Madame Bovary
1. What do you think would have made Madame Bovary happy with her life?
2. A "tragic" novel is one in which the protagonist is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a "tragic flaw," a moral weakness, or an inability to cope with difficult circumstances. Could the novel Madame Bovary be considered a tragic novel? Discuss.
3. How did the conservative social mores of the time play a role in the downfall of Madame Bovary?
4. If Madame Bovary were set in America in the 20th century, how would it be like the original novel? How would it be different?
5. How did Madame Bovary's romantic sentiment contribute to her life of discontent and ruin?
6. What is your opinion of how Flaubert treats the male characters? Do you think he portrays them realistically? Discuss.
1. I do not think that Madame Bovary could ever be happy. She always found something wrong with everything. She could not be happy that she had a husband who loved her or that she got every other man she lusted after. No. She had to be rich too. All that did was dig her into a giant hole of debt that cost her life later on. She is extremely selfish and nothing could possibly ever make her happy.
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