Madame Bovary The Tragic Love Triangle Of Yonville Essay Example For Students

Madame Bovary: The Tragic Love Triangle Of Yonville Essay MadameBovary: The Tragic Love Triangle of YonvilleGustave Fluberts masterpiece, Madame Bovary,was first published in 1857. The novel shocked many of its readers andcaused a chain reaction that spread through all of France and ultimatelycalled for the prosecution of the author. Since that time however, MadameBovary, has been recognized by literature critics as being the model forthe present literary period, being the realistic novel period. It is nowconsidered a novel of great worth and one which contains an important andmoving plot. In addition, it provides a standard against which to comparethe works of writers to follow. It is nearly impossible to truly understandmodern European and American fiction without reading, Madame Bovary. Charles Bovary, the only son of a middle-classfamily, became a doctor and set up his practice in a rural village. Hethen married a women who was quite older then himself. He was unhappilymarried to her saying that Her dresses barely hung on her bony frame,This coming right before her death. Upon his wifes death, Charles marriedan attractive young women named Emma Roualt, the daughter of one of hispatients. Emma married Charles with overwhelming expectations. She thoughtmarriage would be filled with three things, bliss, passion, and ecstasy. Emma had a character that was 1) dissatisfied 2) adulterous and 3) freespending. For a while she was excited and pleased by her marriage, butoverwhelmed by her new life, she quickly became dissatisfied. As a resultof her dissatisfaction she became mentally ill. For the sake of her health the Bovarysmoved to a new town, Yonville, where their daughter was born. Emmas unhappinesscontinued, and she began to have romantic feelings toward Leon, a younglaw clerk. After Leon left the town in order to attend law school. Emmasboredom and frustration became more intense after Leon left. She beganto forget her role as a wife and mother. Charles tried many times to pleasebut none of his efforts were successful, and she did not value or understandCharles love for her. Finally Emma had an adulterous affair with Rodolphe,a local land owner. Upon realizing Emmas intentions of an affair withhim he states that he is Gasping for love, and this wins her heart over. Rodolphe then leaves for a period of six weeks and Emma then becomes seriouslyill again. After her recovery, Rodolphe returns and the only explanationfor his actions is Absence makes the heart grow fonder. She then runsacross Leon in Rowen and began to resume were they left off. In order toafford the trips to Rowen to see Leon and satisfy her own needs, Emma spenther husbands money freely and incurred many debts. She kept this secretfrom Charles and managed to obtain a Power of Attorney, so that she wouldhave full control over their financial affairs. Eventually her unpaid billswent long overdue and judgment was obtained against the creditors. Sheowed a vast sum of money, and the sheriffs officers arrived to confiscatethe family property. Emma tried frantically to raise the money and finallyturning to Leon, but he was unable to help, nor was he willing. She eventried to get back Rodolphe, by saying I stayed with you, because I couldnttear myself away, he would have no part of her any more and unwillingto help. Out of shame and despair of herself, she poisons herself to die. Shortly afterwards, now a ruined and broken man, also died, leaving theirdaughter to a life of poverty.