CBSE Class 10 Footprints Without Feet Book Chapter 7 The Necklace Question Answers from previous years question papers (2019-2024)
The Necklace Previous Year Questions with Answers – Question Answers from Previous years Board Exam Question papers provide valuable insights into how chapters are typically presented in exams. They are essential for preparing for the CBSE Board Exams, serving as a valuable resource.They can reveal the types of questions commonly asked and highlight the key concepts that require more attention. In this post, we have shared Previous Year Questions for Class 10 English Chapter 7, “The Necklace”.
Questions which came in 2024 Board Exam
Q1. Why was Madam Loisel shocked at the end of the story? [2024, 40-50 words]
OR
What is the twist at the end of the story ‘The Necklace’? [2024, 40-50 words]
Ans. The Loisel’s went in debt, gave away everything they had, bore several hardships to return the lost necklace. Later, when Madame Loisel gets to know that her friend’s lost necklace was an imitation, she is in for a surprise. The lost necklace was not worth more than 500 Francs for which they took a loan of 36,000 Francs.
Q2. A character arc is the transformation or development of a character throughout a story and refers to the changes a character undergoes as a result of their experiences, challenges, and interactions with other characters.
In the light of the above information, trace the character arc of Matilda in Guy De Maupassants’ ‘The Necklace’, in about 120 words. [2024, 120 words]
Ans. In Guy De Maupassant’s ‘ The Necklace,’ Matilda undergoes a profound character arc. Initially, she is discontented with her modest life and dreams of luxury and status. This longing drives her to borrow a diamond necklace from a friend for a party, where she revels in the attention and admiration of others. However, the loss of the necklace plunges her into a desperate struggle to replace it, leading to years of hardship and poverty for her and her husband. Through these trials, Matilda experiences a transformation from a vain and discontented woman to one who understands the true value of things and the consequences of her choices. The story’s conclusion, where it is revealed the necklace was fake, underscores the irony of her transformation. Thus, Matilda’s character arc illustrates the themes of deception, vanity, and the harsh realities of social ambition.
Questions from the Chapter in 2023 Board Exams
Q1. Those who are satisfied with what they have are happy in life. Those who aspire more than what they can afford ruin their life. Matilda was one such person. If she were content with her life she would have led a happy life. Elaborate on the basis of the chapter ‘The Necklace.’ [2023, 100-120 words]
OR
Mme Loisel’s disposition invites her doom. Elucidate with reference to the text. [2023, 100-120 words]
OR
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? [2023, 100-120 words]
OR
Matilda’s over-ambitiousness was the cause of her destruction. Justify. [2023, 100-120 words]
OR
Matilda was very proud of her beauty and charm and this led to her downfall. Elaborate. [2023, 100-120 words]
Ans. Matilda Loisel is a gorgeous but unhappy young woman who longs to join the wealthy upper class to which she believes her beauty entitles her. Matilda is dissatisfied and ungrateful despite her husband’s selfless efforts to please her and make her happy. When Matilda and her husband receive a party invitation from the minister of education, Matilda finally gets the chance to live her aspirations. In order to look her best for the party, Matilda borrows a diamond necklace from her friend Jeanne Forestier. At the ball, Matilda is a huge hit, but tragedy befalls when she misplaces the necklace. In order to pay for a replacement that ultimately turns out to be a fake, Matilda is obliged to work for ten years. As Matilda struggles with poverty, her beauty begins to fade. Matilda only understands the true worth of contentment at that point and the risk of her constant desire of materialistic things and social status. Thus, if Matilda would have remained content in her own possessions, she would not have to bear such a loss and the subsequent miseries.
Questions which came in 2022 Board Exam
Q1. How did the necklace change the life of Loisel? [2022, 30-40 words]
Ans. Matilda borrowed an expensive looking necklace from her friend Mrs Forestier. However, she lost it and had to return her by buying a new one which cost a huge amount. The Loisels went in debt and the repayment took their entire life. They did odd jobs and gave away all their belongings. Thus, the necklace changed their life.
Q2. Matilda realised that one little act of negligence can lead to total ruin. What do you learn from this and how would you move on in life? [2022, 120 words]
Ans. This teaches us an important lesson that we must remain satisfied with whatever possessions we have. Being overambitious and exceeding our abilities to gain material wealth can have drastic repercussions as happened with the Loisels. In the story we see Matilda as an overambitious woman who is always dissatisfied with what life has to offer. When she is invited to a party, she is still sad for not having the perfect dress and jewellery. Then she loses the borrowed necklace which changes her life forever. They have to take a loan to buy a new necklace. The repayment of the loan makes them do odd jobs, change their house and thus, Matilda suffers even more than the life that she led initially. Thus, life teaches her a good lesson of satisfaction and contentment.
Q3. As a reader do you sympathise with Matilda? Give reasons from the text to support your answer. [2022, 120 words]
Ans. I think Matilda is one of the finest human characters that has ever been written. Matilda’s pride in her stunning appearance was her one shortcoming. But with humans, this is quite natural. Matilda was from a lower middle class household and chose to assume a position of deference even after marriage. She may not have allowed herself to wed a clerk if she had been very ambitious. It is tragic that her attractiveness was the root of all of her problems. She became firstly sad and dissatisfied because she was a materialistic woman. Second, she gave up her generally healthy existence for a life of struggle and hardship. She was proud, but not arrogant, because of her beauty. Finally, Matilda overcame all of her weaknesses, showed no remorse for her lost beauty, and emerged as the definition of a character.
Questions that appeared in 2020 Board Exams
Q1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she threw the invitation spitefully upon the table murmuring, “What do you suppose I want with that”? [2020]
(a) The invitation was
(i) to attend a wedding ceremony (ii) to attend an opera
(iii) to watch a horse race (iv) to attend an official dance party
Ans. (iv)
(b) The husband had hoped for his wife’s happy reaction because :
(i) she rarely got a chance to attend a function.
(ii) most employees used to get invited.
(iii) both (i) and (ii) are correct.
(iv) both (i) and (ii) are incorrect.
Ans. (i)
(c) The lady was frustrated because__.
Ans. The lady was frustrated because she had nothing special to wear at such a grand party.
(d) Which word in the passage means the same as whispering?
Ans. The word ‘murmuring’ means the same as whispering.
Q2. Why was Matilda unhappy in her early married life? [2020, 30-40 words]
OR
Why is Mme Loisel always unhappy? [2020, 30-40 words]
Ans. Matilda Loisel was very pretty. She considered herself to be born for a luxurious life but the reality differed from her dreams. In reality, she was married to a petty clerk and had to lead a very simple life. Her fantasy over ambitiousness made her unhappy.
Q3. We should be happy with what we have and should not crave for what we don’t have. Matilda suffered in her life because she was not contented. Comment. [2020, 100-150 words]
Ans. Matilda was married to a clerk in the office of the Board of Examinations. She was dissatisfied with the middle-class life. She constantly compared her life to that of aristocrats and felt she was born to have all the luxuries. This covetousness led to her downfall. After being invited to an occasion, she got into a fit as she had nothing to wear. Her husband gave her his saved money to buy a dress. After getting the dress made, she realized that she has no jewelry to adorn her neck. Therefore, she borrowed a necklace from a friend. As she was not careful with the necklace, she lost it at the party. From then onwards Matilda and her husband had to borrow money from usurers, change their lodgings and rent an attic. Matilda was compelled to do all the housework herself and M. Loisel had to work overtime to pay for the real diamond necklace that they presumed was lost.
Q4. Mme Forestier proved to be a true friend of the Loisels. Elaborate. [2020, 100-150 words]
Ans. Mme Forestier proved to be a true friend of the Loisels. When Mme Loisel had no one, it was Mme Forestier who helped her. She let her try all her jewels and asked her to borrow whichever she liked the most. Matilda tried each and every piece of jewel and lastly found a superb necklace of diamonds packed in a black satin box. Mme Forestier agreed to let Matilda borrow that without hesitating even once. Later, in the end, when Matilda told Mme Forestier how much trouble she had to go through because of the diamond necklace, Mme Forestier felt very sorry and told her the truth that the necklace was fake. She could have said that the necklace was real but she chose to tell her a truth. All these things show that she was a really nice person.
2019 Exam Question and Answers from the chapter
Q1. Why do you think M. Loisel was a loving husband? [2019, 30-40 words]
Ans. He is a devoted spouse who cares about his wife and wants her to be happy. To satisfy his wife, he even puts aside his own desires. Even though his wife criticises their modest way of life and longs for a more lavish living, he is patient and understanding. Although he is happy to support Mathilde’s aspirations for a better life, he does not actively pursue them.
Q2. Mme Forestier proved to be a true friend of the Loisels. Elaborate. [2019, 100-120 words]
Ans. Mme Forestier proved to be a true friend of the Loisels. When Mme Loisel had no one, it was Mme Forestier who helped her. She let her try all her jewels and even allowed her to borrow whichever she liked the most. Later, in the end, when Matilda tells Mme Forestier how much trouble she had to go through because of the diamond necklace, Mme Forestier feels very sorry and tells her the truth that the necklace was fake. She could have said that the necklace was real but she chose to tell her the truth. All these things show that she was true friend.
Q3. Matilda wanted to live a life above her status. How did this desire of hers lead to her sufferings? [2019, 100-120 words]
Ans. It is a universal and time-tested fact that ostentation and vanity frequently lead to trouble. Matilda is an excellent example. Wise men have always stressed the axiom, “Cut your coat according to your cloth.” This cautionary proverb contains a wealth of wisdom. People, however, frequently succumb to worldly temptations such as ostentation and vanity. The Necklace is an excellent story that teaches a similar lesson. Matilda had been ambitious from the start. She had an undeniable attraction to the upper crust. She became overjoyed when her husband received an invitation to the ball. She went above and beyond her means to prepare for the ball. She went overboard on her dress.
She considered borrowing Madame Forestier’s necklace for the jewellery. Unfortunately, the borrowed necklace was misplaced during the party. To pay for the replacement of the lost necklace, she and her husband had to endure ten years of arduous headships. Madame Forestier informed her after ten years that it was a fabricated necklace. Matilda would not have faced all of those difficulties if she had not been so swayed by ostentation and vanity.
Also see:
The Necklace Important Questions, NCERT Solutions, Extra Questions
The Necklace Summary, Explanation
The Necklace Character Sketches