Gender Role Reversal in Madame Bovary

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Recommended: The history of the portrayal of women in literature

Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, written in nineteenth century France, portrays an accurate depiction of the culture and lifestyle of the time period. Everything, from elaborate descriptions to subtle comments, show the realism the narrator presents. Consequently, he comments on the aspects of everyday life. Throughout the novel, Flaubert emasculates male characters through the reversal of gender roles in order to mock the social order of the Victorian Era. Several male characters, including Charles Bovary and Leon, acquire feminine characteristics as Emma Bovary loses her own. This reversal exposes the flawed family structure of the time and challenges the need for a male figure as the head of the household.
Flaubert undermines Charles’ patriarchal authority with his love for Emma. From the beginning of their relationship, Charles is infatuated with her, neglecting other aspects of his life in order to marry her. In this situation, the first of his feminine qualities appears. The morning after the wedding “it was he who gave the impression of having lost his virginity overnight; the bride made not the slightest sign that could be taken to betray anything at all”(Flaubert 34). His actions resemble that of women in the Victorian era, typically virgins before marriage, despite his previous marriage to Madame Dubuc. He displays the behavior expected of Emma, exposing his innocent and loving nature. Even after the first night Charles displays the utmost affection for her, which she does not reciprocate. In doing this, Flaubert explores the possibility of men caring more for women than women for men. As Emma becomes ill, Charles ignores his duties and a doctor, father, and friend as “for forty-three days he did not leave her side. He...

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...with Leon adds to her financial difficulties and supplies Lheureux with evidence for blackmail. In attempting to mimic these masculine characteristics, Emma destroys her secret life.
The emasculation of men in the text serves to identify specific masculine characteristics, removing them from male characters and adding them to Emma’s personality. This reversal reveals the flawed nature of nineteenth century France’s social order. Flaubert proves male characters to be unable to fulfill their roles as the head of the household, and despite Emma’s attempt to take on the role, she is also unable because of the masculine qualities she possesses. In these modern times where women can be the head of the household and breadwinners, and men stay home, society has started to mirror the idiosyncrasies that Flaubert illustrates through his own role reversals in Madame Bovary.

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