Greed and loss are dominant themes in both Disabled and The Necklace. Both writers explore these themes in different ways, but their pieces ultimately imply that greed is bound to result in loss. Both writers also highlight the elusive nature of the fame and wealth that both main characters fall in love with. The war seemed magnificent to the Disabled soldier, but in reality it was a damaging and deadly battle, with no riches or glory to hope for. Similarly, Mathilde in The Necklace thought the necklace was made of diamonds and, having drained the life of all her youth, discovers that it was fake. The quest to satisfy superficial desires and its inevitable consequences are at the heart of both pieces. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Both of the pieces' main characters experience loss and are both ruined, one physically and the other financially - and perhaps both mentally. They both begin with a desire for something superficial and unnecessary, which ironically leads them both to lose in the end. The writer of The Necklace, Guy de Maupassant, was born in 1850 in Dieppe, France. He lived with his mother after she was disgraced and ostracized by everyone who knew her, for the sole reason that she left her husband. Best known for his ability to execute epilogues effortlessly, de Maupassant has often been called a protégé of Gustave Flaubert, also an 18th-century French writer. He was a very withdrawn person and had a personal contempt for society. Perhaps this was the reason for his writings which occasionally mistreated modern society and characterized it as superficial and corrupt. The Necklace is a direct critique of society's fascination with glamor and jewelry, and the common desire for superficiality. Both the boy in Disabled and Madame Loisel in The Necklace are not content with what they have, even though they are both very privileged. De Maupassant explains in the Series: "She was always unhappy..." Although Mathilde lives a perfectly acceptable life with waiters and food on her table, she is not satisfied with her lifestyle: the unhappiness she displays is due to her greed. . To accentuate this, De Maupassant uses the words "dreamed" several times: "He dreamed of exquisite dishes served on fabulous porcelain plates." Many emotional words are used to draw the reader's attention to Matilda's unhappiness. De Maupassant writes: "Sometimes, for days on end, he cried tears of pain, remorse, despair and anguish." While some say this makes us feel sorry for her, it also makes her seem spoiled. She is characterized as a child who throws tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants, highlighting her predominant trait of greed. Wilfred Owen, born 1893, is one of the leading poets of the First World War. He served in the Manchester Regiment after enlisting at the age of 22. He is best known for his shocking accounts of the trenches, the gas and the deaths of his fellow soldiers. His most acclaimed poem, Dulce et Decorum Est, explains the results of cowardice. Perhaps Owen believes that those who sacrificed nothing are cowards and that soldiers like those in his poem Disabled are the true heroes of the war. In Owen's poem Disabled the soldier is also made to seem childish, for quite similar reasons. He is not satisfied with being the hero on the sports field, nor is he satisfied with the attention he receives from girls. He must have more glory and must impress those around him. Owen writes: “Here's why; and perhaps also to please his Meg...” Exactlyjust as Mathilde wants to look like a goddess in a ballgown, the boy imagines himself as a god in a kilt. This trait is a bit childish because he wants to be the 'nice guy' that everyone respects. It is selfishness and the pursuit of self-glorification that motivate the soldier to join the army, rather than a sense of duty to his country. He wants glory for selfish reasons so he can show off. The poem reads: “Of the Germans he scarcely thought… he thought of the jeweled hilts of daggers in plaid socks.” In reality he doesn't care about his country, but only about himself. He is proud to leave to join the army, but then finds that his hopes are not entirely fulfilled when he returns home: “Some cheered him at home, but not like the crowd cheers for a goal.” People no longer show him the care or respect he wants to be shown, and they no longer celebrate his actions as they did before, which is a somewhat ironic outcome. Another important reason why the soldier in Owen's poem joined the army was for the sexual attention he expected to receive for it. However, ironically, the consequence of his going to war means that his now destroyed body will no longer enjoy female attention or "their thin waist" only to be replaced by the memory of blood gushing from his thigh, which could, in effects, being a metaphor for male ejaculation. Mathilde also shows a lot of pride in herself throughout de Maupassant's tale. She has her moment of glory when she is at the party: “She danced ecstatically, wildly, intoxicated with pleasure...” She reaches ecstasy when she finally has what she wants. But as we see soon after, "pride comes before destruction..." His joy is not only transitory but, as the final twist reveals, illusory. Self-obsession is a predominant factor in the loss experienced by both characters. Mathilde loses ten years of her life, spent working to repay debts, her body wears out and she loses her youth. Her obsession with herself is clear from the beginning of the story, as de Maupassant writes: "She was one of those pretty, delightful girls..." and almost immediately she seems to be talking about herself. He thinks he is better than his lifestyle and deserves more. This arrogance makes us show less sympathy for Matilda, as it encourages us to believe that she deserved to lose what she had. De Maupassant underlines this by adding the contrast of her husband's contentment when he exclaims: “'Ah! Stew! Splendid'”. De Maupassant uses this contrast to highlight that it is greed and self-obsession that drive Mathilde. This same obsession with oneself is also seen in Disabled. The soldier is now old; his war-worn youth that he thought would make him even more attractive. He is obsessed with himself and loves to show off: "After matches, carried high on the shoulder." Both characters love to show off and clearly think highly of themselves. Both show greed for attention. The arrogance they demonstrate makes us less sympathetic to their characters in their suffering. The longing for the past that has been lost is shown in Disabled by Owen's repetitive use of references to the past to show that it is all the unknown boy thinks about. Owen writes, "In the old days..." and multiple paragraphs are written in perfect tense to reinforce the soldier's longing for what was. In 48 different countries, there are graves representing the "unknown soldier". The remains that were buried there commemorate the deaths of all those who died in the war. Perhaps Owen's reluctance to say the name of the soldier mentioned in the poem, thus making him an "unknown soldier", is a.