In 19th century, France was especially associated with realism. Realism itself in literature means “the attempt to depict contemporary life and society “(Harvey, D.J, 2000, p. 445). It appears because of the development in science, history and the social sciences and to the growth of industrialism and commerce at that time.
Gustave Flaubert, who is considered as the father of realism, produced his great novel Madame Bovary in 1857. The novel itself reveals the tragic consequences of romance on the wife of a provincial doctor. It has been discussed and criticized for its sensational scandal. Madame Bovary is considered to be one of literature's best
known characters. In this novel, Gustave Flaubert shows the reader how a woman acts by following her instinct and the consequences of doing that.
Emma Bovary, the main character of the novel Madame Bovary, is Flaubert’s example of showing the bad result of living out high fantasies, too much romance. By showing Emma Bovary’s poor choices and their tragic consequences, Flaubert
advises the reader to live in reality, no matter how dull it is. Emma wasn’t happy about her life so she tried to make her life better by following her instinct. Emma Bovary’s tendencies to make poor choices have tragic consequences in her life. First,
she married the wrong man which leads to her unhappiness in marriage. Second, she escaped reality by living in the fantasy world of sentimental novels. Thirdly, she acted her fantasies out by making a scandal. Moreover, she had an affair with another man but was still unhappy with her life. Finally she committed suicide.
In his novel, Flaubert’s Madame Bovary presents the tragic consequences of living life in an overly romantic way. Her obsession with a romantic world led her to make poor choices and live in an absurd way. This paper examines the character of
Madame Bovary as a realistic example of the tragic consequences of a personal obsession with romance. |