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Essay / Maupassant and Thurber use irony and conflict to...
In the early 1900s, there was a slow and powerful movement away from the negative emphasis in the critical examination of American life and modern society as a whole towards a positive revaluation of materials and affirmation. A few writers achieved positive reviews early in this period and throughout their careers. Many receive negative reviews. However, among prominent and influential writers, many of these individual developments fit the general pattern. The character of the final statement varied considerably. The results included positive values in democracy, in materialism, in the common man in religion, in man's relationship to the earth and in human life as a whole. Guy de Maupassant and James Thurber used the techniques of irony and conflict to explore and visualize marital relationships. “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant tells the story of a young couple who discover that high society seems to sparkle like a real diamond necklace, but in reality, this is not always true. A decision that seems to protect their integrity ends up tarnishing it – like a fake collar. However, through ironic ideas, we witness drama, character revelations and surprises” (Clugston, 2010). The Necklace is told from a third-person point of view with limited omniscience. The title suggests that the plot will center around a necklace. So naturally we, the audience or reader, want to know what the meaning of the necklace is. After reading the story, I believe that Maupassant used the necklace to symbolize high society or wealth. Another symbol represented by the necklace is appearance. In the story Mme. Loisel was a beautiful young woman who had admirers at the reception. She made everyone in attendance believe she came from...a newspaper background...her protagonist struggles with self-esteem. In The Necklace, the protagonist struggles with her social status, meaning that she is middle class and not upper class. But at the end of the story, the protagonist realizes that social status is just a show and not real life. In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the protagonist struggles with self-esteem, due to male issues. He wants to be this alpha male but gets pecked to the point where he can't do simple errands without being harassed by his wife. Guy de Maupassant and James Thurber used the techniques of irony and conflict to explore and visualize marital relationships.Works Cited (nd). Retrieved from http://www.shvoong.com. Clugston, R. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.iradossier.hutton. (2003, August 5). Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/media.