The death of Madame Bovary
Life is one of the most complex topics that ordinary people have failed to comprehend. Maybe God denied humans the ability to understand it thoroughly so that they could discipline themselves. Disparities in life and death, make the issue of life complex. For instance, in our societies, there are numerous disparities range from wealth disparities to diverse personalities. Without being able to solve the puzzle of life, another issue of karma comes in to burden us with understanding again. Karma states that in one way or the other, people must be answerable for their actions and behaviours. In a general way, karma acts as a judge for people’s actions and reactions. In Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert demonstrates complexities in life through the themes of social stratification, poverty, characters of different traits and personalities, and karma as a justice system that rewards every person with the token earned. In a bid to understand the issue of karma, this essay examines the behaviours and actions that led to the death of Madame Bovary.
First of all, Flaubert demonstrates that religion also plays a significant impact on people’s lives. For instance, Emma is raised in a convent that denies her satisfaction that people need in the real world. She is denied the freedom to feel affection for people, and satisfy her desires; instead, she develops a dark mind that impacts her future life. For instance, she “preferred to have a midnight wedding with torches” (Flaubert 36) When she left and gets married to Charles, she is never doesn’t get satisfied, that’s why she engages in immoral behaviour and lust that is dangerous to her life. With her previous religious life, the author is demonstrating that there are consequences for our actions. As a result, people need to make careful decisions about what to conceive and believe. When analyzing the tragedy that befalls Madame Bovary, critics may argue that Flaubert is an atheist.
The narrative also demonstrates that upbringing dictates our future life and who we become. Therefore, before critics get to judge and believe that Emma deserved the tragedy that gets her, it is essential to understand the circumstances that changed her normality. In the early chapters, the author depicts her father as a lazy and a spend drift person who would prefer sitting and drinking wine instead of farming. We realize later in the novel that his father plays a significant role in Emma’s marriage because he wanted money and wealth. “Come to see us; my daughter thinks of you now and again, d’ye know, and she says you forget her.” Thus, Emma might have inherited the extravagance behaviour from her father. She spends a lot of money to acquire satisfaction, but she never gets satisfied. She becomes so obsessed with sexual pleasure that grew gradually leading her to her tragedy. In such a case, Flaubert is probably cautioning people that there is karma out there waiting to judge us somewhat based on people’s perceptions.
Moreover, Flaubert demonstrates that addiction is dangerous. Like in real-life situations, innocent lives of people get snatched out of them in a span of a second as a result of alcoholism. Addiction is a mental disorder that makes people think that they cannot function well without something. Madame Bovary demonstrates the addiction that endangers the life of her husband and hers. She becomes addicted and obsessed with Leon, leading to her numerous discretions. Later in the novel, we realize that her addiction is the primary source of her misery, that leads to her death. Her perception is that life has no meaning without Leon’s love.
Our thoughts, actions, and behaviour determine who we become in the future. In chapter 9, the Flaubert describes Emma’s thoughts about her marriage and Charles. “all the bitterness of life seemed to be served to her on her plate” Our actions and personalities are the footprints towards our future or fate. In the novel, we realize that Emma is a lazy person. The author hints to the reader about her personality right from chapter 3. In the section, Roualt is willing to trade her daughter to Charles because he is broke and because Emma is not good with farms. “Mademoiselle Rouault did not at all like the country, especially now that she had to look after the farm almost alone” (Flaubert 22) Her father’s perception hints the reader about her crooked characters that unfold in the later chapters of the novel. In this case, the author is cautioning that laziness is indiscipline that causes people to spend most of their resources until they are depleted.
Evil is paid with harm; her infidelity is depicting evil acts towards the innocent Charles, who is somehow is blinded by his love towards Emma. She is compensated by betrayal from Leon, as payment for her actions towards her husband. From this viewpoint, it may be argued that Flaubert was writing his novel from a Christian perspective. The perspective is that when you commit evil to others, monstrosity will also befall you like it did catch up with Emma. She spent her husband’s money irresponsibly until she was unable to her debts. Although the author is diverting the reader’s attention from her personality with the issue of debts, it is clear that her characters are to blame for her tragedy.
Finally, probably the appropriate message that Gustave Flaubert is passing to the reader is that people must always be answerable for their actions. In this case, if you sow evil, you will reap evil at the end. Karma is, therefore, the most appropriate form of justice for individuals’ behaviours. Madame Bovary experiences her karma because of her immorality and evil desires. She is unfaithful, lazy, spend drift or extravagant, addicted and possessed in wanton lust that drives her right to her grave. As a result, Flaubert’s novel can be of more use in contemporary society, where people have possessed with insignificant things that ruin their lives.
Work Cited