Student Question

What is Emma Bovary's relationship with her children in Madame Bovary?

Quick answer:

Emma Bovary's relationship with her child, Berthe, is strained and distant. Emma views her child as a burden that hinders her pursuit of romantic ideals and happiness. She lacks an emotional connection with Berthe, associating her with the monotony of domestic life. Emma's obsession with her own dreams prevents her from engaging with the realities of parenting. This detachment is symbolized by Berthe's fate of becoming a factory seamstress, underscoring a life without emotional ties.

Expert Answers

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Emma's relationship with her child is challenging.  Emma's romanticized view of her life does not extend to her child, whom she treats as a burden that is inhibiting her opportunity for real love and true happiness.  She comes to associate her child with the boredom of domesticity her marriage renders.  She does not exhibit any sense of true emotional connection with Berthe.  This might be a result of Emma's sense of complete infatuation with her dreams of happiness and contentment.  Emma is not one to accept the foundation of reality, as she is trapped, pinned, underneath the weight of her dreams.  Such a premise would preclude any sense of understanding the needs and fluid dynamics of parenting and forging connections with children.  This is confirmed at the end of the story, when the child is sent to work in a factory as a seamstress, Flaubert's ultimate representation of a life devoid of emotional connection.

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