Madame Bovary: 150th Anniversary

Overview of "Madame Bovary: 150th Anniversary" by Gustave Flaubert

Plot Summary: "Madame Bovary" is a novel by Gustave Flaubert, first published in 1857. The story revolves around Emma Bovary, the wife of a country doctor named Charles Bovary. Emma, who is dissatisfied with her mundane life in provincial France, seeks excitement and romance through adulterous affairs. The novel begins with Charles Bovary as a young boy struggling to fit in at his new school, setting the stage for his later professional and personal struggles.

Emma's dissatisfaction with her marriage grows as she imagines a more romantic life with her husband. However, once the marriage is consummated, she becomes disenchanted with the dull routine of married life. She turns to local womanizers, first Rodolphe, and later Leon, a young clerk. Her affairs are marked by a desire for passion and excitement, but they ultimately lead to heartbreak and financial ruin.

The novel also explores the themes of provincial life, the monotony of rural existence, and the societal pressures that shape individual desires. The climax of the novel involves Emma's desperate attempts to escape her circumstances, which ultimately lead to her downfall.

Key Themes:

1. Provincial Life: The novel critiques the stifling atmosphere of provincial France, highlighting the monotony and emptiness of rural life.
2. Desire and Disillusionment: Emma's relentless pursuit of romance and excitement is contrasted with the reality of her mundane life, leading to a cycle of disappointment and despair.
3. Adultery and Morality: The novel explores the consequences of Emma's adulterous affairs, both for herself and those around her.
4. Social Class: The novel examines the social hierarchies of provincial France, particularly the contrast between the wealthy and the middle class.

Critical Reception: "Madame Bovary" was initially met with controversy due to its frank depiction of adultery and its critique of provincial life. The novel was put on trial for "offending public morals" in 1857, but Flaubert was acquitted. Despite this, the novel has since become a classic of French literature, celebrated for its nuanced portrayal of human desire and its critique of societal norms.

Reviews and Analysis:

• SparkNotes: "Madame Bovary begins when Charles Bovary is a young boy, unable to fit in at his new school and ridiculed by his new classmates. Emma is often indiscreet, and the townspeople all gossip about her. Charles, however, suspects nothing. His adoration for his wife and his stupidity combine to blind him to her indiscretions."
• Thuprai: "Set amid the stifling atmosphere of nineteenth-century bourgeois France, Madame Bovary is at once an unsparing depiction of a woman's gradual corruption and a scathing critique of provincial life."
• The StoryGraph: "Oh, poor, poor Emma. The wife of a country doctor, Emma wanted more. Seeing nothing but his faults, Emma turned away from her devoted but dull husband and sought excitement in affairs with local men, leading to her eventual downfall."
• Goodreads: "The story focuses on a doctor's wife, Emma Bovary, who has adulterous affairs and lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life."
• The Nature of Things: "The story takes place in provincial northern France near the town of Rouen. We first meet Charles Bovary and follow him as he grows up in the countryside. Emma, for her part, is amenable and imagines a romantic life with this respected country doctor. But once the ceremony is over, she is soon disabused of her fanciful notions."

Overall, "Madame Bovary" remains a significant work of literature, offering a profound exploration of human desire, societal constraints, and the complexities of provincial life.