"We want what we can't have": this famous adage was the cold response of many parents to their sobbing children as they left the toy store. At that moment, heartbroken children may not fully grasp their parents' words, but as they grow up they will understand that the well-known adage is true to its meaning. Almost all of us have experienced this feeling, whether as children or as wise adults. Examples of this well-known proverb are evident both in print and on screen. Now, since this is the case for most people around the world, it is not difficult to understand how this synonym applies to Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace". Its protagonist, Mathilde Loisel, who desires a luxurious lifestyle rather than a bourgeois lifestyle, falls under the spell of a priceless diamond. Facing her fate, some of Mathilde's strong character traits soon become apparent. By examining these attributes, we find that Mathilde Loisel has a decidedly negative personality. The first of Mathilde Loisel's many character traits that Maupassant makes evident in "The Necklace" is greed. He longs for a better life, where all his wildest dreams come true. This rapacity leads her to stray from her lifestyle and return wanting more than she has or can afford. The voracity that consumes his entire way of life is truly a sign of inner weakness, a weakness for wealth and beauty. She would get lost in her own little fantasy world where everything was pristine and perfect, with things she knew she would never be able to afford. She daydreamed of "silent antechambers hung with oriental tapestries, lit by tall bronze candelabras, and the t... paper center... These attributes ultimately lead to her collapse. Ironically, the very woman whose life was marked from dreams of great wealth and beauty, she turns into an old woman with very little of both. Because of her negative traits, she was never able to fully enjoy the life she had. Furthermore, she sought luxury, lavishness and beauty. and glamour, but she has gone too far and fallen into a deeper state of poverty. It is also ironic how she was deceived by a fake diamond, when she had always dreamed of jewels and wealth important in life, it can happen to be almost impossible to get it back. Mathilde Loisel found this out the hard way after falling for the false promises of a glittering rock. Works Cited Maupassant, Guy de "The Necklace and Its Writers". and Samuel, New York: Bedford/St Martin, 2001: 451-57.