Gustave Flaubert: Romanticist or Realist?
"Madame Bovary", Gustave Flaubert's masterpiece, often featured the window. Emma Bovary, the novel's tragic heroine, kept looking at it. Readers would know what was on her mind if they paid attention to what she was looking outside and her reaction to it. It would be better if they were familiar with the author's life, as Flaubert was Madame Bovary.
Flaubert was born on December 12, 1821. He grew up in Rouen, a metropolis in northern France that was a prominent community during the Middle Age. It was one of the most prosperous places in Western Europe during that period. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasty. This was the place where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. All of these would make a Rouennais proud. (How Joan of Arc met her end might be an exception to some inhabitants.) This could be the only reason why Flaubert didn't built a literary career in Paris. (Then again, Flaubert might not like Montmartre. It was where artists resided, struggling to live by their craft. The author was one of the lucky few.)
Like Emma Bovary, Flaubert wasn't truly happy of his existence in Normandy. He visited London on many occasions. It was another ideal place for writers, but he didn't choose to live there. He yearned for China or America, but it didn't push through. It wasn't a case of conflicting feelings, as he was rather rooted on his hometown. As for his personal life, he didn't settle down. Except for one serious relationship, he had lots of horizontal encounters with prostitutes.
Learning to be content
"Madame Bovary" was about the inadequacy that led to a woman's downfall. Language wasn't enough to convey her feelings. It was the cause of the breakdown of her marriage with Charles Bovary, a country physician who was more interested in mundane matters. This was about the lack of choices that women must dealt with. (Flaubert was fortunate, as he had some influence that allowed him to choose a lifestyle that suited his taste.)
The other matter was what the bourgeois class was lacking. Some would criticize Emma Bovary for not being contented with what she had. They had a point, as everyone must be accountable for their actions. But what if Madame Bovary were living during the present time? She might be courageous to leave her husband, and not worry about the men she dated with.
Was Flaubert a romanticist who turned into a realist? The novel would tell that was the case. Fiction writers are allowed to imagine, even exaggerate if they want to affect the readers. In Emma Bovary's case, she was doomed. (Jane Austen might have turned Madame Bovary into a sensible lady, but this was about French sensibilities.) This was a tragedy for women during that time, but the novel could be how the author imagined how his life would turn out under different circumstances.
