This The Necklace summary for Class 10 English gives you the full story, themes, characters, and word meanings in one place. The Necklace is a famous story by Guy de Maupassant with a sharp twist, covered in line with the 2026-27 NCERT for quick board revision.

  • Board Weightage: This story feeds the Literature section, worth roughly 10 marks across extract, short-answer, and long-answer questions.
  • Most Tested Ideas: Matilda's vanity, the lost necklace, and the ironic ending.
  • 2026-27 NCERT: The chapter is unchanged in the current Footprints Without Feet textbook.

These notes are prepared by Collegedunia's English subject experts, matched to the 2026-27 NCERT Footprints Without Feet textbook, and framed around the last five years of CBSE Board questions.

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The Necklace Topic-wise Importance for CBSE Boards

Some parts of the story are asked more than others. This table shows where to spend your revision time.

TopicBoard Importance
Matilda's discontent and vanityHigh
Borrowing and losing the necklaceHigh
Ten years of hardshipHigh
The twist about the fake necklaceHigh

The Necklace Summary in Simple Words

This The Necklace summary covers the story in three clear parts.

An Unhappy, Vain Woman

Matilda Loisel is a pretty woman married to a small clerk. She always dreams of wealth, grand dresses, and jewels, and feels unhappy with her simple life. When her husband brings home an invitation to a grand party, she is upset because she has no fine dress or jewels. Her husband gives her money for a dress, and she borrows a diamond necklace from her rich friend Madame Forestier.

Easy Tip: Note that Matilda's discontent and love of show set the whole story in motion.

The Lost Necklace

At the party Matilda is admired by everyone and is very happy. But on returning home she finds the necklace gone. The couple search everywhere but cannot find it. Too ashamed to tell the truth, they borrow a large sum of money and buy a real diamond necklace for thirty-six thousand francs to return to Madame Forestier.

Years of Suffering and the Twist

To repay the huge debt, the Loisels dismiss their maid, move to a cheap attic, and work hard for ten long years. Matilda loses her beauty and becomes a rough, tired woman. One day she meets Madame Forestier and tells her the whole story. Her friend is shocked and reveals that the original necklace was only an imitation, worth very little. All the suffering had been for a fake.

Easy Tip: The twist ending is the most asked part of the story, so learn it clearly.

Themes and Message of The Necklace

The story carries two ideas that boards test.

  • Vanity brings ruin: Matilda's desire to appear rich destroys her real life.
  • Honesty matters: Had she told the truth about the loss, years of hardship could have been avoided.
Remember: The story warns against pride, pretence, and longing for what one does not have.

The Necklace Word Meanings

These tough words from the chapter often appear in extract-based questions.

WordMeaning
EcstasyA feeling of very great joy
DistressGreat worry or suffering
VexationAnnoyance or trouble
ImitationA copy, not the real thing
FrugalCareful with money, spending little
AdornedDecorated

Most Repeated Board Questions on The Necklace

This The Necklace summary ends with the questions you must practise. Each has appeared in CBSE-style papers.

  • Why was Matilda always unhappy?
  • How did she lose the necklace?
  • How did the couple repay the debt?
  • What was the twist at the end?

Full question answers: The Necklace Class 10 English NCERT Solutions

Revised well, this The Necklace summary from Collegedunia should let you attempt any board question on the chapter with confidence.

More The Necklace English Class 10 Resources

Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Notes: All Chapters

Open the notes for any other Footprints Without Feet chapter from this table.

The Necklace Class 10 English Notes FAQs

Ques. Where can I download The Necklace Class 10 English Notes PDF?

Ans. You can download the The Necklace Class 10 English Notes PDF directly from this page. Both the Normal and HD versions are free.

Ques. What is the theme of The Necklace?

Ans. The story warns against vanity and pretence. Matilda's wish to appear rich and her failure to tell the truth ruin ten years of her life.

Ques. Who is Matilda Loisel?

Ans. Matilda is the main character, a beautiful but discontented woman who longs for wealth and loses everything through her pride.

Ques. Are these notes aligned with the 2026-27 syllabus?

Ans. Yes. This chapter remains Chapter 7 of Footprints Without Feet in the current 2026-27 syllabus, so these notes are fully valid for the board exam.

Ques. Why is the ending ironic for a 12th std style answer?

Ans. It is ironic because the Loisels ruin themselves to replace a necklace that turns out to be a cheap imitation, so all their suffering was needless.