False Pride in the Series In Mauassant's essay, The Series Matilda Loisel has borrowed a necklace from a rich friend, Mrs. Forestier, so as not to present "a look unkempt among rich women." He loses the necklace but refuses to admit it. She and her husband, not realizing that the necklace was fake, purchase a similar necklace to return to Mrs. Forestier. Ultimately they have to work ten years to repay this debt. The whole lady. Loisel's actions leading to the loss of the necklace were directed by an attempt to maintain his false sense of pride, for which he gave up his dignity over the next ten years. Madame Loisel's thoughts and actions were influenced by her vain character. As Maupassant says, she "felt she was made for" clothes, jewels, elegant dinners and admirers. Because she and her husband were poor, she cried for days "out of sorrow, out of remorse, out of despair and disappointment." When she and her husband were invited to an elegant ball, she couldn't bear the thought of looking plain. She would be ashamed if she couldn't at least look like the other women at the ball. True pride comes from self-respect or satisfaction with one's accomplishments. Mrs. Loisel's only pride came from her physical appearance. She had also always wanted to take pride in possessing material possessions. Her sense of self-importance at the ball was essentially claimed disenfranchised as it derived only from her attire. This feeling lasted one night, but the consequences of that evening continued for ten years. Because of her false pride, Mme. Loisel did not think of different ways to solve his problem and did not weigh the effects of his decision. The most obvious alternative would have been to be honest with Mrs. Forestier. Even if the necklace had been real, I doubt he would have asked the Loisels, who were poor, to replace such an expensive item. Instead, as always, Madame Loisel tried to maintain this false pride. The Loisels had difficulty giving up just 400 francs for the dress she had worn to the ball. They didn't go and buy a necklace because they couldn't afford it, so I see no justification in going and buying a replacement necklace for the lost one.