Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Madame Bovary or just a failure?

The way that Emma just destroys herself along with her family, depresses me. I cannot imagine secretly running your family into debt while pretending that it wasn't happening. I kept wanting her to fess up, and do the right thing. I understand her motives and that Charles was boring, but if she had given him a chance I think that he would have fixed himself. He would have straightened up and been a more loving husband. Emma instead just went off with two other men to satisfy her "needs." In the beginning, their love is true and flirty, but as soon as the marriage is set, they both are cold. In a relationship, they have to be with one another and keep the other one company, but most importantly, you most compromise to satisfy both demands. This is the exact opposite of what Emma and Charles do which leads to the failure of their marriage.
Charles could have what he was talked up to be because he was a promising doctor with steady work and therefore steady pay. Although he is second class, this is not made him a dark and cold man. He has his heart crushed when his mother coaxes him into the arranged marriage to an old widow whom was supposed to have money. After she dies, Charles is upset, but Emma is there to confort him. This additionally goes south after his second marriage because they are not close.
Furthermore, all the work and traveling that Charles does makes it hard to live the happy family life that is a promised dream following wedding. Lastly, the other part that does not help thier relationship, is Emma's drive to be first class. She wants so so badly to always be invited to those balls, and be able to afford fancy gowns, and be courted by young men while still being in rich marriage. The cherry on top, is her suicide. This is what she deserved in my opinion because of how she treated those surrounding her. Almost karma and what goes around comes around.

2 comments:

Neve said...

I have to say that you and me agree on the fact that Emma is a self loving whore.

David Lavender said...

The larger question may be, why would Flaubert devote an entire novel to depicting such a pathetic character, and then not leave us any sense of redemption? Either Emma could see the error of her ways, or the author could condemn her for them...but neither seems to happen. Why do you suppose this is? Is Realism just another term for pessimism?