New Criticism Vs Reader Response Vs Historical
“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” This is often a phrase that describes a woman’s love for luxurious charms. In “The Jewelry,” by Guy de Maupassant, Mr. Lantin, a low-middle class office clerk, married a beautiful, fair woman- so he thought. Every man wanted this woman, but he was the “lucky” one whom she chose. Mr. Lantin was truly devoted to his wife and found very few flaws in her. In fact, the only two characteristics that he found fault in her were the love for theatre and false jewelry (Norton, 634). He even told her many times that she did not need to wear fake jewelry. Her response was that she always loved jewelry and that even though they were not authentic, the work was done so well that her jewels looked real (Norton, 635).
One day (six years after marriage), on her way home from the theatre, Mrs. Lantin caught pneumonia and died eight days later. Mr. Lantin was devastated and found himself crying the majority of the time. He kept a shrine of all of her belongings in her room just as she had left it before she died. To add to his problems, he got into debt and did not have any money left. So he decided to sell his late wife’s false jewelry which he despised. He took her necklace to a jewelry-store and with an approach of embarrassment, asked the jeweler its worth. The jeweler told him that it was worth great value. Not convinced, he took the same piece of jewelry to another jeweler who informed Mr. Lantin that it was worth more than the previous jeweler said. Mr. Lantin was confused because he knew that his wife could not afford this type of jewelry. He then realized that his worst fear had come true. The pieces of jewelry were gifts from other men whom his wife were involved with during their marriage.
Over the years, several ways to analyze literature have developed. Each of these criticisms varies and has distinct rules and characteristics that make them unique. Of these criticisms, some were more popular...
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