The Necklace – important questions for Boards 2027

CBSE Class 10 English

1. MCQ · 1 mark

   How does Matilda feel and appear at the Minister’s ball? (A) Anxious and overlooked (B) Beautiful and admired (C) Tired and embarrassed (D) Uncomfortable and angry

   Answer

   (B) Beautiful and admired — she is the prettiest at the ball, and the men notice her and seek introductions.

2. SA · 2 marks

   Why is Matilda unhappy with her life and home circumstances?

   Answer

   Matilda is unhappy because she feels born for delicacies and luxuries, but lives in poverty. Her shabby apartment, worn chairs, lack of dresses and jewels, and modest meals distress her.

3. LA · 5 marks

   The section recommends ‘A Cup of Tea’ and ‘The Bet’. Name the author of each and explain how the suggested-reading list connects these works to the lesson’s study of short fiction. (5 marks)

   Answer

   The suggested-reading list broadens the study of short fiction by directing readers from ‘The Necklace’ to stories by other authors. 1. ‘A Cup of Tea’ is by Katherine Mansfield. Its inclusion encourages readers to explore a short story by a writer different from Guy de Maupassant, the author of ‘The Necklace’. 2. ‘The Bet’ is by Anton Chekov. The recommendation gives readers another short story to read and consider alongside the lesson’s story. 3. Together, the titles introduce readers to short fiction by three named authors. Reading the recommended stories can help readers compare how different writers shape short stories and engage their readers. The list therefore extends the lesson beyond ‘The Necklace’ and encourages wider reading of short fiction.

4. VLA · 6 marks

   Describe how Matilda’s husband responds to her wish for a dress and explain how she obtains the jewellery she wears to the Minister’s ball.

   Answer

   Matilda’s husband tries to make it possible for her to attend the Minister’s ball feeling properly dressed and adorned. 1. When Matilda says she has no suitable dress, her husband asks how much one would cost. She requests four hundred francs, a sum she thinks will not be refused. 2. Her husband turns pale because he had saved those four hundred francs to buy a gun and join his friends on hunting trips. Nevertheless, he gives her the money and asks her to choose a pretty dress. 3. As the ball approaches, Matilda becomes distressed because she has no jewels to wear. Her husband suggests natural flowers, but she fears looking shabby among rich women. 4. He then advises her to visit her friend Mme Forestier and borrow some jewels. Matilda joyfully accepts this suggestion and visits her the next day. 5. Mme Forestier opens her jewel-case and invites Matilda to choose. Matilda selects a superb diamond necklace from a black satin box and asks to borrow it; Mme Forestier readily lends it. Thus, her husband’s generosity provides the dress, while her friend’s kindness supplies the necklace she wears to the ball.

5. VLA · 8 marks

   Explain how the Loisels’ decade of hardship changes Matilda’s life and appearance. In your response, discuss the final revelation about the necklace, the consequences of not confessing the loss, and her husband’s sacrifices.

   Answer

   The necklace’s loss forces the Loisels into a decade of hardship, changing Matilda’s appearance and daily life. The final revelation shows that their sacrifice was avoidable. 1. To repay the thirty-six thousand francs, the couple dismiss their maid and move into attic rooms. Matilda takes on exhausting household work, washing clothes and dishes, carrying water and shopping carefully. 2. Her husband also sacrifices his comfort and free time. He works evenings arranging merchants’ books and often copies documents at night for five sous a page. 3. After ten years, the Loisels have repaid the debt. Matilda has become a strong, hard woman, with badly dressed hair, awry skirts and red hands; she speaks loudly and washes floors with large pails of water. 4. Matilda eventually tells Mme Forestier that she lost the borrowed necklace and spent ten years repaying its replacement. Mme Forestier reveals that her original necklace was false and worth no more than five hundred francs. 5. Had Matilda confessed immediately, Mme Forestier could have told her the necklace’s true value, sparing the couple needless debt and years of labour. The revelation exposes the terrible cost of Matilda’s silence, while her husband’s sustained sacrifices helped them repay a debt far greater than necessary.

6. VVLA · 12 marks

   Trace the events from Matilda discovering the necklace is missing to her final conversation with Mme Forestier. Explain the search and replacement, the Loisels’ sacrifices and hardship, the truth about the original necklace, and how failing to tell the truth changed their lives.

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7. SA · 2 marks

   From whom did Matilda borrow the necklace, and for what occasion did she wear it?

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8. LA · 5 marks

   Present the three works named in the suggested-reading list, matching each title with its author. Briefly explain how a reader could use this list to explore writing by different authors. (5 marks)

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9. VLA · 6 marks

   Explain how Matilda’s longing for luxury and status contributes to the change in the Loisels’ life. Include the part her husband plays in helping her.

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10. VVLA · 12 marks

    The story is presented in English, but its characters are French. Write a detailed response identifying clues in the story about the language they would have spoken and the setting in which the events take place.

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