论文总字数：32264字

摘 要

《包法利夫人》是法国作家古斯塔夫•福楼拜的代表作小说。这篇论文从两个方面来分析包法利夫人中爱玛的悲剧原因，旨在帮助人们理解爱玛的悲剧。首先分析爱玛的自身原因，其次，分析社会的原因，最后从爱玛的悲剧中获得一些启示，爱情不是生活的全部，珍惜生活，培养责任感， 这些对于我们追求爱情和幸福具有现实意义。

关键词：爱玛；悲剧；原因；《包法利夫人》

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 2

3. The Reasons of Emma’s Tragedy in the Novel 3

3.1 Emma’s Personal Reasons 3

3.2 Social Reasons 7

4. The Revelation of Emma 12

4.1 Love Is Not All of Life 12

4.2 Cherish Life 13

4.3 Cultivate the Sense of Responsibility 13

5.Conclusion 14

Works Cited 15

1. Introduction

Gustave Flaubert is a famous novelist of the realist school in French in the middle of 19th century. He is known especially for his first published novel, Madame Bovary.

Madame Bovary focuses on Emma’s emotional life and tragic fate. This novel mainly described that Emma was a romantic girl. When she studied in the convent, she learned a lot of famous romantic literary works, so she desired for the life of peeresses. After married with Charles, however, she thought her husband was banal and common, and she felt her dreamed love was disillusioned. After moved in Yonville, Emma met Leon who was a handsome and romantic man. They hit it off straight away and they had a lot of some interests. But Leon was younger than Emma and Leon was timid. He thought she was so virtuous and inaccessible, and he lost his hope. He given up his love, and left for Paris. When she felt sad and disappointed, she met Rodolphe who mastered chasing women. He often said a lot of sweet words, and Emma took him as her dreamed lover. Afterwards, Emma asked for elope with him, and was abandoned by him. At that time, Emma had already started to borrow money. Emma’s dream was disillusioned again, and got a serious illness.

In order to change Emma’s mood, Charles accompanied her to the theater of Rouen. They happened to met Leon who had returned from Pairs. Leon was not a shy man any more. The love of them was rekindled and they met in a hotel of Rouen once a week. Over time, the life of mistress had became bland and she was already in debt. She asked for Leon’s help and hinted him to embezzle the money of his office, but Leon refused. She also borrowed money from notary, but she was unwilling to sell her love for money. It showed that she still had some romantic spirit. She refused to bow to her husband, because she did not love him and did not want to lose her dignity. In the situation of desperate, she decided to commit suicide by poison. Her life showed the disillusion of romantic thoughts.

This thesis will analyze the reasons of the tragedy of Madame Bovary. The aim of this thesis is to further understanding Emma’s personal reasons and social reasons. This thesis will describe the reasons of Emma’s tragedy from various angles, it can help us to understand the reasons of Emma’s tragedy comprehensively, and instead of explore the reasons of Emma’s tragedy from a single angle, it has practical significance for us to pursue love and happiness.

2. Literature Review

Madame Bovary is the French writer Gustave Flaubert’s representative novel. It is very famous in the world. Many scholars were interested in studying it. Different scholars have different angles and focus of research.

Li Yanjie attempted to analyze the personage’s subconscious territory. He thought “Emma’s artistic complex was developed during her teen. Emma was disappointed at the real life under the artistic complex after her with Charles. Finally, Emma committed suicide by poison”. (Li Yanjie 2006:2)

Huang Zhicheng mainly explored the contradiction between fantasy and reality. He thought “Emma indulged herself in the fantasy of love due to the influence of romanticism, which resulted in her great disappointment. This novel showed the cruel reality of capitalist society, warning people not to pursue the unpractical life”. (Huang Zhicheng 2011:5)

Yang Xue analyzed the feminism of Madame Bovary. She thought “the novel showed the advancement of feminism, but simultaneously promulgates the woman heroine could not escape the tragedy foreordain of degeneration in a society predominated by patriarchy”.(Yang Xue 2007:6)

After reading so many articles, the author has her own opinions. A lot of reasons lead to the tragedy of Emma. The author will explore it from two aspects, Emma’s personal reasons and social reasons.

3. The Reasons of Emma’s Tragedy in the Novel

3.1 Emma’s Personal Reasons

3.1.1 In Pursuit of Romance

In the middle of the 19th century, romance was most popular in French. At that time, a lot of convents taught their students about the romantic literature works, such as Paul and Virginia and Genie du Christianisme. Li Ling thought Emma’s pursuit of the romance is the most important reason of the reasons of Emma’s tragedy. Emma affected by the teaching of convents. She loved and pursued the romance. She knew the lives of upper classes of society from the novel, and she also read many stories about lovers. In the novels, “they were all love, lovers, sweethearts, persecuted ladies fainting in lonely pavilions, postilions killed at every stage, horses ridden to death on every page, sombre forests, heartaches, vows, sobs, tears and kisses, little skiffs by moonlight, nightingales in shady groves, “gentlemen” brave as lions, gentle as lambs, virtuous as no one ever was, always well dressed, and weeping like fountains”. (Stephen Heath, 1992:32)

Influenced by these novels, Emma dreamed herself as a lady in upper class, and her lover was a cavalier like a hero. They love each other, they can do a lot of romantic things like row at night or ride horse in the field. She dreamed herself would have a happy life with her lover. For example, “she would have liked to live in some old manor-house, like those long-waisted chatelaines who, in the shade of stone, chin in hand, watching a cavalier with white plume galloping on his black horse from the distant field”. (Stephen Heath, 1992:32)

Emma obsessed with the lived of upper class through these romantic novels. One day, she was invited to attending a ball in Vaubyessard by the Marquis’s Andervilliers. It is the first time that she touched the lives of upper class. In the ball, she saw the chateau, the ladies, dining hall, iced champagne, pomegranates and pineapples. She knew the Viscount who invited Emma to dance. The Viscount assured Emma that he would guide her, and Emma would dance it very well. Dancing with Viscount, it made Emma felt very romantic, just like the story of romantic novels. Emma was obsessed with the feeling of dance. And “she tried to keep herself awake in order to prolong the illusion of this luxurious life that she would soon have to give up”. (Stephen Heath, 1992:48) The journey to Vaubyessard had made an impressive memory in her life. After the journey, Emma always recalled the night of the ball, she thought that Viscount was the protagonist of the novel. She can not forget the ball and the Viscount.

After moving to Yonville, she knew Leon. Because she pursued the romance, she liked to chat with Leon who pursued the romance too. They discussed a lot of things, such as sea, mountainous landscapes, music and opera. They thought pure sentiments and noble characters were the most important ones in their lives. Emma fell in love with Rodolphe, because Rodolphe was a rich man and often said many sweet words to her.

A fanciful girl, Emma was eager for romantic love. She had hoped to have a midnight wedding with a torch. Emma was addicted to daydreaming of love. She hoped her husband would be smart, handsome, in high status, and charismatic. Emma just wanted to pursue the perfect combination of ideal love and marriage. However, reality can not allow her dreams. Her husband was not a rich and famous man. Her husband could not give her the life of upper class. Emma hoped her love was full of romance. She hoped her story would be legendary. In the arrangements of Rouanlt’s (Emma’s father), Emma married a middle aged doctor. At that time, she hoped her love would be romantic and she could live upper class. She dreamed herself was a peeress, and had a handsome and charismatic husband, attended a lot of balls, chatted with other peeress, and watched a lot of operas in Paris. However, Emma married a mediocre man. “Charles’s conversation was commonplace as a street pavement, and everyone’s ideas trooped through it in their everyday garb, without exciting emotion, laughter, or thought. He had never had the curiosity, he said, while he lived at Rouen, to go to the theater to see the actors from Paris. He could neither swim, nor fence, nor shoot, and one day he could not explain some term of horsemanship to her that she had come across in a novel”. (Stephen Heath, 1992:36) Emma’s life was insipid with Charles, which she could not accept. Charles could not understand the ideas of romance, Charles could not say sweet words, and he had no ambition. In Emma’s opinion, Charles was utterly worthless. She hoped Charles would be illustrious, repeated in the newspaper, and he would be known to all French. However, it had not become reality. Actually, Charles was famous in the country. Because Charles did not proud, the country folk loved him very much. His morals inspired confidence. Emma did not love Charles because he was not like the protagonist of the romantic novels. Charles was not elegant, and could not give her have the life of upper class. In Emma’s opinion, love is all of life, but reality is otherwise. Therefore, Emma’s pursuit of romance is a reason of Emma’s tragedy in this novel.

3.1.2 Lack of Responsibility

In this novel, one of the reasons of Emma’s tragedy lack of responsibility. As a family member, Emma did not have the awareness of responsibility and obligation. She was gradually destroyed because of selfishness.

She aspired to the freedom and was unwilling to be constrained by the society. We can learn it from a plot. When she had a kid, she hoped her baby would be a boy. Because she thought a man is free, a man can walk to everywhere, the man can do more things than a woman and a man can have a happy life. She hoped her baby can do the things that she could not do. Emma was eager for and liberty. Under the influence of strong freedom, Emma was bold to pursue her happiness. She had two lovers, Rodolphe and Leon. However, the freedom should be restrained by law and morality. It is no wrong to pursue the free love or the happy life, but the pursuit of freedom should be restrained by law and morality.

Emma did not understand her role in family and society. In order to satisfy her desires, she neglected the responsibility of a wife. Exactly, a marriage without love is unfortunate. Facing with her marriage, Emma did not choose a correct way to handle it. She hurt many people, not only herself, but also her husband and her daughter. Due to the lack of responsibility, she destroyed her family.

As a mother, Emma was disqualified. Before her daughter was born, she payed less attention to her daughter. At fist, Emma felt very astonished, but when she knew that she could not spend as much money as she hoped, she did not want to prepare things for her baby. For example, she wanted to have some embroidered caps, but she could not buy it, she was very angry then she did not care about it. She made a needle woman buy her baby’s clothes, without choosing and discussing anything. Many scholars thought that “Thus she did not amuse herself with those preparations that stimulate the tenderness of mothers, and so her affection was from the very outset, perhaps, to some extent attenuated”. (Stephen Heath, 1992:78) When she knew her baby was a daughter, she was very disappointed and fainted. Emma hoped her baby would be a son. In her opinion, a man is more free than woman. When her daughter Berthe was born, she did not take good care of her daughter. We can also know Emma was a disqualified mother from a plot. “‘Leave me alone’, repeated the young woman quite irritably. Her face frightened the child, who began to scream. ‘Will you leave me alone? ’ She said, pushing her with her elbow. Berthe fell at the foot of the drawers against the brass handle, cutting her cheek, which began to bleed, against it. Madame Bovary sprang to lift her up, broke the bell-rope, called for the servant with all her might, and she was just going to curse herself when Charles appeared. It was the dinner-hour he had come home. ‘Look, dear!’ said Emma, in a calm voice, ‘the little one fell down while she was playing, and has hurt herself.’ Then watching her sleep, the little anxiety she felt gradually wore off, and she seemed very stupid to herself”. (Stephen Heath, 1992:103) From this plot, we can know that Emma did not love her daughter very much. In her ideas,love is most important in her life. In this novel, Emma seldom took care of her daughter Berthe. One time, when knew her lover Rodolphe was cheating her, she felt very hopelessness. Emma told her daughter that how she love her daughter. Emma also bathed her daughter and changed her clothes, shoes, and even kissed her daughter. The servant was very surprised with her behavior. From the attitude of the servant, we can know Emma seldom took care of her daughter. Therefore, as a mother, Emma was lacking of the responsibility of a mother, she was a disqualifies mother.

As a wife, Emma was also disqualified. Emma was a romantic girl before she married Charles. Emma always hoped her husband would be a hero and a romantic man. She hoped her life would be a very happy life like life of upper class. Obviously, she was disappointed. Her husband was a common middle aged man. He could not understand the romance. Emma thought they could not communicate with each other. Charles also was not rich and famous. It means that Emma would not get the life of upper class. This was very disastrous to her. Before she married with Charles, she thought herself understand the love, but after marriage, the happy life should follow did not have come. Therefore, Emma still hoped she can have a happy life and a perfect lover. After moving to Yonville, she knew a young man Leon. Leon was a romantic man like Emma, and he was also handsome. Emma and Leon showed same interests. They both liked spectacular scenery, the romantic novels, and they both liked the Paris theaters. They both disliked the ordinary people and common story. Therefore, Emma and Leon liked each other. One day, Emma invited Leon to saw her daughter. The people thought that Madame Bovary was compromising herself. Emma once sent Leon a clerk present-a rug. It was very queer, so every one decided that Emma must be Leon’s lover. As Charles’s wife, she should keep distance with other men. Afterwards, she knew a rich man named Rodolphe, and became his mistress. Rodolphe liked the protagonist in the novel and can say many sweet words, so Emma agreed to be his mistress. However, Rodolphe did not love Emma. Finally, Emma became Leon’s mistress. As a wife, Emma should stay loyal to her marriage. Due to the fact that Charles was a common man, Emma did not stay loyal to their marriage and had two lovers. Because of lack of responsibility, Emma was not aware that she should stay loyal to her marriage and she should not have two lovers.

3.2 Social Reasons

3.2.1 Unfortunate Marriage

In Emma and Charles marriage, Emma did not get on well with Charles’s mother. It is one of the reasons of unfortunate marriage. Many scholars pay less attention to this reason, and the author will explore this reason. Madame Bovary senior was a country woman, and lived very frugally. In her ideas, her husband and her son were the most important people in her life. Her husband was a misbehavior man, so she sustained all her dreams on her son. Madame Bovary senior dreamed her son can achieve great success.

At first, Madame Bovary senior did not like Emma, because Emma did not communicated with her about Emma’s dress and the arrangements of the feast in Emma and Charles wedding. Therefore, Madame Bovary senior was very angry with Emma’s attitude and behaviors, and Madame Bovary senior did not say any word all day in the wedding. Madame Bovary senior seemed prejudiced against Emma. She thought Emma spent too much money on many unnecessary things, such as, the liquor, the meat, the cheese and the candles. She thought that the life of Emma and Charles was too fine and the life was unsuited for their position, and Emma should spend less money on unnecessary things and become frugal. Madame Bovary senior also thought her position should be higher than Emma’s position in Charles’s heart and Emma should not encroach position what was her.

Emma was not the daughter-in -law she had dreamed. In general, Madame Bovary senior was dissatisfied with Emma, they often said sweet words, but in their hearts, they disliked each other. There are a lot of contradictions between Madame Bovary senior and Emma. It led to a bad relationship between them. It is one of reasons of unfortunate marriage.

Charles’s character is the other one reason leading to their unfortunate marriage. Many scholars thought Charles’s character plays an important role in Emma’s tragedy. Charles was a dull, flabby, stiff and honest man. From the Part I of the novel, we can know that Charles was a flabby and stiff man. When he was young, after transferred to a new school, he was very nervous. He did not dare to cross his his legs and did not dare to put his arm on the desk in the class. He even did not know how to put his cap. When he was an adult, he married a widow. The widow was an ugly and older woman, but widow was rich. He thought his life was undesirable, and he disliked it.

Charles was a carelessness man. When he married Emma, he still kept a bouquet of orange which was a prior bride’s bouquet. It made Emma very angry, but Charles was not aware of it.

Charles’s living habits were not accepted by Emma. For a long time, Charles used to wearing nightcaps when he sleeping at night. In the morning, it made his hair become a complete mess. He used to wearing thick boots and it made his two legs like two woodblocks. He thought this life was better than the life of country, and they should live a frugal life. His mother much agreed with him and approved of his idea. But in Emma’s idea, Charles’s clothes should better.

Charles was born in a poor family and his education was less than other people. He did not touch the lives of upper class and he did not understand swimming, fencing, shoot and equestrianism. He thought it is normal and he never wanted to learn more useful knowledge. On the contrary, Emma dreamed her husband was a knowledgeable man. Charles did not understand the romantic ideas of Emma. Charles was a common man, and his ideas were common too. Therefore, Charles can not responde Emma’s ideas.

Charles did not wanted to achieve great success, and he just wanted to live a common life with his wife. In his opinion, his wife was a perfect woman. Having dinner together or having a walk together in the evening on the street, and talking with his wife, all of these made him very happy. He thought he never had a good life before he married Emma. When he was a child, his classmates often laughed at him. When he was a young man, he could not invite a girl to dance without enough money. After married Emma, he thought he was the happiest man in the world.

Charles was a man who was very common, but Emma had high requirements on him. Therefore, there are a lot of contradictions between Charles and Emma. Charles’s character is the other reason of their unfortunate marriage.

3.2.2 Lover’s Cheating

3.2.2.1 Rodolphe’s Cheating

Rodolphe was the first lover of Emma. He mastered chasing women. At the first meeting, Rodolphe wanted to have her, because Emma was very brave, and Emma was pretty. However, at the same time, he also had thought that how to get rid of Emma afterwards. All scholars thought Rodolphe’s love was not true. Yang Chunye thought that Rodolphe knew the ideas of Emma, and he knew Emma had aspired for love.

Facing a man who mastered chasing women, Emma did not how to refuse and finally yielded him, and became his mistress. Rodolphe’s touching words and gentleman’s performance were dreamed of Emma. Emma had dreamed her husband was liked Rodolphe and her husband should have touching words and gentleman’s performance. She sank into the love of Rodolphe gradually. They often met in the garden. “And in the midst of the silence low words were spoken that fell on their souls sonorous, crystalline, and that reverberated in multiplied vibrations”. (Stephen Heath, 1992:153) Emma’s enthusiasm made him pride and he no longer made an effort to fight for her love. His attitude had changed unwittingly. Emma did not want to face the reality, and she became more head over heels in love. But Rodolphe more and more did not conceal his indifference. Emma felt embarrassed, ashamed and resented.

After consideration, Emma was going to look for something more reliable than love. She supported her husband’s medical career, but the failure of Charles made her find comfort from Rodolphe again. The love of Emma and Rodolphe’s is back. At the background of husband inept, Rodolphe’s gentle was more attracted to Emma. However, in Rodolphe’s opinion, Emma liked other mistress of his, he was not lost in love like Emma. He dismissed Emma when Emma begged him to take her to leave, and he felt that she was unreasonable. He agreed it but not true, and Emma was ecstatic for his response. Afterwards he wrote a goodbye love letter to Emma, and he cruel killed Emma’s passion. Rodolphe’s play and betrayal made Emma’s mind and body were hurt.

3.2.2.2 Leon’s Cheating

Leon’s cheating is the other one reason of Emma’s tragedy in the novel. At the beginning, Emma liked Leon because they had a lot of same interests, and they both pursued the romance. After Rodolphe’s play and betrayed, Emma no longer believed in love. After long times, Emma met Leon again in a theater. In the residence of Leon, Leon showed his love to Emma, Emma clearly was aware of the inappropriateness between them, and she said “I already old, but you still young, you should forget me, and you will find a more suitable person and someone will love you! ” “Don’t just like a child! ” But looking at Leon embarrassed expression and his red face, she actually thought to kiss him. After visited the church with Leon, Finally, Emma caved herself desire, she became Leon’s mistress.

Emma was a mature and romantic woman, she had the fatal attraction to Leon. However, the love of Leon was not true. In order to tryst with Leon, Emma cheated Charles that she was going to learn the piano, and Charles agreed her. Charles did not know Emma took the money for tryst with Leon. She spent a lot of money on Leon. In general, she spent a total of more than two thousand francs. However, in order to promotion and his future, Leon abandoned Emma.

When Emma was forced to pay off the debts and asked for Leon’s help, Leon thought Emma had mad. He fobbed off Emma and said that he would borrow money from his friends next day, but not cashed. It is the most important reason to lead to Emma finally collapse.

Rodolphe and Leon were both played and cheated Emma, Emma paid a lot of money and love for them. It is the result of Emma resisted her marriage and pursued the romantic love.

3.2.3 The Failure of the Convent’s Education

The Failure of the Convent’s Education play the most role in reasons of Emma’ tragedy. Most scholars thought that it is the essential reason of Emma’s tragedy. Emma was born in a farmer’s family, and liked many other country girls, she was smart and simple. In the middle of 19th century of France, Paris and other provinces of the middle class sent their daughter to the convent to accepting a period of education. The convent cultivated noble sentiments and noble behaviors, in order to lay the foundation for the future into upper social. Emma’s father loved her very much, and followed the fashion, he sent her to a convent in Rouen. Emma naturally was a sensitive, impassioned and imaginative girl. In the convent, “the comparisons of betrothed, husband, celestial lovers, and eternal marriage, that recur in sermons, stirred within her soul depths of unexpected sweetness”. (Stephen Heath, 1992:31) In this case, the education of asceticism in the convent was counter-productive and increasingly stimulating her represses emotions. The education of the convent corroded the mind of Emma’s and affected her outlook on life and values. The tragedy of Emma slowly formed by education of the convent.

4. The Revelation of Emma

4.1 Love Is Not All of Life

In the novel, love is the most important thing for Emma. In other words, love is all of life for Emma. But it leads to Emma’s tragedy. Love is not all of life, but is a part of life. Therefore, a woman should not think that love is all of life, and should improve her abilities.

As a woman, we should improve abilities of ourselves and become self-improvement. There are a lot of frustration and a lot of choices in life. We can choose becoming a independence and self-improvement woman. A person said that the experience is s fortune, every steps of a woman from a naivete girl to a mature woman is a chance to exercising oneself. From left parents’ care and became the man’s wife, we had a responsibility on our shoulder. We should try our best to effort for this belief and wish.

As a child, we should return our filial piety to our parents. As a wife, we should take good care of our family. As a mother, we should show the experience of ourselves to our children. We should be independent and take good care of ourselves. We should not depend on the men.

In a word, self-improvement is one of qualities of contemporary women should have, self-improvement is the wealth what is indispensable to a lifetime of woman, self-improvement is great progress of modern society, and self-improvement also is the precondition of happy life of a woman.

Therefore, love is not all of life, but is a part of life. In our life, we should improve ourselves.

4.2 Cherish Life

At the end of novel, Emma committed suicide by poison. It is an irresponsible behavior, we should cherish our life.

Parents brought up us and never ask for any return. They just hoped us to have a happy life. How can we bear to see the bitter face of the old parents who lost their child? How can we bear to see the shaking body of the parents’ grief. And how can we bear to see the helplessness of the parents.

The life is not only you own, but also your parents’. Living is our responsibility and obligation. When our parents become old, we should take good care of them. We should afraid of life is too short and we do not have enough time to get along with our parents. Life is so precious and important; we should not give up our life.

With the growth of age, our mental capacity should be growth too. We should have courage to withstand external pressure and overcome the difficulties. Facing with problem, we should find a way to solve it instead of escape. Therefore, we should not give up our life easily, and we should cherish our life.

4.3 Cultivate the Sense of Responsibility

In the novel, one of the reasons of Emma’s tragedy lack of responsibility’ as a mother, she did not take care of her daughter, and she was disqualified. As a wife, she betrayed her husband, and became Rudolph and Leon’s mistress. Due to the lack of responsibility, she was disqualified as a mother and as a wife. Therefore, it is important to cultivate the sense of responsibility.

Nowadays, many young people focus on leading their own happy and content lives, ignoring the sense of responsibility. So we should be aware of the importance of responsibility and should cultivate the sense of responsibility.

5. Conclusion

At first, Emma was a naiveté girl, due to Emma’s personal reasons and social reasons, Emma committed suicide by poison finally.

Emma’s personal reasons include the pursuit of romance and lack of responsibility. Emma pursued the romance and disappointed her husband and her marriage. She became Rudolph and Leon’s mistress. Due to lack of responsibility, Emma did not take good care of her daughter and her family. Therefore, as a mother, Emma was disqualified and as a wife, Emma was disqualified too.

Social reasons include the unfortunate marriage, lover’s cheating and the failure of the convent’s education. The marriage made her felt unhappy, she thought her marriage was unfortunate. Then, she was cheated by two lovers. When Emma was a young girl, she was accepted the education of convent, she learned the noble sentiments and noble behaviors, and she pursued the romance. The education corroded Emma’s mind.

From the novel, we learned some revelation from Emma. First, love is not all of life, but is a part of life. We should improve our abilities. Second, we should cherish our life. Facing with problem, we should solve it instead of escape. Third, we should cultivate the sense of responsibility. Because of lack of responsibility, Emma did a lot of wrong things, we should not learn from her.

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