did mathilde loisel deserve the punishment she received

In my opinion, Madame Loisel's pride created her mess and continued her mess. She had to have the jewelry, and she wouldn't admit to having lost it. In the end, her pride cost both her and her husband huge portions of their lives. Mathilde could imagine wearing fake jewelry (paste), nor, could she imagine her wealthy friend owning anything that wasn't real. After losing the necklace and assuming it was real, she couldn't put away her pride and admit to the loss. So, I'd have to say..... she pretty hard to feel sorry for.

In my point of view, I do think Mathilde Loisel received the punishment she had. Yes, it was harsh but atleast it made her understand that she wasn't born to a social high class but to a middle class and that she is married to a clerk of ministry of education. Her situation taught her thing too. She learned how to do all the housework and how to help her husband with the debt.