Summary Response

I would recommend this novel, although not to my fellow friends and classmates but to people who enjoy classic literature. At first I found it uninteresting, but then the plot thickened and I found it very intriguing. I was surprised to find the issues we face today in marriage and life in general were written about in the 19th century. Even with as far as our society and technology has come, women still face the same problems and joys. The difficulty of marriage and infidelity is still present in today’s society, along wxith depression and suicide. The only part of this book that was difficult for me was the Old English, however to me this language makes the text more elegant and handsome. I feel the author’s strongest aspects of this novel are his similes and metaphors. A great example of this is, “… it stood out in the light from the oval of her bonnet with pale ribbons it like the leaves of weeds. Her eyes with their long curved lashes looked straight before her, and though wide open, they seemed slightly puckered by the cheek-bones, because of the blood pulsing gently under the delicate skin . . . Her head was bent upon her shoulder, and the pearl tips of her white teeth were seen between her lips” (177). Flaubert uses figurative language so well that a perfect image is created in your head. The theme of the novel is somewhat unclear to me. After thinking of the “hidden meaning” of this book is, I came to the conclusion the theme could be that greed will destroy you. Throughout the novel Emma wants more of everything more love more money more men.Eventually, the want for more men causes depression when they leave, and when the passion dies.The want for more material objects and money causes her to ask for loans, which creates debt that she cannot pay off and her house is repossessed. The want for more love results in the loss of love, because of her cheating and lying ways. Overall I feel reading this book was worthwhile.