Rory's Book List: Madame Bovary

Gustave Flaubert

“One can be the master of what one does, but never of what one feels.”

The French novelist Gustave Flaubert was born on the 12th of December 1821. He is considered to be one of France's most influential writers. Flaubert became a leading literary realism writer; realism has been valued by artists and attempted to be replicated for centuries. An artist must master realism to venture into the surreal and supernatural. Realism bloomed in France in the 1850s after the revolution as artists wanted to distance themselves from the romantic era. Whilst, Madame Bovary and Sentimental Education are known as great works of realism, Flaubert was also a romantic, as seen in The Temptations of Saint Anthony and Salammbô. 

“I don't believe that happiness is possible, but I think tranquility is.” ― Gustave Flaubert

Flaubert was born in Rouen, Normandy to Anne and Achille-Cléophas Flaubert. His father was the chief surgeon at the local hospital. They lived comfortably, and Gustave Flaubert received an education spanning 2 decades. His parents wanted him to continue studying in Paris and become a lawyer. Flaubert resented this plan because he had always been more interested in writing. However, following his parents' advice Flaubert discovered the city was revolting, in his opinion. And in 1846, six years after beginning law school, he suffered an attack of epilepsy. After that, he quit law school and returned home to pursue his passion of writing. 

“There is no truth. There is only perception.” ― Gustave Flaubert

A fellow writer and close friend, Maxime Du Camp accompanied Flaubert to Brittany and later travelled to various Middle Eastern countries. During this period, Flaubert contracted syphilis from a prostitute. Flaubert was quite open about his sexuality in his letters but his only serious relationship was with Louise Colet. The affair lasted from 1846 to 1856. Flaubert was against childbirth, and once he wrote in a letter that he would:

"transmit to no one the aggravations and the disgrace of existence" (letter to Colet, 1852)

The last years of Flaubert’s life were troublesome as the Franco-Prussian War began. He suffered a great deal of heartache as he was forced to surrender his house to the armed forces and his mother passed away. A few failed business endeavours with his niece's husband led to financial difficulties. He spent the remainder of his life in bad health due to his STI and eventually passed at the age of 58.

“Sadness is a vice.” ― Gustave Flaubert

Madame Bovary

Madame Bovary is Gustave Flaubert's first and most famous novel. Originally written in French it has been translated into English various times. I read the Penguin Classics version, a translation by Alan Russell.

"She dusted the shelves, looked at herself in the glass, picked up a book, then started dreaming between the lines and let it drop into her lap" (page 73)

Charles Bovary is quite a boring and common middle-aged man. He was once married to a woman who loved him. Alas, he did not reciprocate those feelings, instead, he sought out his patient's daughter. As soon as Madame Bovary passes, Charles remarries to an intelligent and beautiful farmer girl called Emma. The new Madame Bovary is youthful and talented; she loves occupying herself with romance books. Her marriage with the odd and unappealing doctor disappoints her as it does not resemble her books. 

"Love, she believed, must come suddenly, with thunder and lightning, a hurricane from on high that snatches away your will-power like a leaf, hurls you heart and soul into the abyss." (page 113)

Emma gets pregnant and Charles decides to move to a smaller village, Yonville. Dissatisfied with her marriage, Emma seeks refuge from one Léon, with whom she quickly falls in love. Emma gives birth to a baby girl and names her Berthe. Motherhood does not charm Emma as she thought it would and she loses interest in the child quickly. 

"His unquestioning belief that he made her happy seemed to her a stupid insult" (page 121)

She expresses that she wishes to have a boy instead of a girl. Emma feels trapped as a woman as she is not as physically strong or capable as a man. She does not want her baby girl to experience the realities of being a married woman; and being unable to have a will of one's own.

"A man, at any rate, is free"...

..."Her [Emma's] will is like the veil on her bonnet, fastened by a single string and quivering at every breeze that blows." (page 101)

Emma begins to fantasise about a life with Léon, a life with passion and sophistication. These fantasies fuel her delusions of love even further and she is filled with desire for a different life. One day Léon leaves for Paris but Emma finds another, and soon she forgets about him. She starts having an affair with Rodolphe Boulanger. Her elaborate affairs don’t manage to fulfil her desires and she spirals. Huge debts accumulate as she indulges herself in expensive clothes and luxury goods. In the end, she takes drastic measures to rid herself of the guilt.

"He thought she was happy; and she hated him for that placid immobility, that solid serenity of his, for that very happiness which she herself brought him." (page 54)

Reference in Gilmore Girls 

In the pilot episode of Gilmore Girls, we discover that Rory will be switching to another school in Hartford. However, a new boy in Stars Hollow has taken an interest in Rory, Dean Forester. He introduces himself and they exchange awkward small talk until Dean mentions that he’d been watching her. Although, this comment may seem unsettling and eerie at first. Dean somehow recovers Rory’s respect and admiration by explaining that: 

“I mean, not in a creepy, like, I’m watching you sort of way. I just, I’ve noticed you.” - Dean

“Me?” - Rory

“Yeah” - Dean

“When?” - Rory

“Every day. After school, you come out and you sit under that tree there and you read. Last week it was Madame Bovary. This week it’s Moby Dick.” - Dean

“But why would you–” - Rory

“Because you’re nice to look at, and because you’ve got unbelievable concentration.” - Dean