English Prose Lesson

The Necklace By Guy de Maupassant

The Necklace" (in French, "La Parure") is perhaps the most famous short story by French author Guy de Maupassant. It's been called Madame Bovary in miniature and tells the tale of a dissatisfied woman whose dreams of glamour end in disaster. Maupassant first published it (in French) on February 17, 1884, in a daily newspaper called Le Gaulois, where he worked as an editor. As a class, we will read Maupassant's The Necklace and analyze theme, symbols, characters building throughout the story. Helpful resources will be provided to ensure that we are in the right direction. 

TASK:

As a class, we will analyze themes, symbols, characters building throughout Maupassant's The Necklace. We will also discuss the motifs of the story. 

1. Your first task is to prepare a concept map of themes and symbols present in the story. You are also expected to include vital characters present in the story.

2. After you have created your concept maps, you will provide examples from the text to support each theme, character, and symbol you mentioned in your concept map. A paragraph or two is expected for each theme, character, symbol discussed.

3. Once you have completed your first two tasks, you will prepare a short presentation. In that, you will discuss your concept maps in-depth to your class. 

Note: This WebQuest is designed for the students of grade 9 who are expected to have a firm understanding of textual analysis as well as the ability to provide the necessary evidence from the text to support their analysis. 

Step 1: 

Read the story 'The Necklace' by Guy de Maupassant.

Step 2:

After you have read the entire story, you are expected to develop a list of prevalent themes and symbols you noticed throughout the story. Important characters as well as their relationship to one another should be noted as well. You are expected to write thoughtful answers regarding the themes you chose. A couple of links have been provided below that will help you in your analysis of The Necklace's themes, symbols, and characters:

• http://teachingcollegeenglish.com/2007/08/10/how-to-write-an-analysis-of-theme/

• https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-write-a-character-analysis-1857638

Step 3:

After you have read the entire story, visit the links below. Your main task is to prepare a concept map and it is important that you have a firm understanding of it. The links provided will take you through the process as well as give you helpful hints on creating a concept map of your own. An ample amount of time will be given to complete your concept maps. 

• Overview of Concept Maps- https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/concept_maps

• How to use Concept Maps to Organize Information- https://creately.com/blog/diagrams/concept-maps-for-studying/

• Example of Concept Map- https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9b/7e/39/9b7e396b6139f8d5de8ab9f4cddf5c86.pn

• Concept Map Tutorial- Make sure you watch the entire video!

https://youtu.be/sZJj6DwCqSU

Step 4:

Upon completion of your concept map, submit it in the Google Classroom slot created for the same. And now that you have completed your concept map, each of you will provide adequate support for each theme, character, the symbol you have mentioned. 

Step 5:

Once you have completed your concept map and completed an in-depth analysis of its content, you will give a 5-minute presentation. In the presentation, you must discuss each theme, symbol, and character in detail. you are expected to come up with a fun and creative way to present. The links below might help you for the same. Do check it out!

• https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-secrets-making-every-presentation-fun-engaging-and-enjoyable.html

• https://www.emergingedtech.com/2014/05/20-excellent-free-tools-for-interactive-collaboration-experiences-in-the-classroom/

The Concept Map prepared by you and the presentation will be graded to assess your overall performance. You can self-evaluate your work as you move along the steps. 

This concludes our Short story analysis WebQuest. We have discussed Maupassant's use of themes, ideas, and symbols extensively.

• The tasks and processes fostered your ability to analyze prevalent themes and ideas in a work of literature.

• You have these specific themes, symbols, and characters and found textual evidence to support your ideas.

• You have taken this list and turned it into an organized and well-planned concept map.

• You have developed a mastery of each of the entire story and have passed the information to your peers through a beautiful presentation.  

With this, we complete our analysis. Thanks for all your hard work!

Short Story Analysis

The Necklace Analysis

https://www.gradesaver.com/the-necklace-and-other-stories/study-guide/summary-the-necklace#:~:text=The%20Necklace%20Summary%20and%20Analysis%20of%20The%20Necklace&text=A%20young%20woman%2C%20Mathilde%2C%20is,to%20a%20low%20class%20family.&text=Mathilde%20always%20felt%20like%20she,of%20fine%20clothing%20and%20jewelry.