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Situational Irony
Part 2, Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis:
Flaubert’s writing style in Madame Bovary is influenced by his simultaneous exploration of Romanticism and Realism. For example, while the novel features direct descriptions or cutting critiques more typical of realism, it also engages in moments of vivid, sensory poetic descriptions, especially when describing the very romantic Emma and her worldview. Often, the novel’s imagery not only strives for realistic accuracy but also fleshes out the world and characters, as the settings reflect the mood of the scene or character.
The interplay between the two styles, especially as it pertains to highlighting how out of place Emma is in her surroundings, can be seen in the passage below from Part 2, Chapter 5:
The cold that turned him pale seemed to leave upon his face a gentler weariness; between his cravat and the loose collar of his shirt there showed the whiteness of his neck; the lobe of his ear peeped from beneath a lock of hair, and his big blue eyes, raised to the clouds above, seemed to Emma more limpid and more beautiful than the mountain lakes that mirror the sky.
– Little wretch! suddenly shouted the apothecary.
And he ran to his son, who had just jumped into a pile of lime to turn his shoes white.
Emma’s romantic description of Léon, filled with similes and hyperboles associated with nature, contrasts with the short and direct descriptions of other characters in the scene.
The writing style in Madame Bovary is also notable for its attention to detail, as Flaubert was careful always to find the right word (which he referred to as le mot juste), resulting in a highly literary and exact style. In this endeavor, Flaubert is careful to avoid repetition, striving to make each sentence unique and each word perfectly reflect that specific scene.
Furthermore, Madame Bovary is heavily detailed and logical, with Flaubert elegantly telegraphing future plot points. For example, Charles’s fear of surgery foreshadows his future surgical failure on Hippolyte’s foot. All of these elements come together most often when the novel presents beautiful but strikingly poignant critiques. For example, in Part 2, Chapter 3, when the novel examines how Emma is constrained by gender inequality:
Her will, like the veil strung to her bonnet, flutters in every breeze; always there is the desire urging, always the convention restraining.
This line, like many in the novel, strikes a balance between the romantic figurative language and biting social commentary that make Madame Bovary so effectively evocative.
Related Themes:
Part 2, Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis:
Flaubert’s writing style in Madame Bovary is influenced by his simultaneous exploration of Romanticism and Realism. For example, while the novel features direct descriptions or cutting critiques more typical of realism, it also engages in moments of vivid, sensory poetic descriptions, especially when describing the very romantic Emma and her worldview. Often, the novel’s imagery not only strives for realistic accuracy but also fleshes out the world and characters, as the settings reflect the mood of the scene or character.
The interplay between the two styles, especially as it pertains to highlighting how out of place Emma is in her surroundings, can be seen in the passage below from Part 2, Chapter 5:
The cold that turned him pale seemed to leave upon his face a gentler weariness; between his cravat and the loose collar of his shirt there showed the whiteness of his neck; the lobe of his ear peeped from beneath a lock of hair, and his big blue eyes, raised to the clouds above, seemed to Emma more limpid and more beautiful than the mountain lakes that mirror the sky.
– Little wretch! suddenly shouted the apothecary.
And he ran to his son, who had just jumped into a pile of lime to turn his shoes white.
Emma’s romantic description of Léon, filled with similes and hyperboles associated with nature, contrasts with the short and direct descriptions of other characters in the scene.
The writing style in Madame Bovary is also notable for its attention to detail, as Flaubert was careful always to find the right word (which he referred to as le mot juste), resulting in a highly literary and exact style. In this endeavor, Flaubert is careful to avoid repetition, striving to make each sentence unique and each word perfectly reflect that specific scene.
Furthermore, Madame Bovary is heavily detailed and logical, with Flaubert elegantly telegraphing future plot points. For example, Charles’s fear of surgery foreshadows his future surgical failure on Hippolyte’s foot. All of these elements come together most often when the novel presents beautiful but strikingly poignant critiques. For example, in Part 2, Chapter 3, when the novel examines how Emma is constrained by gender inequality:
Her will, like the veil strung to her bonnet, flutters in every breeze; always there is the desire urging, always the convention restraining.
This line, like many in the novel, strikes a balance between the romantic figurative language and biting social commentary that make Madame Bovary so effectively evocative.
Related Themes:
