Madame Bovary Interactive Oral Reflective Statement

We came into the discussing thinking the book Madame Bovary arguing that this book

was scandalous because of its sexual references and act of violence. But as is in most cases, this

idea just barely scraped the surface of it. Its scandal lied not in the direct actions itself but rather

in its motivations. It was not this desire for wealth and more than her means (which we decided

already was a natural trait or fatal flaw instilled inside every human being) that was the root of

all things, it was her feeling of despair. What is it to have the ability to set yourself free from all

constraints? Because she is unable to save herself from a life discontent she hopes a new man,

with means can save her by offering her security and stability might fill this void. When nothing,

not even a man could rid of her depression she then decided suicide is the only answer. In short,

it was risky business to have a novel written in France in the 1840s to address the issue of human

dissatisfaction and suicide, and it was for this reason that Madame Bovary was so criticized.

Another idea we discovered upon discussion was that the stereotype of true love was

present. Society thrusts it upon women that the only way they can achieve happiness, safety, and

social security is by procuring a suitable human being; also, that their worth lies only in their

ability to attract others enough to engage in sexual relations. Emma is described as a reader of

romance novels, enticed by the idea of being “wooed” or “swept off her feet” by the man of her

dreams. This stereotype the main key factor as to why Emma turned out the way she did. Not

only does this stereotype pertain to the book, we discovered, but also to our society today. People

are enticed by books such as Twilight, which emphasize a dominant male helping the damsel in

distress and the idea that the woman is nothing without the man. Emma’s experiences in a novel

written in the 1840s aren’t so different than the ideas in our entertainment today. This conclusion

was something that had not been for the interactive oral I never would have thought about.