The Necklace by Guy DeMaupassant

This classic short story, written by French author, Guy De Maupassant in 1884, is an example of a twist (or surprise) ending. The author leads the reader, step by descriptive step, to the painful, ironic conclusion, leaving in the wake of shock and dismay -- a thoroughly good lesson against vanity and envy. This story has been described as "Cinderella Gone Wrong."

Rabbit Trails

* It might be interesting to discuss this story amongst boys and girls to discover the differences in their reactions. Do young men glean a different lesson from the story than young women? Are they more or less annoyed at Mathilde? Why do they think this is?

* Was the final outcome an inevitable punishment? Though envy and vanity certainly instigated the tragic accident (the loss of the necklace), was it pride that caused the couple's ultimate societal downfall? What could they have done in humility that would have prevented the whole thing? Or... do the students think the couple's reaction to the loss of the necklace was actually an act of honor and integrity? Do the students think that it's possible the couple may have ended up the better, spiritually, by the lesson learned?  (There is no definitive answer, but it's an interesting discussion!)

Printables

Text here.

Study Guide here.

The Prideful Knight

A very old tale from the Middle Ages, this selection provides myriad opportunities for discussion and learning. First and foremost, as you might guess from the title, this tale affords a good chance to pull out the catechism and renew our acquaintance with the Church's teaching on that most ancient and deadly of vices: pride. It's also a good review (or introduction) to the literary device, the allegory, as well as a dive into the literary genres of folk tales, fables, and parables. 

Rabbit Trails

* The chapter on pride in William J. Bennett's Book of Virtues contains similar examples of stories with lessons on pride.  

* Linked is the Project Gutenberg free download, but this book is, in my opinion, a "must-have" and is available at reasonable cost on both Abebooks and Thriftbooks.

* A pdf of Aesop's Fables can be found here at Project Gutenberg

* A NO link, but a pretty good one, that discusses the parables in Scripture can be found here.

* A selection of American Folk Tales and Legends can be found at Project Gutenberg as well: here.

                           

Printables

For the full text of The Prideful Knight, go here for a pdf download.

Teacher's Text with notes can be found here.

The study guide for student use is here

Also, you can find here the same study guide, complete with teacher's notes that serve as a (partial) answer key.

(Stay tuned, I might eventually get around to completing an actual answer key for this one...)