Editor's Choice
In "The Kugelmass Episode," why does Kugelmass fear his rival, Rodolphe?
Quick answer:
Kugelmass fears Rodolphe because he is Emma Bovary's passionate lover in Madame Bovary, and Kugelmass worries that once Emma meets Rodolphe, she will lose interest in him. Rodolphe represents a romantic ideal with his affluent lifestyle and charm, which Kugelmass feels he cannot compete with. To Emma, Rodolphe is "hot stuff," posing a significant threat to Kugelmass's affair with her.
Kugelmass has been magically transported into the story line of Madame Bovary and has been having an affair with Emma, the title character. In the novel, Emma is a dissatisfied housewife who has a passionate affair with Rodolphe Boulanger. Kugelmass tells the magician to make sure always to put him in the story before Emma meets Rodolphe. Kugelmass says of him:
"He's landed gentry. Those guys have nothing better to do than flirt and ride horses. To me, he's one of those faces you see in the pages of Women's Wear Daily. With the Helmut Berger hairdo. But to her he's hot stuff."
He's afraid that the minute Emma meets Rodolphe, she won't be interested in him anymore.
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