Chapter 7: The Necklace

Important questions — the ones the board asked most (7)

1. Q1Long answer6 marksAsked: 2026

   Answer any one of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words : (A) In ‘The Necklace’, Madam Loisel spends years repaying a debt for a necklace that was never valuable. How does this irony expose the illusion of wealth and the consequences of chasing appearances ? OR (B) In ‘The Book That Saved the Earth’, how does the play use humour and irony to comment on both futuristic technology and human assumptions ? What message do you think the author conveys through the Martians’ misinterpretation of a nursery rhyme ?

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Model answer · Irony in The Necklace

   1. 1.(A) In 'The Necklace', the irony is that Matilda Loisel gives up ten years of her life for a necklace that was never valuable. This shows that wealth can be only an illusion. Her obsession with appearances causes her downfall. She believes "there is nothing more humiliating than to have a shabby air in the midst of rich women." To fit in at the Minister's ball, she borrows a diamond necklace from Mme Forestier and then loses it. To replace it, the Loisels buy a necklace for thirty-six thousand francs, borrowed partly from usurers, and they spend ten years repaying the debt. At the end, Mme Forestier reveals, "Mine were false. They were not worth over five hundred francs!" The necklace was fake, but the suffering was real.3 marks
   2. 2.Chasing appearances has harsh consequences. Matilda moves from a comfortable life with a maid to "the horrible life of necessity". She rents rooms in an attic, washes dishes and linen, and haggles "to the last sou", while her husband does copying at night at five sous a page. She becomes "a strong, hard woman", so changed that her old friend cannot recognise her. In this way, the story shows how pride and superficiality lead to misery.2 marks
   3. 3.If Matilda had honestly confessed the loss, she would have learnt the truth and avoided the debt completely. Through this irony, Maupassant suggests that true worth lies in contentment and honesty, not in borrowed glitter.1 mark

   • Quote Mme Forestier's line "They were not worth over five hundred francs!" as evidence that the necklace was fake but the suffering was real.
   • Show the change from a comfortable life to "the horrible life of necessity" with details such as the attic, the washing and the ten years of repayment.
   • End with the message that true worth lies in contentment and honesty.

   Marks split as in the board’s published marking scheme

2. Q2Long answer6 marksAsked: 2023

   11. Answer any one of the following questions in about 100 – 120 words : (a) Mme Loisel’s disposition invites her doom. Elucidate with reference to the text. OR (b) Bholi was believed to be a ‘dumb cow’. What turned her into a fearless, bold and confident girl ?

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Model answer · The Necklace, Mme Loisel's character

   1. 1.(a) Mme Loisel was a pretty girl married to a petty clerk. She was never content and suffered over her poor home, always dreaming of luxury, fine dresses and jewels. OR (b) Bholi had been left pock-marked by smallpox and she stammered. She was neglected at home and mocked by everyone, who thought of her as a dumb cow.1.5 marks
   2. 2.(a) Her vanity showed when she was invited to the ball. She wept because she had no dress, took the 400 francs her husband had saved, and borrowed a diamond necklace from Mme Forestier to show off. OR (b) At school the teacher spoke to Bholi gently and kindly. She promised that if Bholi studied, she would lose her stammer and people would listen to her with respect.1.5 marks
   3. 3.(a) She lost the necklace at the ball. Out of false pride she hid the truth, and the Loisels replaced it on heavy debt and spent ten years in poverty and hard labour. OR (b) The teacher's encouragement and her education gave Bholi knowledge and confidence, and she lost her fear.1.5 marks
   4. 4.(a) In the end she learnt that the necklace was fake, worth only 500 francs. Her discontent, vanity and false pride invited her doom. OR (b) At her wedding the old, lame Bishamber demanded a dowry of five thousand rupees. Bholi boldly refused to marry such a greedy man and decided to serve her parents in their old age and teach in the same school.1.5 marks

   Marks split as in the board’s published marking scheme

3. Q3Long answer6 marksAsked: 2023

   11. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words : (a) Contentment in one's life is very important to lead a peaceful life. We should be happy with what we have and should not crave for what we don't have. Matilda suffered in life because she was not content in her life. Her desires led to her disaster. What do you learn from her mistake in life ? OR (b) Trust and compassion can reform a person. Justify this statement in the light of the lesson 'The Thief's Story'.

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Hear it from Medha Ma’am · 160 s

   Model answer · contentment, 'The Necklace' lesson

   1. 1.(a) Matilda, a pretty woman married to a petty clerk, was never content. She suffered over her poor home and always dreamt of wealth, luxury, dresses and jewels. OR (b) Anil trusted Hari Singh, a fifteen-year-old thief. He gave him work and food and taught him to read, write and add numbers, though he knew Hari made a rupee a day on the shopping.1.5 marks
   2. 2.(a) Out of vanity she borrowed a diamond necklace from her rich friend for a ball and lost it. OR (b) One night Hari Singh stole six hundred rupees from under Anil's mattress and ran to the station to catch the Lucknow train, but he could not bring himself to board it.1.5 marks
   3. 3.(a) To replace the necklace, the Loisels took heavy loans and spent ten years in poverty and hard labour, only to learn that the necklace had been fake. OR (b) Anil's trust and kindness worked on his conscience. He realised that the chance to learn to read and write was worth more than the stolen money, so he went back and put the notes under the mattress.1.5 marks
   4. 4.(a) Her mistake teaches us to be content with what we have, to live within our means, and to avoid show and false pride. We should also be honest and face our mistakes. OR (b) Next morning the fifty-rupee note Anil gave him was still wet, showing that Anil knew, yet he did not scold him and promised him regular pay and more lessons. Such trust and compassion reformed Hari Singh.1.5 marks

   Marks split from a structure derived from past papers (checked twice); not CBSE’s official scheme

4. Q4Long answer6 marksAsked: 2023

   Matilda was very proud of her beauty and charm and this led to her downfall. Elaborate.

   How the model answer begins

   1. Matilda was a pretty young lady who was always unhappy because she suffered incessantly, feeling herself born for all delicacies and luxuries. Though she belonged to a middle-class family, she took great pride in her…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
5. Q5Short answer3 marksAsked: 2026

   How does Matilda face ‘the horrible life of necessity’ ? (The Necklace)

   How the model answer begins

   1. Mme Loisel now knew the horrible life of necessity, and she faced it heroically. She did her part completely, for it was necessary to pay this frightful debt. They sent away the maid and changed their lodgings, renting…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
6. Q6Short answer3 marksAsked: 2025

   Why does Mme Loisel hastily depart from the ball when her husband places a modest wrap on her shoulders ? (The Necklace)

   How the model answer begins

   1. Mme Loisel hurries away from the ball because she does not want people to know about her poverty. She leaves quickly so that the other women, who are wrapping themselves in rich furs, do not notice her. The poverty of…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
7. Q7Short answer3 marksAsked: 2025

   How did M Loisel manage to buy a new necklace ? (The Necklace)

   How the model answer begins

   1. M Loisel managed to buy a new necklace by finding one exactly like the lost one and then collecting the money to pay for it. After a week, the Loisels gave up hope of finding Mme Forestier's necklace. In a shop of the…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →

Questions parents and students ask

How many marks does "The Necklace" carry in CBSE Class 10 English?

In the CBSE papers of 2023–2026, this chapter carried about 2 marks and about 0 questions a year; by marks it ranks 16 in English.

Which are the most important (VVI) questions of "The Necklace"?

The 7 questions above are from the board’s real papers, each with the years it was asked; the most-asked come first with their full model answers. All 7 written questions of this chapter, with answers, are in the AskMedha app.

Do the answers follow the board’s marking scheme?

Yes. CBSE publishes its marking schemes; every model answer here is written point by point to the marks the board’s own scheme gives, and checked by a second, independent model.