Мадам Бовари

In the second reading of this unique work (the first was in 2018) I have had the opportunity to reflect and expand my understanding of the book, of human experience, and of these nameless drives, which made Emma do the things she had done, absurd as they might seem to the reader.Flaubert's novel is one of the greatest works of literature. Such books are to be read as more than just fiction, for within their pages the reader confronts life, philosophy, and psychology in a manner that he can never do in daily life without having his perception blurred by the subjectivity of his own experience. Madame Bovary provides, thus, an excellent opportunity to study humanity, its most secret drives and perplexing impulses; but more importantly to study ourselves, to understand our own discontent, and each of our moods with the very alterations of those of Emma and her lovers.If such is the case, what can Emma teach us then?My answer would, no doubt, be a drop in the ocean, but one must start somewhere if one is to make progress of any kind. To my humble understanding, the story of Madame Bovary has contributed a great deal to the question of pleasure-seeking. A hedonistic existence is not necessarily one of flashy aspects and glittering traits. Just like Emma's, it could be a subtle, yet constant urge to pursue pleasure. Philosophy had often dwelt on this issue especially in its stoic branch. "It is not the man who has too little", writes Seneca , "but the man who craves more, that is poor." And Emma, in her ceaseless revolt against the things which her household lacked, had failed to enjoy and be grateful for the gifts that adorned her home already. Such was the case of her marriage, and of the man she had consented to take for a mate. Before the knots were tied, Charles had inspired her with the thrill of youth and an intimate loving union. After marriage, he no longer attracted her, for he had offered her all that he could offer, and which failed to quail her increasing desires for more. Such was also the case of her child. During the months of pregnancy, Emma had longed for a boy. When her daughter was born, she had, accordingly, refused to even hold her. Her restless longings had, thus, placed the most beautiful things that life could offer within her blind spot so that all she could perceive and be aware of were those things that were missing and beyond her reach.Emma's constant quest of pleasure had, in the course of time, thrown her into the pit of adultery. In the arms of Rodolphe she sought the sensuous pleasures, which only an aesthetic dandy could supply. In those of Leon, she sought the satisfaction of an ideal; an illusion she had, herself, created at the expense of her husband whom she financially and emotionally ruined. It is only on her deathbed that Emma had realized that the man who loved her the most and could forgive her anything was her husband, but then it was too late; for not only was she dying, but so was he in a sense, resulting in the grim future of their only daughter.The merits of the novel expand beyond the realm of hedonism and conjugal life. Indeed, its very structure, diction, and symbolism convey a hundred ideas. One of these can be relatively understood, with more clarity, by means of Marxism as a literary tradition. One illustration of that is the scene in which Rodolphe Boulanger confesses his love to Madame Bovary for the first time. It was during an agricultural fete that he did so, and more specifically during the distribution of prizes. It was as though Emma had been the award he was trying fervently to win. In such a manner, woman is depicted as a commodification; a mere accolade granted to the conquering male. The same theory can account for the estrangement of people according to their ranks and class. The most prominent example of this is that of Catherine Leroux, an old woman who was granted, during the same fete, the award of 20 Francs for the forty-five years she had spent in service as a maid. In a word, her entire life with its endless tribulations and trials was valued at 20 Franks. In this manner, the social system and political regime of the day had managed to dehumanize people and even price them as though they were commodities to buy and sell.One of the things that had stimulated my utmost interest in the book is its avant-gardist qualities which anticipated the Theatre of the Absurd by half a century. Madame Bovary dwells constantly on the deficiency of language as a means of communication. Emma, for one, had been in constant agony. Yet, her husband was utterly oblivious of the fact, simply because the communication between them was automatic and hollow. In a very symbolic scene in the 6th Chapter of Part 2, the same thing happens between Emma and the cure of Yonville. Madame Bovary was then trying to find solace in religion; she sought the priest in a wave of desperation as one seeks the shore when one is drowning. But neither of them could make proper use of language to express his thoughts or understand those of the other. Such illustrations of the inadequacy of language occupy a considerable part of the story, and includes in its entanglement the majority of the characters.Another very interesting idea is that of the conflict between religion and science in the book. The notion is carried on in the guise of the endless squabbles and disagreements between Monsieur Homais and the Cure of Yonville. These two eminent powers were engaged in a bloody war at the time, contesting for Man's attention and interest. Yet, neither did favor humanity, for both had estranged people and contributed to their alienation. The two characters who symbolized these ideas did not even respect the grief of their neighbor or the reverence of the dead.Such then are the merits of a work that deserves to be read more than once in order to grasp the totality of its beauty and significance.

Me encantó. De mis favoritos, sin duda. Emma Bovary es un desastre absoluto, pero Flaubert la describe de manera magistral. Cada detalle de su mundo y sus decisiones está escrito con precisión y belleza. Una lectura maravillosa.