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“But, my dear, I thought you would be glad. You never go out, and this is such a fine opportunity. I had awful trouble to get it. Everyone wants to go; it is very select, and they are not giving many invitations to clerks. The whole official world will be there.”
The effort Monsieur Loisel puts into securing an invite to the ball at the Ministry for Mathilde highlights his loving and supportive nature. Though he does not fully understand Mathilde or the life she longs for, he does his best to make her happy. Even though Mathilde often rejects his suggestions, throughout the story, he continually seeks ways to address her concerns and soothe her distress.
"He had grown a little pale, because he was laying aside just that amount to buy a gun and treat himself to a little shooting next summer on the plain of Nanterre, with several friends who went to shoot larks down there, of a Sunday."
Throughout the text, Monsieur Loisel continuously makes personal sacrifices in order to please Mathilde. He longs to make her happy, even if it causes him misfortune. Here, he selflessly gives up the money he had saved up to buy himself a gun so that Mathilde can buy a new dress for the ball at the Ministry. His tendency to put Mathilde's needs above his own foreshadows his ultimate decision to throw the rest of his life away and launch himself into financial ruin in order to help Mathilde replace the diamond necklace she lost.
