Mathilde dreams of having luxuries she cannot afford, believing having those things will improve her life. When is Mathilde the most genuinely happy?

• What is the definition of happiness?
• How does dreaming of extravagant meals affect Mathilde?
• What emotions does the party initiate for Mathilde?
• How does Mathilde react to the necklace?
• To what extent is Mathilde happy during the 10 years following the party?
• How do you imagine she feels after the revelation in the final sentences?

Teaching Suggestion: One way to lead into this discussion might be to post different definitions of happiness around the room and ask students to stand by the one to which they most relate, and then discuss their reasoning with those around them. The groups could re-read scenes of the story together and discuss how they fit or do not fit with their definition. To work on revision, groups could work together to combine two or more definitions together, eventually coming to a consensus about what happiness means and using that definition to analyze Mathilde’s character in a class discussion.

Differentiation Suggestion: For diverse learners, one way to approach this discussion could be to define happiness together first. Then, re-read a scene together, have students freewrite about what they notice, and then conduct the class discussion.