Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Reading Check

1. What are some things Mathilde Loisel dreams of having?

2. When they are invited to a party, how much money does Mathilde tell her husband she needs for a dress?

3. When Mathilde loses the necklace she borrowed, how much does the replacement cost?

4. How long does it take for Mathilde and her husband to pay off their debts?

5. What does Madame Forestier reveal at the end of the story, and what literary device is used to provide this plot twist?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. In general, how does Mathilde’s husband behave toward her?

2. When Mathilde finally returns the necklace to Madame Forestier, how does Madame Forestier react?

3. How does losing the necklace change the lives of Mathilde and her husband?

Paired Resource

“One Art”

• Elizabeth Bishop’s poem examines loss.
• The poem offers connections to the themes of The Harm of Dissatisfaction and Pride Versus Humility.
• How might Mathilde respond to the poem’s speaker?

Recommended Next Reads 

“The Gift of the Magi” by O.