Resumo de Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

It was while doing my graduation that I came upon Flaubert’s ‘Madame Bovary’. I was studying the character of Eustacia Vye in Hardy’s ‘Return of the Native’ and so there was a comparison with a number of similar characters in literature. Before going on to the book I would like to share something from Flaubert’s life. THE WRITER Flaubert shared 2 unusual relationships with 2 women- Elisa, an older married woman who was the object of his platonic and idealized affection & Louise, a sort of pen-pal lover. It is said the result of these idealized larger than life relationships struck him with a strange morbidity which affected his social behavior. He hated the middle-class society, which had its origins in his childhood in bourgeois Rouen. So you can understand that this man was a victim of loneliness which you will find in ‘Madame Bovary’ THE STORY MB ( Madame Bovary) was published in 1857. Imagine India is witnessing a sepoy mutiny and in France the realistic novel is born through MB. Charles Bovary a doctor from a middle class family decides to practice in a village. A marriage of convenience with an older woman is short lived. A widower Charles marries the attractive Emma Roualt. Emmas walk in the clouds ends too soon. Her romantic dreams shatter and she falls ill.For the sake of her health the Bovarys moved to a new town, where their daughter is born. Emmas boredom continues transforming her into a careless and ignorant wife and mother. She finds some spice in her friendship with Leon, a young law clerk. But Leon does not compromise his career and moves to town to complete his education. As if one was not enough Emma commits adultery again and this time with local landowner called Rodolphe. Abandoned by him she falls ill. She recovers and runs into Leon again. Emma goes to the city regularly to visit Leon and squanders her husbands money. This goes to such an extent that one day the sheriffs officers arrive to confiscate the family property. Previously Emma had obtained a power of attorney to control all financial affairs. Emma tries frantically to raise the money and turns to both Rodolphe and Leon for help, but without effect. Out of shame and despair, she poisoned herself. Shortly afterwards her husband, now a ruined and broken man, also died, leaving their daughter to a life of poverty. If you want to watch a B grade Indian version of the story see the Sharukh Khan starred ‘Maya Memsaab’ SOME CHARACTERS AND COMPARISONS *Charles Bovary* He is naïve and has the most conventional and mundane interests. His love is such that he utterly fails to convince his wife. His character is closest to Clym in ‘The Return of the Native’. Clym also came from outside to his village and decided to teach there to the horror of Eustacia, his wife. Both of them, Charles and Clym are in a way dominated and spoilt by their mothers. *Emma Bovary* “ Emma, for her part, would have liked a marriage at midnight by the light of torches, but her father thought such an idea nonsensical.” This character has a stange similarity to the writer Flaubert. How? You know why. She has a strange problem accepting reality. Like Eustacia she dreams of having a high life. A dream which shatters and leads to adultery. You will find many such adulterous heroines in Literature like: ‘Return of the Native’- Eustacia Vye &aamp;#8216;The Scarlet Letter’- Hester Pryne ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’- Constance Chatterley ‘Vanity Fair’- Rebecca(Becky) Sharp Emma comes nearest to Eustacia and Becky. She is as selfish and heartless. Like Becky she ignores her child and husband and ultimately lands no where. Like Eustacia she goes after a former love interest Leon in her case and Wildeve in case of Eustacia. Ultimately we wonder what really these women wanted. Independence, Riches, Luxuries, sexual gratification, High society life or just cheap thrills ? Read the book and see if you can find out. I LIKE What I like in the book is the way Flaubert combined Romantic era ideals with principles of realism. Throughout he maintained an objective outlook.

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