Egoists in the novel by Gustave Flaubert Madame Bovary

Abstract

Thesis. The message of Gustav Flaubert in his novel Madame Bovary can be seen at
fi rst sight only as a manifesto against lies and hypocrisy that characterized society at
the time, and the author’s narrative as a moralizing one. In fact the writer’s goal was
not excessive criticism, but the representation of reality in a mainly naturalistic way -
Flaubert criticizes the reality, however he does not att empt to change it. The naturalistrealistic
character of the book is emphasized by the unconventional character of the
heroes (No clear division between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ personalities).
In the article, the author argues that Flaubert created heroes as egoistic characters.
Discussed concepts. The author of the article analyzes the att itude of the characters
in the novel, referring to the styles of att achment in childhood (Bowlby’s theory)
and selected aspects of the psychosocial theory of Fromm. In a broader sense of the
writing, the manner of character creation may also refer to the psychology of intimate
relationships and a woman’s infl uence on a man.
Results and conclusions. The presentation of egoistic att itude serves to highlight
the specifi cs of the characters (male heroes). It also illustrates the disadvantages of
19th-century provincial society in France without the need to evaluate them, which is
in line with the narrative concept in the realist-naturalistic novel.

Originality/cognitive value of the approach. The article draws att ention to the
possibility of unconventional interpretation of the novel, since unlike numerous literary
analyses of the novel Madame Bovary, it focuses not on the main character but
rather other characters in the novel.