Secession from society would refer to withdrawing from society. Kugelmass isn't satisfied with his life, and he decides he needs the type of love that can only be found in romance novels, such as Madame Bovary. He's looking for romance and glamour to take the place of the boredom he feels, so he looks to escape his life by being transported into the novel, Madame Bovary. He needs to escape the reality of his life, always looking for something better. He is powerless to control his environment in his real life, so he tries to control it in a fantasy world. He needs to withdraw from society because he wants to escape from the responsibility of making his own life meaningful.