond her means — dreamt of a big — grand house, marvellous dishes, costly clothes and jewels — harsh realities of life — dashed — the ground — the seventh heaven of her dreamy world — suffered and remained dissatisfied.

Question 4. Why and how did the Loisels spend the horrible and miserable life of necessity?
Answer: Loisels — heavy debts — pay off — had to lead a very hard — miserable life — sent away their maid — changed their lodgings — rented some rooms in the attic — Matilda learnt — odious work — kitchen — washed the dishes — soiled linen — took down the refuse to the street — clothed like an ordinary woman — did all odd jobs herself — Mr Loisel — books of some merchants — copying at five sous a page — took ten years to pay off all the debts.

Question 5. Matilda and her husband suffered to pay off the debts which they took on their heads for a false necklace. Comment. Do you find the ending of the story unexpected and ironical?
Answer: Madame Forestier told Matilda — the necklace — she lent to her — replacement — had to suffer — really a false one — ending of the play — quite unexpected but logical — ironical — necklace — bought so much ruin — miseries — Matilda — her husband turned out to be a false one.

Question 6. Monsieur Loisel's character shines through in his reactions to Matilda's discontent and desires. Comment.
Answer: Monsieur Loisel's character shines through in his reactions to Matilda's discontent and desires. When Matilda expresses her despair over not having a suitable dress for the ball, he is quick to offer his savings without hesitation, even though it means sacrificing his own desires, like buying a hunting gun.

Question 7. Describe Mme. Loisel’s success at the ball.
Answer: At the ball, Mme. Loisel appeared elegant, gracious, smiling, and full of joy. Her borrowed jewellery and the beautiful gown made her the centre of admiration and joy throughout the evening. All the men noticed her and asked her name. She danced with enthusiasm, was intoxicated with pleasure, and thought of nothing but all the admiration.

Question 8. Madame Forestier was shocked to meet Matilda after ten years. Comment.
Answer: Matilda had changed so drastically that Madame Forestier was taken aback when she finally met her after ten years. With the loss of all her beauty and splendor, Matilda had aged into an old and tired woman. Far from being the graceful and exquisite woman Madame Forestier remembered, she bore the appearance of a lowly domestic woman.

Question 9. How does "The Necklace" critique societal expectations and norms regarding wealth, appearances, and social status?
Answer: ‘The Necklace’ challenges traditional norms by showing how the desire for wealth and social status can lead to destructive consequences. Matilda's relentless pursuit of material possessions, like the necklace, caused her downfall and poverty. The story emphasises the value of honesty and acceptance of reality while cautioning against the importance placed on an extravagant lifestyle.

Question 10. How does the story's ending serves as an example of irony?
Answer: The irony lies in the revelation at the end of the story, when it is revealed that after ten years of suffering and struggle, Matilda learns that the necklace she borrowed and sacrificed so much for was actually fake.

Question 11. How does Madame Forestier's revelation about the value of the necklace at the end of the story impact the reader's understanding of the characters' choices?
Answer: The reader's interpretation of Matilda and Loisel's sacrifices shifts when Madame Forestier reveals that the necklace is a fake. It draws attention to the negative effects of one's obsession with a life of luxury. Both the husband and the wife's years of suffering were caused by a false assumption. This highlights the theme of consequences of materialistic goals.

Question 12. Why was Matilda unhappy in her early married life? (CBSE 2020)
Answer: Matilda was unhappy in her early married life because she married a poor clerk and lived in poverty. She longed for a luxurious lifestyle with elegant dinners, beautiful clothes, and precious jewels. She compared herself to others while feeling bound in her shabby surroundings. This made her feel dissatisfied with her life.

Question 13. How does the writer’s use of the literary device a twist in the tale, towards the story’s end, impact the narrative of 'The Necklace'? (CBSE Practice Set-2, 2023)
Answer: It significantly impacts the narrative. The revelation that the lost necklace was a mere imitation rather than a valuable piece turns the story on its head. This twist adds irony, and highlights the story's theme of materialism. The impact leaves a lasting impression on our understanding of the characters' choices and the consequences of relentless desire. It transforms the narrative into a cautionary tale, and makes us reflect on the true worth of one's aspirations.

Question 14. How does the story, ‘The Necklace’ teach a moral lesson on the importance of contentment? (CBSE Practice Set-1, 2023)
Answer: The story teaches a powerful moral lesson on the importance of finding contentment in what one already has. Matilda's desire for social status and material possessions led to her own downfall and a decade of hardship. Had Matilda simply been grateful and content with all that she had, she could have avoided a lot of pain.

Question 15. Matilda was intoxicated with pleasure at the ball. Describe how she was enjoying the ball, giving three reasons to support your answer. (Delhi Gov. QB 2022)
Answer: Matilda was the centre of attention at the ball. She danced with enthusiasm. She received everyone's attention. She was noticed by men. They wanted to know her name. After all, this is what she had always wanted. The ball provided her with an escape from her usual mundane and miserable life. For one evening, she was transported to a world of grandeur, surrounded by luxury and high society.

Question 16. How does Matilda's decision to borrow the necklace play a transformative role in her life?
Answer: Borrowing the necklace makes Matilda the star of the ball, but losing it changes her life completely. To replace it, she and her husband borrow heavily, give up their comforts and work hard for ten years. She loses her beauty and charm and becomes a tired, poor woman.

Question 17. Discuss how the author's choice of words, descriptions, and events contribute to the overall mood of the story.
Answer: The author uses vivid descriptions of Matilda’s shabby home and her dreams of luxury, which create a mood of discontent. The joyful ball, the loss of the necklace and the years of hardship that follow make the mood darker. The final twist, that the necklace was fake, leaves a mood of tragic irony.

Question 18. The story is a powerful example of the fragility of happiness. Explain.
Answer: Matilda’s happiness at the ball lasts only one night. As soon as the necklace is lost, her joy turns into fear and misery, and she spends ten years paying for it. The story shows that happiness based on appearances and borrowed things is fragile and can be shattered in a moment.

Question 19. Why was Matilda always unhappy after her marriage? (Delhi 2017)
Answer: Matilda Loisel was a beautiful young woman who was born in a family of clerks. She believed that she deserved a life of luxuries and delicacies. Therefore, she was constantly unhappy and dissatisfied with the modest life she led. She was married to a clerk who could not provide her the luxurious life she desired and thought she deserved.

Question 20. How did M. Loisel try to make his wife happy? (AI 2017)
Answer: M. Loisel tried to make his wife, Matilda, happy by offering to give her four hundred francs to buy a suitable gown for the ball. He had saved up the sum of money to buy a gun to join some hunting parties the next summer.

Question 21. What was Mme. Loisel shocked to know at the end of the story? (Foreign 2017)
Answer: Mme. Loisel was shocked to know that the necklace she had lost and replaced with an expensive one, for which they had borrowed a huge amount of money and had worked hard for ten years to pay off the debt, was actually a low-priced imitation necklace.

Question 22. How did Loisel and Matilda arrange the money to buy the necklace? (Delhi Com. 2017)
Answer: The price they had to pay for the new necklace was thirty-six thousand francs. Loisel possessed eighteen thousand francs left to him by his father, which he decided to use. To arrange the rest of the money, M. Loisel borrowed 18,000 francs at a high rate of interest.

Question 23. Do you think M. Loisel had an enjoyable evening at the ball? Give reasons for your answer. (Delhi 2015)
Answer: No, M. Loisel did not have an enjoyable evening at the ball. In fact, he was quite bored at the ball. He had been half asleep in one of the little salons since midnight with three other gentlemen whose wives were enjoying themselves very much.

Question 24. How did the Loisels react when they realised that the necklace had been lost? (Delhi 2015)
Answer: The Loisels were shocked to see the necklace gone from Mme. Loisel’s neck. They searched everywhere but found nothing. Therefore, they were dismayed, disappointed and bewildered out of their wits.

Question 25. What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? (Delhi 2015)
Answer: Matilda Loisel’s cause of ruin was her false sense of pride and vanity. She had a craze for the good life. So, when she lost the necklace, she did not confess her mistake to her friend. Instead, she replaced the lost necklace with an expensive one, for which her husband had to pay a huge sum of money.

Question 26. Why did Matilda change her lifestyle after the ball? (Delhi 2014)
Answer: Matilda had lost the precious diamond necklace she had borrowed from her friend. Since the necklace could not be found, it had to be replaced with another equally expensive necklace. Her husband had to borrow a huge amount of money apart from using up his entire savings to buy the necklace. In order to pay off the debt, Matilda had to change her lifestyle.

Question 27. Why was Matilda sad after the ball? (AI 2014)
Answer: The Loisels were shocked to see the necklace gone from Mme. Loisel’s neck. They searched everywhere but found nothing. Therefore, they were dismayed, disappointed and bewildered out of their wits.

Question 28. How had Mme. Loisel’s sacrifice all been in vain? (Foreign 2014)
Answer: Mme. Loisel was shocked to know that the necklace she had lost and replaced with an expensive one, for which they had borrowed a huge amount of money and had worked hard for ten years to pay off the debt, was actually a low-priced imitation necklace.

Question 29. Why did Jeanne not recognise her friend, Matilda? (AI 2011)
Answer: Jeanne did not recognise her childhood friend Matilda because they were meeting after ten years. In those ten years, Matilda had aged drastically. She no longer possessed her youthful beauty. Instead, she looked older, rough and crude. She was shabbily dressed, there were creases all over her dress, and she appeared to be a woman of a poor household.

Question 30. What kind of a person is her husband?
Answer: Her husband is a petty and economical clerk who believes in saving money and not spending it on luxuries. He loved his wife.

Question 31. What do M. and Mme Loisel do next?
Answer: When M. and Mme Loisel realise that they have lost the necklace, M. Loisel goes in search of it. He looks for it at the minister’s house, tells the police, puts an advertisement for a reward but fails to find it.

Question 32. The characters in this story speak in English. Do you think this is their language? What clues are there in the story about the language its characters must be speaking in?
Answer: Though the characters are speaking in English, the story is set in France. The titles of the lady and her husband, the name of the shop, all suggest that the language they must be using is French.

Question 33. Honesty is the best policy.
Answer: If Matilda had been honest with her friend and had told her that she had lost the necklace, her friend would have told her the real cost of the necklace which Matilda and her husband could have easily repaid. However, Matilda hides the truth, believes that the necklace had real diamonds, buys a replacement for necklace to return to her friend at a very high cost and ruins her life in the bargain. Hence, Honesty is the best policy.

Question 34. We should be content with what life gives us.
Answer: Matilda had a decent life, a house to call her own, some money, a husband who earned a reasonable amount but she craved for all the luxuries and riches she saw some people had. She felt she deserved a life full of extravagances. This greed led her to their ruin. Therefore, we should be happy and contented with whatever we have and make the most of it.

Question 35. Why was Matilda unhappy in her early married life? (Board Question)
Answer: Matilda was unhappy in her early married life because she was married to a clerk working at the Ministry of Public Instruction, who could not satisfy Matilda’s desires for an elegant and luxurious lifestyle.

Question 36. What did Matilda’s husband bring home one evening? Why was he so elated?
Answer: One evening, Matilda’s husband brought home an invitation for both of them to attend a party at a minister’s house. He was elated because he was one of the few clerks to get an invitation and also because he thought Matilda would be thrilled.

Question 37. Why did Matilda not like to visit her rich friend?
Answer: Whenever Matilda visited her rich friend, she remained sad for many days thereafter. The contrast between her life and her friend’s in terms of the luxuries, pained her very much.

Question 38. Why did Mme Forestier, Matilda’s friend not recognise her?
Answer: Over ten years, Matilda let go of all the little pleasures of her life, worked extremely hard in order to save money so as to repay the loan they had taken to buy the replacement for necklace. All the hardships had given her a haggard look and that is why Mme Forestier could not recognise her.

Question 39. Why did Matilda (Mme Loisel) leave the ball in a hurry? What does it show about her character? (Board Question)
Answer: Since no one noticed her shabby shawl, Matilda (Mme Loisel) left the ball in a hurry. Her character depicts her false pride and vanity in material things.

Question 40. How did M. Loisel try to make his wife happy? (Board Question)
Answer: M. Loisel had saved four hundred francs to buy a gun to join some hunting parties the next summer. The gun was to be used when he and his friends went to shoot larks. However, he tried to make his wife happy by offering to give her the saved four hundred francs to buy a suitable costume.

Question 41. Why was Matilda always unhappy after her marriage? (Board Question)
Answer: Matilda was a discontented woman. She was born into a family of clerks. She had received no dowry and had no hopes of becoming famous. Matilda was married to a clerk but she wanted to enjoy a life of luxury just like her rich friends who had money and power.

Question 42. Why was Matilda in a hurry to go to her house after the ball? (Board Question)
Answer: Mr. and Mrs. Loisel had gone to a ball that was attended only by the most famous people of the society. Unlike the other rich ladies draped in their elegant wrap, Mr. Loisel covered Matilda with a modest wrap which was not befitting those belonging to the upper class society and that clashed severely with her elegant costume. Matilda wished to hurry in order to go unnoticed by the other women who wrapped themselves in rich furs.

Question 43. Why did Matilda not want to see her rich friends? (Board Question)
Answer: Matilda had an inferiority complex and considered herself unlucky to be born in a lower-class family. Unlike her, her friends were extremely rich and full of power. Matilda also felt inferior because she was married to a simple clerk, whereas her rich friends were married to high-class men.

Question 44. She danced with enthusiasm, intoxicated with pleasure, thinking of nothing but all this admiration, this victory so complete and sweet to her heart. Describe the reversal of Mme Loisel’s fortune based on your reading of “The Necklace”.
Answer: Mme Loisel was discontented with her means and never appreciated whatever she had in life. She believed that only lavish fashion would define her and measure her worth in front of the society. When invited to a prestigious party, she went there wearing her friend’s jewellery and looked stunning, given she was already extremely beautiful. There she surpassed other women in beauty and was “victorious”. But this turned bitterly opposite many years later when she was no longer the same. Due to her mistake of losing her friend’s necklace, both she and her husband had to struggle through many years, in order to pay off the load of debt they were, after buying the replacement necklace. Hence her quiet and peaceful life was turned upside down after that fateful evening. This is the reversal of fortune talked about here.

Question 45. Read the given quote, by American polymath and founding father of the USA, Benjamin Franklin— “Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor.” Justify the plight of the Loisel couple in light of this quote.
Answer: Human life is meant to be enjoyed and utilised for the best purposes of realising our potential. While it is important to strive to do the best always, at the same time it is vital to stay content with our means. Mme Loisel was discontented with her lifestyle unlike her husband, who was satisfied with his means. She believed extravagant fashion is the key to make a mark in the society and that is why she wore her friend’s jewellery. Her “victory” in surpassing other women in terms of beauty made her so drunk that she lost the necklace. This deteriorated the life of the Loisel couple since they risked their fortunes to pay off the debts. All this would not have happened if Mme Loisel did not borrow her friend’s jewellery and attended the party with whatever accessories her means allowed her to have. Not only did her discontent impoverish them financially, but also socially and mentally. Hence the quote is totally relevant in this context.