In literature, realism is an art that is used by authors to portray the lives of common people in an accurate manner. This form of materialism existed during the renaissance era where artists would capture the actual struggle and experience of common people so that they could raise awareness on the economic and social injustice that existed in the society. Realist stories therefore try to explain how issues such as poverty affect the middle and lower class groups in contemporary societies. A writer who reflects on the social issues in his story provides his readers with an insight into the challenges that many individuals in the society face. They therefore describe some aspects of the world by portraying the actual living conditions of common people, with the hope that someday, a change would come. The Storm by Kate Chopin and The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant are good examples of realist stories because they provide a reflection of some issues that affect people in the contemporary society. This essay will therefore explore the two stories by providing a comprehensive insight into the economic issues that are discussed by the authors.
The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
In The Necklace, Guy de Maupassant sheds light on the issue of social class and how it affects the decisions of the character in the story. The main protagonist of this story is a selfish woman who goes by the name Mathilde Loisel . Unfortunately, she and her husband are poor folks who cannot afford the luxuries of life. Even though her husband tries to solve every problem that comes their way, his wife seems to make life harder for them as a result of her discontent with everything she has in her life. After her husband gets an invitation to an elegant party, his wife freaks out because she does not have a dress to wear ( Korba & Maupassant, 2007 ). In reality, the author portrays the lives of many women who are discontented with their economic status and as such, they try to live a life of deceit so that they can gain favor in the eyes of the society. Even though her husband manages to buy her a dress for the function, this does not seem to solve anything.
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Guy de Maupassant makes an attempt to present a story that explains how poverty can lead individuals to make decisions that will haunt them for the rest of their lives ( Korba & Maupassant, 2007 ). He sheds light on selfish individuals in the society who would do anything to get noticed with the latest fashion trends and luxury items. In the story, the wife is still not contented even after her husband gets her a dress. Apparently, she also wants to wear expensive jewelry at the party. Since her husband cannot afford to buy her a piece, he allows his wife to borrow from her friend. Things go well from here as the two attend the party gracefully where they have a good time. A twist in the turn of events, however, occurs as Mathilde realizes that the necklace is gone after they leave the party. Even though they attempt to search for it in almost every part of the town, their efforts bear no fruits.
Luxurious items have a very big influence on people’s lives in many societies. Whether its flashy cars or a classic apartment or the latest phone model, most individuals would sacrifice everything they have such a life. They would rather live in debts that be seen as poor folks with no sense of class and social status. In the story, Mathilde and her husband are forced to find a means of paying back the necklace that has been lost as a result of the desire for a luxurious life ( Korba & Maupassant, 2007 ). Mathilde was not ready to accept her position in the lower class bracket of the society. She instead wanted to be seen as an elegant and wealthy woman without considering the welfare of her husband. She does not seem to care whether her husband borrowed the money to buy the dress when she makes a bigger request for jewelry.
Mathilde’s economic situation and love for material things leads her to live a life that she cannot afford. The decisions that she makes have severe consequences as she and her husband are forced to borrow money and work extra jobs to repay the necklace. This story represents a form of economic determinist patriarchy that shows how individuals can fall deeper into poverty just by trying to achieve an upper class status in the society.
The Storm by Kate Chopin
In her story, Kate Chopin attempts to shed light on the issue of infidelity in the society. At the time when she wrote the book, state laws were very sensitive on the issue of sexual explicitness. This is the main reason why the book was not published at this time because it would have received a lot of criticisms from the public. The truth of the matter is that most married couples in the society are involved in secret love affairs. Even though perfect marriages do exist, many people tend to fall into temptations and engage in sexual affairs with their exes, workmates or even neighbors. This is the main reason why many people would not want this issue to be brought to light, even in writing, because they feel as if they are being scrutinized. In The Storm, Chopin uses the storm as a symbol of the passion between Calixta and Alcée. Even though these two are married with children, they still get entangled in a temporary sexual love affair without regard to the fact that they have families ( Gale, n.d. ). During the storm, they get lost in a world of romance and passion and after it ends, this seems to be a one-time affair. Even though they both show affection to their loved ones after the storm ends, it is still evident that a spark still exists between them.
In the contemporary society, more than 50% of marriages are not perfect. During the later years of marriage, most relationships are sexually inactive, meaning that the couples do not get intimate frequently, not unless they want to get a baby. The Storm sheds light on this issue and tries to provide a story that people can relate to in real life. Chopin seems to be supporting the love affair because after the storm ends, she notes that both characters are happy and smiling. This means that they have no regrets for what they have done. As a matter of fact, the author notes that instead of having a negative effect on their marriages, the affair has brought the characters much closer to their families ( Gale, n.d. ). This shows the complexity of getting into a marriage in the contemporary life. The obscurity that is associated with a lifetime relationship comes from the fact that each couple has their own needs that may not be addressed in the marriage. If sexual needs are not met, then a spouse will end up getting involved in a passionate intimacy with someone they feel would satisfy their lust. Chopin tries to bring this issue to light as she explores the encounter between Calixta and Alcée during the storm.
Conclusion
From the discussion provided above, it is evident that realist stories represent a form of literature that attempts to capture the reality of certain events as they occur in the society. In The Necklace, the author provides a narrative of how an individual’s economic status can affect the decisions they make in life. The protagonist in this story is a selfish woman with the desire to acquire an upper class status just for a night. This decision costs her family their little wealth as they are forced to take loans, sell their house and work many jobs a day to repay the lost necklace. The story is a true depiction of how many individuals in the society try to fit into a status that is above their own, only to plunge themselves into a life of more poverty. Chopin on the other hand provides her audience with an insight into the life of marriage and how infidelity affects many families. The encounter between the two ex-lovers in The Storm provides a reflection of how passionate affairs have encroached positive relationships and years of marriage.
References
Gale, C. L. (n.d.). Study guide for Kate Chopin’s "the storm.” Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning.
Korba, J., & Maupassant, G. (2007). Guy de Maupassant's The necklace: A play adaptation . Pelham, NY: Benchmark Education Co.
