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Flaubert believed the emerging middle class in nineteenth century Europe to be unrefined, pompous know-it-alls, and fundamentally stupid. This may help to explain some of Leon's lack of intelligence despite his success -- he has emerged from the middle class. Charles, however, represents many of the problems that Flaubert saw with the middle class, and Emma, additionally, grows to despise everything that her husband stands for. When Charles looks into Emma's eyes he does not see her inner soul or the love between them; instead, he sees a mirrored image of himself reflected in miniature. This reveals what Flaubert believes to be one of the oppressive features of the middle class: the woman is nothing more than an icon for the man's ego or economic achievements. Although Charles is dim-witted, lazy, and incompetent as a doctor, he loves Emma because she is the one outward representation as his success as a man. As a result, Emma spends the entire novel attempting to escape from the role that Charles, and society at large, expects her to play. Essentially, Emma, throughout the course of the novel, has three choices to escape her unhappy existence. First, she could choose to leave her husband and pursue her own destiny, but be labeled a whore and probably be unable to survive. Second, she could pursue other men and hope to someday come upon one who could free her from her social station. Or third, she could simply commit suicide. Interestingly, Emma explores both the second and third options, but leaves the first one unexplored. Thus, the reader is left to infer that to Emma, striking out on one's own as a middle class woman in European society is worse than death. Flaubert suggests that there are no appealing answers for unhappy women; but he also suggests that the belief in idealistic love and happiness may be the source of much human suffering.
Works Cited
Flaubert, Gustave. Madam Bovary. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1969.
Works Cited
Flaubert, Gustave. Madam Bovary. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1969.
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