I was very surprised by the end of the necklace. It is comical that this couple dedicated their life to this task of replacing the necklace only to discover it was a fake. All the effort was for nothing. It ended up being a sad ending to a sad story.
What intrigued me was that I see so many examples of this in today’s society. People strive to acquire material things, trying to convey an image of success. The reality is the celebrities or influencers that people look up to have a carefully curated image that in most cases are unattainable. The fact that this story highlights the same social economic views is astonishing to me. Classic example of keeping up with the Joneses. The Irony is in this frivolous pursuit, the the couple lost themselves, which to me resonates with todays society.
What puzzled me is how much we as a society still cling to the gender roles described in the lecture on the “Cult of Domesticity”. Many current roles that women are expected to fulfill are derived from these principles established in the 19th century. However there is hope that peoples (men and women) views are changing.
7 thoughts on “James Terry Discussion 9”
James, thanks for the good observations. I think I feel a similar puzzlement with respect to how gender roles have changed in many ways but not in all ways. I think women are still the main caretakers of children, which, of course, makes perfect sense especially when the children are very young; however, men have become so much more involved in recent decades. Covid revealed the unchanging nature of some roles, I think. Far more women than men left their jobs to stay home with the children, for example. And yes, about the surprise ending of “The Necklace.” It’s the ultimate situational irony.
I agree with you that there are many people in society who strive to acquire material things and try to convey an image of success. Wanting to have something is not something they can easily get. The heroine borrows an expensive necklace for a party and when it is lost she finds she cannot afford to pay it back. The couple loses themselves in this frivolous pursuit.
Hello James,
I totally agree with you about the ending of the story being sad. Having to be put in a position like that I would definitely feel horrible, and I would not want to go through what she had to go through. I also agree with you stating that you see many examples of that in todays generation. I would like to add about the story “The Necklace” that despite her flaws and mistakes, Mathilde is a sympathetic character because she is trapped in a society that places a high value on appearances and social status. Her longing for something more, and her eventual realization that she has been chasing an illusion, and I feel like anyone would have an illusion the way she has.
Hello James, great post! I appreciate your observation about the persistence of gender roles in contemporary society, and how it puzzled you. It’s really puzzling to see that despite all the progress we’ve made, gender roles still persist in many areas of society. It’s frustrating to see individuals being limited by these societal expectations, and it can feel like we’re not making much progress at times. However, we’re seeing more representation of diverse gender identities in media and entertainment, and organizations are taking steps to promote diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Of course, there’s still a long way to go, but it’s heartening to see that people are actively working towards a more equitable and inclusive society!
James, I like how you related the story to real life and how we are hyper focused on materialistic things. I found it interesting that you included the idea that gender roles are still divided today because I personally feel like they’ve been alleviated. Women are more openly rejecting domestication and submission but the question that I would pose to you for critical thinking purposes is if you think it’s a good or bad thing? Is there a possibility that women and men could adapt some traditional roles without it being a division of power? Can a woman be considered an alpha female while being subservient to her partner and vice versa, can a man be a traditional provider while also being subservient to his partner?
Thank you, Terry for very interesting and valuable comment. My feelings about “The necklace” were opposite. I found this story kind of dramatic, but at the same time I was surprised that the main heroine was able to cope with that difficulty, and transformed to absolutely different character as she was at the beginning of the story. She endured all the hardship, and took responsibility for this failure. I was really irritated by her personality at the beginning of the story, but at the end of it I was proud of her, despite the fact that it was really sad thing.
Your outlook on the tale is something I firmly concur with. The steps that Mathilde and her partner took to swap out the necklace were incredible, while the surprise ending was both stunning and discouraging. It’s interesting to see how much her character changed over time, because it says a lot about her strong will and determination. Your observation regarding pride as well as fear playing a significant part in determining what she does cannot be overstated. This story evokes plenty of reactions from people.