Madame Bovary Q&A

Gustave Flaubert shunned the high sentiments that were heavily emphasized in romantic literature and instead focussed on the tiresome and somewhat menial aspects of daily life. He believed that these facets of life were far more important than the more ‘evolved’ sentiments. Madame Bovary is in large part driven by the protagonist's boredom with her married life, rather than an emotion like love, loyalty, or even revenge. 

Flaubert has been hailed for his prescient understanding of the difficulties that women faced in society. Emma desires a son because she believes that her son would be able to live his life just as he desires. Her son would not be limited by his gender like his mother. She realises that her only means of exerting power in the world lies in her sexual potential which is why she is always so dependent on her lovers and not vice versa.

Emma never truly bears any of the negative consequences of her infidelity and financial blunders. She lives a lavish life with her lovers, particularly Leon, at Charles’s expense and experiences very little remorse for lies and betrayals. On the other hand, Charles and their daughter face severe problems because of Emma’s behavior. Charles is reduced to abject poverty and the pain of discovering that his wife had been unfaithful to him throughout their married life. Furthermore, Berthe is deprived of her parents and inheritance because Emma leads the family into financial ruin.

Emma is never satisfied with the meager means that Charles provides for his family, although it is evident that Emma’s financial status is far more privileged than most of her neighbors. In the later stages of the novel, Emma takes over Charles’s estate and borrows large sums from Monsieur Lhereux to pay for her lavish trips to Rouen, where she spends time with Leon.