In the story "The Necklace," in what way can we liken Mathilde with the real and fake necklaces.

Mathilde, the main character of the story "The Necklace," is described in a way that likens her to a fake jewel; something that replaces what is meant to be shiny, and one-of-a-kind, but is actually just a cheap, made-up version of the original. Mathilde may feel that she can play the part of something genuinely unique, but her reality is quite different:

She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at the bareness of...

Mathilde, the main character of the story "The Necklace," is described in a way that likens her to a fake jewel; something that replaces what is meant to be shiny, and one-of-a-kind, but is actually just a cheap, made-up version of the original. Mathilde may feel that she can play the part of something genuinely unique, but her reality is quite different:

She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at the bareness of the walls, at the shabby chairs, the ugliness of the curtains. All those things, of which another woman of her rank would never even have been conscious, tortured her and made her angry.

This description of Mathilde shows that she is just a regular person with no distinctive or salient characteristics. However, in her mind, she is meant for something bigger and better. In other words, she is the fake necklace: an approximate of the diamond necklace that she is so upbeat about.

It would be harder to compare her to a real diamond necklace. This is because, if you think about it, there is a lot of responsibility that comes with being a one-of-a-kind "piece." If she were an individual with extremely salient qualities, she would have known how to cultivate them in a way that she could appreciate them--regardless of what the whole world thinks of them. When someone is able to find "the jewel within," the process of growth becomes entirely personal, and not for the public to witness. Yet, Mathilde wanted to show off. This goes contrary to the idea of fostering a sense of independence born out of finding the treasures  that one is able to give to the world.