The complex character of Mathilde Loisel in Le CollierDeveloping a character on paper is the key to being able to create that character on stage. The development of the character on paper is also essential to understanding him in our imagination. I read and understand stories and novels the same way I read a play script… through character analysis. I believe that understanding the characters in a short story, or any form of fiction for that matter, is essential to many readers' ability to grasp and I enjoy the work. I know in my own life I can't connect to the plot of a story without the help of a character. It's how the characters handle the plot twists that help me become immersed in the story and mentally visualize what the story is about. Likewise, I visualize the setting through the character's eyes. It is the character and his response to his environment that forms the backbone of the story. We see a brilliant example of this idea in “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. The main character, Mathilde Loisel, is an incredibly complex character. One of the most interesting things about this woman is the fact that we can easily create, in our imagination, a "life before" this story for her and yet there is no dialogue describing that life. It is this past life and Mathilde's perception of it that is the catalyst for everything that happens in this story. It is the story of a woman who lets her bitterness and resentment lead her down a path of pain and misery. I think the key to understanding this character is to analyze what we know about his past and apply it to his reactions to his present. Mathilde's problems begin before the story even begins. Her obvious bitterness and her heart of paper......because of her pride and her belief that she deserves better than what she gets out of life, that she has learned nothing from her ordeal. What could have made her a better person only made her harder. Looking at the character of Mathilde is difficult because we can approach her from several angles. One could see her simply as a lost soul, or as I described her, more self-centered and busy. Regardless, the key to understanding Mathilde is, as I said before, to wonder about her childhood. I find it incredible that something which is not even part of the story, on paper, is the driving force of the main character and even, I believe, of the plot. Works cited: Maupassant, Guy de. “The necklace.” [First published in 1884.] Rpt. The story and its author: an introduction to short fiction. Ed. Ann Charters. Compact 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2003.