Students get through the MP Board Class 12th English Important Questions Special English Chapter 2 The Diamond Necklace which are most likely to be asked in the exam.
MP Board Class 12th Special English Important Questions Chapter 2 The Diamond Necklace
A. Answer the following questions in about 50 – 60 words each:
Question 1.
What things did Mathilde resent in her life? (M.P. 2009, 14, 18, Imp.)
Answer:
Mathilde was an extraordinarily beautiful lady. The poverty of her family compelled her to many a petty clerk. She wanted to enjoy the luxuries and delicacies of life which she well deserved because of her heavenly beauty. But unfortunately she had to live in a poor house with miseries scattered all over. The shabby chairs, ugly curtains petty crockery and above all the worthless social status were among those things that she resented in her life.
Question 2.
On receiving the invitation to the ball, Mathilde wept. Why? (M.P. 2010)
Answer:
When Mathilde saw the invitation to the ball tears rolled down her beautiful face. She was beautiful but poor. The ball was organized by the minister and people of highest social status were going to attend it Mathilde did not have any proper dress or ornament tornt on for the party. Therefore, tears rolled down her cheeks.
Question 3.
How did Mathilde fare at the ball? (M.P. 2011)
Answer:
Mathilde was a great success at the ball she was the prettiest of all the women present there. All the men were mesmerized by her elegance, grace and beauty. Everyone tried to be familiar with her and dance with her. She fared better than what she herself had thought.
Question 4.
How did Loisel arrange the money for the necklace?
Answer:
Loisels found a similar necklace for forty thousand francs and bargained it for thirty six thousand. Loisel had inherited eighteen thousand francs from his father. The rest amount he borrowed at very high interest. To pay it back he gave notes, took up ruinous obligation, dealt with usurers and all the race of money lenders.
Question 5.
What change did the ordeal of repaying bring about in Mathilde?
Answer:
The loss of the necklace ruined the life of Loisels. They had to overstrain themselves to pay for it. As a result that beautiful supple lady grew old prematurely. She lost her delicateness and became strong and rough with frousy hair. She developed a hoarse voice. She totally lost her captivating charm and beauty.
Question 6.
How did Mathilde and Loisel repay the cost of the necklace? (M.P. 2012)
Answer:
Mathilde and Loisel worked hard for ten years to repay the cost of necklace. They dismissed their servant and changed there lodgings to a cheap, dark, unpleasant room. Mathilde did all odd jobs – washing dishes and clothes, carrying water. She dressed in cheap clothes and bargained for every thing. Loisel did extra work in the evening and night.
B. Answer in about 75 – 100 words each:
Question 1.
How would you rate Mathilde as an ambitious woman or an honest woman?
Answer:
Mathilde was an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She was full of hopes for a happy life. She had high ambitions. But she was immensely unfortunate. She was forced to live a prosaic life. Her conscience always compelled her never to compromise with her prevailing condition. The only opportunity that she got to live her life to fullest turned out to be the worst nightmare and spoiled her entire life, strengthening the view point that poor people should never even dream about happiness.
She lost the diamond necklace that she borrowed from one of her rich friends to adorn herself for the only opportunity she got in her life. This loss turned her more or less serene life into a hell. She had to pass through extreme hardships to repay for the loan that she took to purchase a new diamond necklace to replace the lost one. She surely was an ambitious woman which she should be. Her beauty had given every right to be ambitious but unfortunately she could not overcome the miserable fortune god had for her in store. Despite of this unkind fortune she did not abandon her honesty.
She went from pillar to post to save money and spoiled her charm. The only pleasure she had was to masticulate the soothing memories of that ball night in free time, that ultimately ruined her life and fascinating beauty.
Question 2.
Do you think it was unfortunate for Mathilde to have married Loisel? Why? (Imp.)
Answer:
Mathilde was a girl with extraordinary charm and beauty. But her fate made her compromise with the naked reality of life. She had to marry a middle class poor clerk working with the Ministry of Education. But she was fortunate to get a loving husband devoted to her. Loisel, was a simple man. He was caring and loving. He was cool enough to compromise with all sorts of adverse situations.
He was sympathetic to his wife and understood her sentiments well. When Mathilde lost the necklace he made all efforts to find it. Later he also overstrained himself to bear the tragic turn of life. Mathilde invited her ruin not because of her husband but because of her ambitions to mingle with rich. It was her high feeling and show off nature that made her borrow a jewellery that caused all the trouble.
Question 3.
What do you think would have happened if Mathilde had not lost the necklace that night?
Answer:
Mathilde had borrowed the necklace from her rich friend Madame. Forestier to wear at the party. Unluckily the necklace was lost. To get a new necklace the couple had to borrow 18,000 francs on very high rate of interest. To repay the debt they were forced to lead a miserable life for ten long years.
Had Mathilde not lost the necklace, her husband would not have borrowed money. Their life would have been better. Though they would not have led a luxurious life, yet they would, at least, have been free from the miseries of a difficult life they had to lead. They would not have to shift to a cheap house and put so much hard labour. They still should have a servant in the house and Mathilde would not have to do all the household work by herself. Her husband would not have to work in the evening and late in the night. She would not have been prematurely old.