Mathilde

This question calls for your opinion, which might be very different from my own. I, myself, have little pity for Mathilde. She put her own desires before the needs of others, she felt herself to be entitled and sulks over what she doesn't have.... all while ignoring the things she does have. Mathilde is silly and materialistic, she's ungrateful. The moment she borrowed Madame Forestier's necklace, she put herself into a precarious position. First, anything could happen. It would be like borrowing someone's car and getting into an accident that left it worthless, only to find out the car had no insurance. What would you do? You would try to pay them back..... of course.

Mathide's working to replace the necklace is admirable, but once again, she is prideful and mistaken in her actions. Her own vanity and love of material things blinds her to the fact that things are not aways what they seem. She refuses to acknowledge her own carelessness, and thus, puts herself in great debt for nothing. Had she come clean with Madame Forestier, she would have found out that the necklace was worthless..... a fake. She would have found out that even the wealthy have inexpensive trinkets, simply because losing the real thing would be so devastating ..... so wasteful. She might even have realized that her friend was quick to allow her to borrow the necklace for that very reason.

In essence, Mathilde's pride and foolishness makes it impossible to empathize with her.