Search for Self
When Emma marries Charles, she doesn't have a strong sense of who she is. Still, she is certain that she doesn't want to spend her life tied to the farm. At first, she hopes that her emotions towards Charles will grow into love and that she will find happiness as the wife of a doctor. However, when her feelings for Charles do not deepen, she becomes deeply depressed, feeling out of place and unable to cope with the dull routine of her life and marriage.
Passion
In an effort to fight her depression, she immerses herself in sentimental novels, envisioning herself as the heroine who falls deeply in love with a charming man who saves her from a life of poverty and despair. Her imagination brings these fictional characters to life as two men, with whom she becomes involved in passionate relationships. These connections offer her a temporary sense of identity.
Class Consciousness
Emma's journey towards understanding her identity and finding fulfillment is deeply intertwined with issues of social class. Soon after her marriage to Charles, she realizes that their relationship doesn't bring her happiness. Seeking satisfaction, she begins buying items for their home and herself. However, her excessive spending quickly leads the family into debt. At a ball at La Vaubyessard, Emma experiences for the first time the "complexion of wealth" that characterizes the upper class. From that point onward, she is determined to become part of that world, pursuing this goal through her affair with Rodolphe and lavish purchases.
Emma's desire to ascend the social hierarchy ultimately results in disaster for both herself and those around her. She projects her ambitions onto Charles, who decides to attempt an innovative surgery on clubfeet. Unfortunately, when he tries the unproven procedure on a local man, he fails disastrously, leading to the patient's leg amputation.
Recognizing that Charles will never raise their social standing, Emma's extravagant spending spirals out of control, bringing them to the verge of financial collapse. In a desperate attempt to obtain money and avoid the shame of having her belongings auctioned, she considers prostituting herself. When this effort fails, Emma sees suicide as her only escape. Her death leaves Charles heartbroken, and he soon dies as well, leaving their daughter, Berthe, both orphaned and destitute.
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