Selections I, IV and V describe the first meeting between Emma and the three men in her life. What are the impressions created? What does each man notice and in what way is it significant? What point of view is the narrator taking?

Essay questions on the selections from Madame Bovary:

Write a short essay (about 3 pp.) on one of the topics below; be thorough and quote from the text.

1. Selections I, IV and V describe the first meeting between Emma and the three men in her life. What are the impressions created? What does each man notice and in what way is it significant? What point of view is the narrator taking?

2. There are romantic and realist aspects in Flaubert’s narrative (the “material” world and domestic life vs “ideal” feelings; passion vs money). Provide examples and analyze them (selections III, IV, VII, VIII).

3. In selections II, III, IV, VI and VII, what are we told about what Emma thinks and feels? Do you feel Flaubert is mostly sympathetic or mostly derisive?

4. What do we know about the three men in Emma’s life (selections III, V, VII)? Does Flaubert give us sympathetic portraits? How does he represent “manhood” vs “womanhood”?

5. What does Flaubert have to say about the 19th century concept of “romance” and the “romantic” view of life (selections II, III, IV, V)?

6. What is the role of descriptions in this novel? You can comment on descriptions of people or descriptions of places (all the selections contain descriptions).

7. What does Flaubert have to say about non-romantic, physical love (selections VI and VII)?