In society today, individuals view the appearance or possessions of a person as reality when in truth they are living a life full of illusions. An illusion is the way in which some individuals choose to escape the reality of their lives. In Macmillan's dictionary, Illusion is defined as a "general impression that does not correspond to actual fact; or a false or misleading idea." For example, individuals may judge a person by his or her material possessions, and it is assumed that person is of the aristocratic society, but in reality he or she may belong to the middle- class and maybe in enormous debt. Therefore, is it fair to judge individuals by appearances or material possessions? Reality and illusions are easily confused with each other; however, individuals seem to create an illusion of people by the characters in stories they read, or by the politicians in society, and by television shows they watch.
In Maupassant"s short story "The Necklace," Maupassant writes about Madame Matilda Loisel, a woman who appears to live in a world of fantasy. Madame Lionel is a pretty, proud young woman who feels that the attributes of a gracious life should be hers. Matilda feels she is the victim of an "error of destiny" because she believes she was born for all the delicacies and luxuries of life. Furthermore, Matilda feels that had she been born into a wealthier family or married a man of the aristocrat class, her life would have come out the way it was intended to be. She is a woman who appears to have no self-confidence because she allowes herself to marry a petty clerk. She would weep for day after she visited with Madame Forestier, a schoolmate, who appeared to have the wealth Madame Loisel dreamed of on a daily basis. Therefore, Matilda feels she is impoverished because she is unable to adorn herself with all the jewels and lavishness of a luxurious life. For example, Matilda believes buying a new dress for the ball will make her more attractive.