Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Is Emma to blame for her misfortunes?
In Flaubert's novel Madame Bovary, women are insignificant. Emma Bovary hopes that her baby will be a man, because women are regarded so lowly. Throughout the novel, male characters have the power to change everything, unlike women, who are insignificant. Her husband Charles, even contributes to her lack of ability to make changes in her life for herself. His inability to advance his career keeps her stuck in the country with little money. When she meets Rodolphe, he has the financial ability to change Emma's life, however he abandons her, and again, she is stuck. Then, Leon comes along, and they are very similar; they both hate the country life and want bigger and better things. However, because he is a man, he can actually fulfill his desires and go through with his plans, unlike Emma, who must stay in the country with her husband and child. However, the man aren't exactly the only people to blame for Emma's misfortune. It was her choice to marry Charles, therefore her life situation is a result of that choice that she made for herself.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Was it really her choice to marry Charles? Weren't marriages kind of set up back then? It's interesting your view of Emma being inferior to these men. I've constantly thought of her as one to go against conformity, but I could see how she is bound down. Still, she has no appreciation for anything good in her life.
I'd agree with Sarah that Emma seems to have more 'agency' than just about any other character in the book (even if her willfulness only leads to her own demise), but you bring up a good point about gender portrayals in this novel. Does Flaubert really think that men are superior to men? Or does he feel that both sexes are equally stupid and pathetic in the en? (A very different kind of equality than the one Bronte was promoting!).
Post a Comment