Madame Bovary Characters Analysis
Charles Bovary - The first character introduced in the novel is Charles Bovary, who grows up to become an innocent and incompetent doctor. Charles grows up in a troubled household with his domineering mother and his uncouth father. His mother chooses his first wife, who is extremely possessive and controlling, but she soon passes away. Charles meets Emma and falls in love with her. He fawns over her throughout their married life and fails to recognize any signs of her boredom, unhappiness, and infidelity. Emma kills herself after completely ruining his life, and yet Charles continues to love her until his dying day.
Emma Bovary - The protagonist of the novel is a beautiful and well-mannered woman, who cannot stand the trivial nature of her married life. She is greatly influenced by romance novels and comes to desire life like one of the heroines from her novels. Her boredom with married life leads her to have two extramarital affairs since being with her other men is her only conceivable way of living the life she desires. Emma is abandoned by both of her lovers in her time of need, and she decides to poison herself rather than deal with the consequences of her actions.
Monsieur Homais - The pompous, well-spoken, and thoroughly conceited Pharmacist of Yonville L’Abbaye. He is very well-read, and can thus use language to manipulate the people around him quite well. Homais purposefully places himself as socially close to Charles as possible to use his status as a doctor for his benefit. Eventually, Homais gains both material wealth as well as renown after Yonville is deprived of its doctor through Charles’s death.
Leon Dupuis - Leon is a young and handsome man who happens to be working as a clerk to the local lawyer in Yonville L’Abbaye when the Bovarys move into town. He and Emma share a lot of the same romantic ideas, and this causes Leon to obsess over Emma. After Emma’s affair with Rodolphe, she begins another affair with Leon when she meets him in Rouen. Eventually, Leon grows tired of Emma as a lover and refuses to aid her when she falls into serious financial peril.
Rodolphe Boulanger - A rich and experienced bachelor who becomes obsessed with Emma after his first meeting with her. He uses his experience to woo her and draw her into an adulterous relationship outside her marriage. Emma wishes for them to elope and tries to convince Rodolphe to take her away but he abandons her and leaves without regret.
