Guy de Maupassant's "The Jewels": Consequences of the Desire to be Wealthy There are many downfalls that may happen when one has the desire to be wealthy. This concept is shown in Guy de Maupassant's "The Jewels." Maupassant shows the consequences of this desire by developing characters with lives affected by wealth, by using symbolism and conflicts that represent these consequences, and by introducing an ironic theme that teaches the moral values of poverty. The two main characters in this book come into their downfall through each other. The development of the characters