Happiness and Veronica S Life
Compare and contrast the female characters in ‘Veronica’ and ‘The Necklace’ Both ‘Veronica’ and The Necklace’ concentrate on the female main character, one of the similarities. However the characters are more different than similar. In ‘The Necklace’ there is Mathilde who desires for wealth and popularity. She is seen as desperate. The Necklace was written in 1884 by Guy de Maupassant a French writer. In ‘Veronica’ the main female character is Veronica; a native villager. Veronica is seen as a strong, happy character despite her misgivings in life.
Veronica was written in 1995 by Adelwale maja-pearce. Even with their differences the characters have similarities even though their backgrounds are so different. In Veronica the writer is trying to get sympathy from the reader by talking about her background ‘I would lie awake listening to her screams’. This makes the reader feel sorry for Veronica as Adelwale maja-pearce describes Veronica as poor girl with little fortune. However this is quite the opposite with Mahtilde as she is always unsatisfied. The writer is manipulating you to make you believe her character is ungrateful and spoilt.
This makes the reader dislike Mahtilde, especially compared to Veronica, as her life is reasonably good. The writer shows Mahtilde’s discontent from the first paragraph, this shows the importance of her discontent. After all it was Mahtilde’s discontent which leads to the misfortune of paying back the debt. The writer uses abstract nouns ‘regret’, ‘despair’, ‘envied’ to show Mahtilde’s superficial view on life. This makes the reader realise what a shallow character Mahtilde is. Also it gives hints of what might happen next in the story. Mathilde is unhappy of with her life and social status. I haven’t got anything to wear’ ‘I haven’t got a single piece of jewellery’ this shows she has a desire for more yet not realising her life isn’t as poor as she makes it out to be. The writer never seems to focus on the relationship between Mathilde and but how Mathilde depends on her husband. However her husband still stays with her even when she needs to pay back the necklace. Similarly, Okeke is the only constant character coming back to Veronica. Okeke holds an important role the story; his life contrast is a contrast to Veronica’s life.
While Okeke is in the city, Veronica stays in the village. While Okeke is educated, Veronica is not (because she had to look after brothers and sisters). Veronica and Okeke’s relationship shows a friendship and love. On the other hand Mathilde and Monsieur Loisel definitely do not have a strong relationship despite their marriage. Monsieur Loisel isn’t presented as an important character like Okeke is. Perhaps this is because is self-centred therefore her one and only goal is to be envied. Adewale Maja-pearce presents Veronica as a content woman. ‘God blessed us with a son.
Is that not enough? ’ Not only does she realise what she has got but she believes in God. Although the village is in ‘acute poverty’ Veronica never complains and never says she regrets things. She could have moved to the city but she didn’t. She knew her place was in the village even if that would lead her to very little. Now she has a husband and a child. Veronica is happy. But Mathilde is discontent. ‘What earthly use is that to me’ although she would like go Mathilde says she has nothing to wear. She wants to impress the people who are higher up than her. Therefore she is demanding.
It makes us wonder if she will ever be happy. Mathilde is always trying to climb the social ladder and she admires (and envies) those who are above her like Madame Forestier. ‘She never called now, for she was always so unhappy afterwards’ Mathilde is ashamed of her social standing. The writer makes us think that Mathilde is power-driven by the wealth she doesn’t have. As a reader we don’t think Mathilde is a partially good character. Compared to Veronica she has a lot more. Mathilde is not that poor – she used to have a servant. However Veronica is happier and accepting of her lot.
Section 3 Both Veronica and Mathilde have to deal with destruction in their life. At the party, for the first time Mathilde is ecstatic. It took her a long time to get to this state of happiness. This one night she feels like she fits in. ‘she was the prettiest woman there, elegant, graceful, radiant and wonderfully happy’. She looks the part of a glamorous woman. She looks like she belongs with the wealthy world with her necklace and her expensive dress. It’s a contrast to the rest of the story as finally she is almost living her dream. She even forgets her old life.
Now she is shown into a new world. But then the writer puts a twist on the story; Mathilde lost the necklace. However much suffering they had when paying off the debts Mathilde still wouldn’t regret that night. Greed and deception are what sealed her fate. When Mathilde loses the necklace we start to feel sorry for her. We feel sorry because after all this happiness she has a great debt to pay off. However Veronica situation is the opposite as she couldn’t have controlled the war going on. Mathilde self-inflicted the debt as she chose to borrow the necklace.
Veronica had to stay in the village as she doesn’t belong in the city. Veronica doesn’t have any education meaning she can’t get a job and get a better life. Veronica is still content with her life even with all the suffering. Mathilde looked everywhere for the necklace and when she couldn’t find it she saw only one option to replace it. Section 4 Both Veronica and Mathilde are surprised to see their old friends. Veronica is content at the end as she is happy to see Okeke. For her seeing Okeke is her dying wish. Seeing Okeke means she can die peacefully. Veronica doesn’t want to live; she has nothing to live for.
Both her husband and child has died meaning now she is very lonely. Adewale Maja-pearce has used speech to explain veronica’s feelings. This way we can feel Veronica’s point of view – Veronica is ready to die. Veronica now accepts her fate to die. Unlike Veronica’s hardships, which ended in content because she saw Okeke for the last time, Mathilde realises the unnecessary poverty she has been living in. In the ‘Necklace’ To close, both stories are dominated by female characters, their sufferings, 1995 http://www. studymode. com/essays/Discuss-How-Veronica-Is-Portrayed-And-843029. html
