The Landmark for the Beginning of Realism in Fiction
Between revolutions of 1830 and 1848. 5 literature philosophies going on at the time: classicism, romanticism, realism to naturalism (socialist), parnast (art for art’s sake, purely for intellectual community), symbolism.
Influenced by The Lady of Thirty.
Translation: makes so much of a difference.
History: inspired by a real-life tragedy in 1848, young medical student of Flaubert’s father’s student. Depressed and unhappy, Delamare (last name), married several times. Flaubert was in the middle of another book, a student reminded him of this case and suggested writing about it. A woman fits the description of this woman also. He was in Egypt watching the Nile rise and said, “Eureka, I will call her Emma Bovary!” He was staying in a hotel in Cairo managed by a buy named Bovaray. He later denied knowing anything about this case, not giving credit where credit is due.
Originally published serially in magazine in 1856.
Style: descriptive but not juicy metaphors, leaves the author out of it, presents material without commentary (from a distance), like reporting facts: journalistic. Painstaking descriptions (without decoration), informative. Seeing the thing, or seeing it, hearing it: sensory. Clinical, surgical way of writing. Unsentimental. Controlled style, holding the edges. Has a claustrophobic effective, oppressive, unrelenting. Periodically some romantic cliché.
Whatever Emma thinks or attends, her progress is arrested by what she observes with the senses: she’s distracted. Each character suffers from distraction.
Many great authors like this book. Anna Korenena comes from influence of this book.
Characters:
Charles: average, not that smart, big act of rebellion is to go against his mom by marrying Emma.
All characters seem to be daydreaming.
Emma: influenced in her religion. Lives on the idea of promises (books, religion, arts). Failed to spark love of herself, failed to find herself. Doesn’t know herself, so how can we expect her to experience true things. She embarks on love without knowing what love is. Unsympathetic character. Always searching for something she doesn’t know about.
She goes to a ball: a ball because he’s coming out into the Republican party, but for her it’s like Cinderella going to the ball. She doesn’t improve herself in any way, she’s selfish with her child, blaming others for what happens to her. She tries to climb up by Charles’ position but it costs the boy his leg when Charles tries to do a surgery.
Rodolphe: not sympathetic either.
There are no kindred spirits in this book.
What is the most important event in the book? Humais gets medal of honor
What did Emma want and what was her problem?
She is always longing, wanting something she can’t have but read about in books. She’s casting herself in her own story.
What’s the point of the story? Foolishness, happiness seeking through materialism, 19th C women in society, dreaming and monotony, slaughter of romanticism, demise of the family.
Symbolism:
1. Windows: over a hundred references to windows
2. Human/Divine suggestions
3. Green: both Rodolphe and Leon wear green, cigar box is green. Green in Victorian sense means hope.
4. Hirondelle: means the swallow (bird). Emma walks with bird-like steps, swallows when she doesn’t speak. There are swallows on the weather vanes. Her dreams drop in mud like wounded swallows. At that time it meant good luck, rebirth, hope for better prospects.
5. Fog/mist/haze. Misty blue colors. Make possible some comings and goings.
6. Manure, fertilization. Yoneville didn’t give up old agricultural stuff, That’s where she first meets Rodolphe.
7. Metal/iron: beginning of industrialization.
8. Cigar: worldliness, luxury, sensuality. Priest has cigar stains on his chest. Emma buys an expensive case she can’t afford.
9. Plaster priest in garden: symbol of her pride. It breaks: perhaps the church/religion is failing. They finally lose it.
10. Greyhound. Symbol of rich.
Hard to read in some ways. Reads like a screen play.
It doesn’t guess motives, you get to. You see this in short stories in 20th century. Has starkness.
Why does it survive? You can see psychology, religion, climbing social status, etc.
Style: we only see each other by our actions. We don’t see their motives. We are removed from each other’s true heart.
She comes to a point of real awareness in her death.
After her death: still the people around her are sowing what Emma reaps. Showing how selfish her suicide was.
Message: now that we have the ability as a middle class to self-actualize, we have no idea what we are doing.
A cautionary tale about what happens when you are not content, not grateful, always wanting more than you have, wanting it now (impatience).