“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant is set during nineteenth century France, a time characterized by distinct social classes. Upper class women enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle while, middle class women passionately envied the wealth of the wealthy. Matrimony was the only way women could rise above their social standing. In his story, Guy Maupassant demonstrates how the rampant desire to elevate one’s social status can be disastrous and that appearances are deceptive.

The story revolves around Matilda Loisel, a pretty and charming woman who is dissatisfied with her lifestyle. Although her husband loves her and provides her with everything comfortable, Matilda is tortured and angered by her circumstances as she dreams of “large drawing rooms, hung in old silks” and “graceful pieces of furniture”. To please his wife, Mr Loisel presents Matilda with an invitation to an exclusive ball hosted by the Ministry of Education. Matilda however is upset; she rejects the invitation on the grounds that she has no appropriate clothes to wear and that a new dress would cost four hundred francs. Four hundred francs happened to be exactly what Mr Loisel had saved up, after toiling away long hours, to buy himself a gun to join his friends in hunting parties. Mr Loisel devotedly surrenders his entire savings for his wife’s happiness. Matilda then goes on to borrow jewelry from her affluent friend, Mrs Forestier. Out of all the beautiful necklaces Mrs Forestier offers her, Matilda chooses a diamond necklace.At the party, Matilda is the center of attention; all the wealthy men in attendance asked to be introduced to her. Upon reaching home, she realizes that her necklace is missing! Matilda stalls for time by informing Mr Forestier that she has sent the necklace for mending while her husband finds a similar looking necklace that cost thirty-six thousand francs. Mr Loisel purchases the necklace after taking out multiple loans and mortgages. Matilda “returns” the diamond necklace to her friend and immediately takes on rigorous household chores to pay off the debt. The Loisels move to a smaller apartment and dismiss their maid while Mr Loisel takes on a second job.After ten years of penny-pinching and backbreaking work, the Loisels pay off their debts. Once debt-free, Matilda comes across Mrs Forestier on a Sunday afternoon and reveals to her friend the truth behind the necklace. Upon hearing about the unfortunate incident, Mrs Forestier clasps her hands exclaiming that the necklace cost barely five hundred francs and was a fake!

For those of you interested in reading this short story, below is a link to it:

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/hochiminh/646441/vantt/The%20necklace.pdf

My all time favorite TV show is Merlin, which is a British fantasy-adventure program. This series consists of 5 seasons and it recently ended in 2013. The story is based on Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur Pendragon but the episodes twist the traditional story by adding adventure and action into it. The story is set in the kingdom of Camelot where Merlin is sent by his mother to train under court physician Gaius due to his special powers. There Merlin discovers that King Uther of Camelot had banned the use of magic for the past 20 years and anybody caught using magic was to be killed immediately. The episodes portray the growing friendship between King Uther’s son Prince Arthur and Merlin and how they try to defend Camelot from danger and evil. I enjoy watching this show because it contains elements of fantasy and takes the viewer into a world filled with magic, mystery and adventure. The story captures the viewer’s attention as it keeps them guessing what danger Merlin and Arthur will have to face and if that danger could lead to either one’s death. I enjoy watching this show because periodic stories interest me and this series also contains romance.

Below is a link to the Season 1 trailer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPxq3myiQF0

A successful movie is one, which captures the viewer’s attention from beginning to end and is able to conjure their emotions. The 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice does so through its timeless theme and relatable characters. This six episode mini series effectively portrays every detail present in Jane Austen’s novel and transports the viewer into nineteenth century England. BBC’s interpretation of the story surpasses the 2005 version and gives life to this two-century-old novel.

The series begins with the dilemma of Mr Bennet who fears that his family will lose his inheritance after his death. The only thing that can save his family from financial trouble is if one of his daughters marries a wealthy man. Mrs Bennet, an anxious woman, is determined to find extremely rich men to secure her as well as her daughters’ futures. The Bennets have five daughters: Jane, the eldest, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and lastly Lydia. All of them are considered of marriageable age but finding a suitable husband is not as easy as it seems. When a young and wealthy man named Mr Charles Bingely rents a mansion near the Bennets’ village, the news excites Mrs Bennet who hopes he will fall in love with one of her daughters. Mr Bingley’s friend, Mr Darcy, also stays at the mansion. He too is a dashing young man who has double the fortune Bingley has. The encounter between the Bennet family, Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy takes place at a local ball held to welcome the two young men into the neighborhood. Jane and Mr Bingley seem to fall in love at first sight; on the other hand, Elizabeth finds Mr Darcy arrogant, cold and rude for having a prejudice against those who have less wealth compared to him. Meanwhile, Elizabeth comes across a handsome military officer named George Wickham. Wickham possesses all the traits that attract Elizabeth towards him; he is a gentleman who respects women, cares about their emotions, and is charming. As Wickham and Elizabeth’s friendship develops she learns that Wickham and Darcy grew up together as children and are now enemies. When Elizabeth discovers Wickham’s past through Mr Darcy she realizes that appearances can be deceptive.

Pride and Prejudice is a masterpiece due to its realistic plot, timeless themes, various characters and beautiful setting. What makes this enjoyable is the fact that it is a mini series. The lengthened time of the series accurately captures every detail of the novel and the development of all characters that movies with a time limit are unable to do. Jennifer Ehle passionately depicts Elizabeth Bennet’s character through the twinkle in her eye at the sight of Wickham and the crease on her forehead whenever Darcy acts arrogant. Collin Firth is also in-sync with his character and artistically balances appearing arrogant without appearing rude or hateful. Pride and Prejudice mirrors society’s attitude towards differences in social class and wealth and teaches us how true love can overcome all of these differences.

Below is a link to the first episode of the miniseries. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Il3TrP2kRQ