1. enclaves: a distinct territorial, cultural, or social unit enclosed within or as if within foreign territory
2. It starts off where Orlando is arguing with his older brother Oliver over the will of their recently deceased father. Then Orlando wishes to fight Charles who is much larger than he is, and the entire town expects defeat. The Senior Duke was then banished by his brother, and at first brother decided not to banish Rosalind, his daughter, because of the great friendship Rosalind has with his own daughter Celia. Celia and Rosalind try to convince Orlando not to fight, but they do not succeed. Rosalind is overcome with love for Orlando instantly. Then Duke Frederick decides to banish Rosalind as well and Celia leaves with her because they cannot bear to be apart. They decide to find Rosalind's father in the forest, they know that it would be dangerous so Celia dresses as a shepardess named Aliena and Rosalind as a man named Ganymede. Duke Frederick is furious at the disappearance of his daughter and he learns that wherever his daughter is Orlando is likely to be with them, so he sends for Oliver to go search for Orlando. Oliver having heard of his brother's victory over Charles is planning to burn the stable in which Orlando sleeps in hopes of burning him too. Orlando and Adam enter the forest, but Adam is growing weak so Orlando goes to fetch him food, and they both end up eating with the Senior Duke and his friends. Meanwhile, Orlando has been writing poems and posting them on every tree in hopes that Rosalind will find them. Celia figures out that these poems are from Orlando to Rosalind, and the two rejoice. Rosalind soon meets Orlando in the forest when she is disguised as Ganymede, and she decides that she is going to cure Orlando of his love.
3. I don't remember exactly who said this, but the words, "The only fault you have is to be in love," were spoken to Orlando. I think those were the words of Ganymede when he/she met Orlando in the forest and decided to cure him of his love. I guess I am confused as to why Ganymede who is really Rosalind would say this because, Rosalind wants Orlando to be in love with her, right? Why would she try to convince him otherwise when she has been pining for him ever since he left?
4. a) I know in the last section is where I am supposed to question the author's intent, but I don't know what to question. Was Shakespeare trying to send a message to his readers or was this section simply humorous?
b) I might be reading too much into this, but there was a William that Ganymede, Aliena, and Jove encounter in the forest. Since this play was written by William Shakespeare-- is there a connection?
c) There were so many things that Shakespeare put in the play that just showed up there, almost too conviniently- what was the point of this?
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Madame Bovary Part 3, Ch. 9-10
1. viscous (page 306) : having an adhesive quality
2. Charles is of course in shock because of Emma's death, he plans an elaborate funeral and demands that she be buried in her wedding dress and covered in velvet. Although Charles knows he cannot afford this, he only wants the best for his wife. In order to cover up the fact that Emma's death was a suicide they invent the story that she had mistaken poison for sugar when she was creating a vanilla cream. When Charles is saying his final goodbyes to her, a black liquid pours out of her mouth, he then commands Homais to cut off a lock of Emma's hair as a keepsake. Emma's father heard that Emma was ill so he came down to visit, when he arrived, however, he discovered that she was dead. He attended the funeral with the rest of the town, except for Justin. He could not bring himself to go to the funeral so instead he paid a visit to her grave in the middle of the night. Creditors again pay a visit to the Bovary home in order to collect debt from Charles, but he discovers that Emma has already received the money he thought patients owed him, he is forced to sell more of his possessions. He learns that Leon is engaged, and sends him a letter telling him that Emma would be so happy for him. He then finds the letter from Rodolphe, and assumes that it was a love that lacked intimacy. Meanwhile, Homais is creating a petition in order to get the blind man expelled from the town. Charles finds more letters from Rodolphe and also from Leon, he is finally forced to realize his wife's affair. He goes to Rouen to sell his horse, where he finds Rodolphe. At first it is awkward, but then they sit down for a drink and they decide that neither one of them is to blame for Emma's death, that fate was again to blame. Charles is so heartbroken and depressed, when he goes out to the garden the next day, he dies. Whatever Charles had left was sold to creditors. Berthe is sent to live with the elder Madame Bovary until her death, and then she is sent to live with a poor aunt and is forced to work in a mill.
3. When we first started the novel, I was a firm believer that Charles did not love Emma that he was merely infatuated with the excitement that she brought. Also, that he was merely lusting over her physical attractiveness. Now, however, I am thinking that he did really love her. When he discovers the letter from Rodolphe, his love for his wife was blinding him from seeing what really took place. Page 316 reads, " He remembered Rodolphe's assiduous attentions, his sudden disappearance, and his air of constraint the two or three times they had met since. But the respectful tone of the letter fooled him." "Maybe he they loved each other platonically," he told himself. I find it ironic that the letter not only fooled Emma into thinking that Rodolphe loved her, but it fooled Charles into thinking that he did not love her, or that their love lacked intimacy. Continuing with the irony, is Flaubert using it to show the difference between Emma and her daughter? It seems to me that Emma's constant desire for a life of aristocracy forced Berthe to be imprisoned in a lower class life. After the death of his wife, Charles was heartbroken, depressed, and very unhappy with his life, just like Emma. Except for Charles, suicide wasn't an option. He loved her so much that he couldn't live without her, so he died.
4. a) I think that when Rodolphe and Charles decide that fate is to blame for Emma's death, it is merely an excuse for what actually lead to her suicide. But if fate did not cause it, then what did?
b) At first, I did not take Justin's love for Emma seriously, but after reading about the scene where he weeps at her grave- it shows just how much he did love her. Is Flaubert again trying to point out the fact that Rodolphe and Leon are not at all shaken up by her death and did not really love her but Emma was oblivious to who really did care about her?
c) In the first and last chapters of the book, it is about Charles. Also, it starts off that Emma thinks she is in love with Charles, then in the end she is so unhappy with her life that she commits suicide. In Emma's life she "fell in love" with a man, then it went wrong, then she was left wallowing in self-pity. Is there significance to the fact that the book is written in somewhat of a pattern, and Emma's life was a pattern?
2. Charles is of course in shock because of Emma's death, he plans an elaborate funeral and demands that she be buried in her wedding dress and covered in velvet. Although Charles knows he cannot afford this, he only wants the best for his wife. In order to cover up the fact that Emma's death was a suicide they invent the story that she had mistaken poison for sugar when she was creating a vanilla cream. When Charles is saying his final goodbyes to her, a black liquid pours out of her mouth, he then commands Homais to cut off a lock of Emma's hair as a keepsake. Emma's father heard that Emma was ill so he came down to visit, when he arrived, however, he discovered that she was dead. He attended the funeral with the rest of the town, except for Justin. He could not bring himself to go to the funeral so instead he paid a visit to her grave in the middle of the night. Creditors again pay a visit to the Bovary home in order to collect debt from Charles, but he discovers that Emma has already received the money he thought patients owed him, he is forced to sell more of his possessions. He learns that Leon is engaged, and sends him a letter telling him that Emma would be so happy for him. He then finds the letter from Rodolphe, and assumes that it was a love that lacked intimacy. Meanwhile, Homais is creating a petition in order to get the blind man expelled from the town. Charles finds more letters from Rodolphe and also from Leon, he is finally forced to realize his wife's affair. He goes to Rouen to sell his horse, where he finds Rodolphe. At first it is awkward, but then they sit down for a drink and they decide that neither one of them is to blame for Emma's death, that fate was again to blame. Charles is so heartbroken and depressed, when he goes out to the garden the next day, he dies. Whatever Charles had left was sold to creditors. Berthe is sent to live with the elder Madame Bovary until her death, and then she is sent to live with a poor aunt and is forced to work in a mill.
3. When we first started the novel, I was a firm believer that Charles did not love Emma that he was merely infatuated with the excitement that she brought. Also, that he was merely lusting over her physical attractiveness. Now, however, I am thinking that he did really love her. When he discovers the letter from Rodolphe, his love for his wife was blinding him from seeing what really took place. Page 316 reads, " He remembered Rodolphe's assiduous attentions, his sudden disappearance, and his air of constraint the two or three times they had met since. But the respectful tone of the letter fooled him." "Maybe he they loved each other platonically," he told himself. I find it ironic that the letter not only fooled Emma into thinking that Rodolphe loved her, but it fooled Charles into thinking that he did not love her, or that their love lacked intimacy. Continuing with the irony, is Flaubert using it to show the difference between Emma and her daughter? It seems to me that Emma's constant desire for a life of aristocracy forced Berthe to be imprisoned in a lower class life. After the death of his wife, Charles was heartbroken, depressed, and very unhappy with his life, just like Emma. Except for Charles, suicide wasn't an option. He loved her so much that he couldn't live without her, so he died.
4. a) I think that when Rodolphe and Charles decide that fate is to blame for Emma's death, it is merely an excuse for what actually lead to her suicide. But if fate did not cause it, then what did?
b) At first, I did not take Justin's love for Emma seriously, but after reading about the scene where he weeps at her grave- it shows just how much he did love her. Is Flaubert again trying to point out the fact that Rodolphe and Leon are not at all shaken up by her death and did not really love her but Emma was oblivious to who really did care about her?
c) In the first and last chapters of the book, it is about Charles. Also, it starts off that Emma thinks she is in love with Charles, then in the end she is so unhappy with her life that she commits suicide. In Emma's life she "fell in love" with a man, then it went wrong, then she was left wallowing in self-pity. Is there significance to the fact that the book is written in somewhat of a pattern, and Emma's life was a pattern?
Madame Bovary Part 3, Ch. 6-8
1. Facies (page 280) : an appearance and expression of the face characteristic of a particular condition especially when abnormal
2. In chapters six through eight, Emma continues her affair with Leon, and one day when Emma and Leon were supposed to meet each other at a hotel, Homais decides to visit Leon and therefore Leon cannot see Emma and she gets very upset. However, she still continues spending and increasing her debt to the point that she got a legal notice and she began to sell objects from Charles' home in order to pay it off. Leon becomes annoyed with Emma, and in return she becomes disgusted with him. Emma starts to hang out with the wrong crowd, and she even accompanies them to a masquerade ball. After the masquerade ball, when she returns home she is presented with a legal notice saying that she must pay 8,000 francs, or she will lose her property. She begs Lheureux for money, but he says no. Lheuruex is hoping to gain control of everything that the Bovary's own. Officers show up at the Bovary home to take a look at all of their possessions. They leave an officer behind, and Emma hides him in the attic to prevent Charles from knowing about it. She tries to come up with a plan to get the money that she owes by telling Leon to steal from his work, he will not. Even though he is disgusted with her, he agrees to go to his friends for some money and send it to her. Despite the fact that she was trying to hide what was happening, she found a notice posted in Yonville about the auction they were holding to sell the Bovary's things. She goes to the town lawyer, but he will not help her unless she will make love to him. She refuses, and then goes to Binet the tax collector to try and get more time to pay her taxes. When this fails, she hopes that Rodolphe will help her. Rodolphe realizes her motive for visiting him and he will not help her either, so as a last resort she goes to the apothecary's and convinces Justin to let her get in to the cabinet where the arsenic is kept. She ingests a handful and returns home around the same time that Charles does. He sees the notice of the auction, and is quite worried and searches for Emma, he finds her in her bed where she gives him a letter and tells him that he cannot open it until the next day. At first, she feels nothing but then she becomes very sick and Charles reads the letter only to discover that she has poisoned herself. Charles and Homais call in doctors from other towns, but there is nothing to be done. So, they call in the priest to bless her. She is finally motherly towards Berthe, and kind to Charles as they all cry. The last thing she hears is the blind beggar singing the terrible song below her window as she dies.
3. I find it interesting how Emma kept spending, even though she knew how much she owed in debt. She does everything she can think of to try and come up with the money she owed, but failed, including visiting the lawyer who only agrees to help her if she has sex with him. She angrily refuses. I also think it is interesting the irony that Flaubert is trying to point out, the fact that she will not sleep with the lawyer but she practically throws herself at Binet, and also Rodolphe. Does Flaubert think that she is a prostitute or that she is just doing what she has to in order to get the money? Just like everything else in Emma's life, she does not halfway commit to anything. She gets so flustered with her life that the only other thing she can think of to do is to commit suicide. She storms into the apothecary's shop and ingests arsenic straight from the bottle. She does not have anything left in her life to throw herself at, so she commits to ending her life.
4. a) What was the significance of Binet being the tax collector? Or was there a reason why he was the tax collector?
b) Is there a relationship between Emma's spending and the depletion of her life?
c) Was Emma unconsciously contradicting herself in the fact that she was willing to give herself to Rodolphe, but not the lawyer?
2. In chapters six through eight, Emma continues her affair with Leon, and one day when Emma and Leon were supposed to meet each other at a hotel, Homais decides to visit Leon and therefore Leon cannot see Emma and she gets very upset. However, she still continues spending and increasing her debt to the point that she got a legal notice and she began to sell objects from Charles' home in order to pay it off. Leon becomes annoyed with Emma, and in return she becomes disgusted with him. Emma starts to hang out with the wrong crowd, and she even accompanies them to a masquerade ball. After the masquerade ball, when she returns home she is presented with a legal notice saying that she must pay 8,000 francs, or she will lose her property. She begs Lheureux for money, but he says no. Lheuruex is hoping to gain control of everything that the Bovary's own. Officers show up at the Bovary home to take a look at all of their possessions. They leave an officer behind, and Emma hides him in the attic to prevent Charles from knowing about it. She tries to come up with a plan to get the money that she owes by telling Leon to steal from his work, he will not. Even though he is disgusted with her, he agrees to go to his friends for some money and send it to her. Despite the fact that she was trying to hide what was happening, she found a notice posted in Yonville about the auction they were holding to sell the Bovary's things. She goes to the town lawyer, but he will not help her unless she will make love to him. She refuses, and then goes to Binet the tax collector to try and get more time to pay her taxes. When this fails, she hopes that Rodolphe will help her. Rodolphe realizes her motive for visiting him and he will not help her either, so as a last resort she goes to the apothecary's and convinces Justin to let her get in to the cabinet where the arsenic is kept. She ingests a handful and returns home around the same time that Charles does. He sees the notice of the auction, and is quite worried and searches for Emma, he finds her in her bed where she gives him a letter and tells him that he cannot open it until the next day. At first, she feels nothing but then she becomes very sick and Charles reads the letter only to discover that she has poisoned herself. Charles and Homais call in doctors from other towns, but there is nothing to be done. So, they call in the priest to bless her. She is finally motherly towards Berthe, and kind to Charles as they all cry. The last thing she hears is the blind beggar singing the terrible song below her window as she dies.
3. I find it interesting how Emma kept spending, even though she knew how much she owed in debt. She does everything she can think of to try and come up with the money she owed, but failed, including visiting the lawyer who only agrees to help her if she has sex with him. She angrily refuses. I also think it is interesting the irony that Flaubert is trying to point out, the fact that she will not sleep with the lawyer but she practically throws herself at Binet, and also Rodolphe. Does Flaubert think that she is a prostitute or that she is just doing what she has to in order to get the money? Just like everything else in Emma's life, she does not halfway commit to anything. She gets so flustered with her life that the only other thing she can think of to do is to commit suicide. She storms into the apothecary's shop and ingests arsenic straight from the bottle. She does not have anything left in her life to throw herself at, so she commits to ending her life.
4. a) What was the significance of Binet being the tax collector? Or was there a reason why he was the tax collector?
b) Is there a relationship between Emma's spending and the depletion of her life?
c) Was Emma unconsciously contradicting herself in the fact that she was willing to give herself to Rodolphe, but not the lawyer?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Madame Bovary Part 3, Ch. 1-5
1. genuflecting (page 229) : to touch the knee to the floor or ground especially in worship.
2. When Charles left Emma in Rouen for a day, Leon goes to visit her in her hotel room. He falls in love with her again, but she does not accept his love. He begs her to give him another chance and meet him the next day at a church. She arrives at the church intentionally late in hopes that she would not see him, but when she did she gave him a letter that told him how she felt about him. He decides not to read it and the two of them take a tour of the church and then go for a ride on the carriage where Leon rips up Emma's letter. They spent so much time in the carriage that Emma missed her opportunity to return to Yonville. When she does return to Yonville, she went to Homais' shop and found out about the fight between Homais and Justin, and also that Charles' father has died and his mother would be coming to stay with them while they mourn. Lheureux gives Charles another list of debts and Emma convinces him the best way to resolve it is to go to Rouen and have Leon help them with the paperwork. While in Rouen the two of them make love to each other and take a romantic boat ride, apparently the same boat that Rodolphe had been on the night before. When Emma again returns to Yonville, Leon pays her many visits and Emma convinces Charles to let her take piano lessons in Rouen so that she can sneak away to see her lover. Charles nearly discovers the affair when he encounters Emma's piano teacher and the teacher has no idea who Emma is. Emma fakes receipts from the lesson to prove his suspicions otherwise. On the way to and from Rouen Emma meets a blind beggar who sings her a song that terrifies her. Charles' mother again comes to visit to help them take care of financial trouble, and burns Emma's power over the money. Emma is seeing Leon whatever chance she gets, but he starts to get annoyed with the fact that she wants to spend so much time with him.
3. In this section, Emma again tries to compare her relationships to those in the romantic novels she reads. This time, it is Leon instead of Charles. She and Leon pretend that they are characters in these novels, however, in real life their relationship is superficial. They think that their relationship is based off of common interests, when really they are just telling each other whatever they think the other one wants to hear. Eventually, they discover this and become annoyed with each other. Emma feels the need to then spend even more money to make up for her loss. I find that Flaubert is trying to show his readers that as Emma gains more control over Charles' money her morals are spinning even more out of control. She is officially corrupted, Charles cannot understand his wifes' behavior but he continues to stick by her even when she is self-destructing. At first, I thought that Flaubert was thinking that she was merely stuck in the Bourgeousie life, but now I think that he is almost mocking the fact that she is middle class and she cannot get out of it despite her best efforts to purchase expensive material things.
4. a) Charles is confused by his wife's behavior, and even he is beginning to see that something is not right, but yet, why doesn't he take action on his suspicions or control Emma's spending?
b) It seems to me that the same thing that happened in her relationship with Rodolphe is happening with Leon, is Flaubert trying to suggest that all relationships end in self-destruction or corruption?
c) Since Emma was contemplating Charles' father's estate, where is the older Madame Bovary going to stay?
2. When Charles left Emma in Rouen for a day, Leon goes to visit her in her hotel room. He falls in love with her again, but she does not accept his love. He begs her to give him another chance and meet him the next day at a church. She arrives at the church intentionally late in hopes that she would not see him, but when she did she gave him a letter that told him how she felt about him. He decides not to read it and the two of them take a tour of the church and then go for a ride on the carriage where Leon rips up Emma's letter. They spent so much time in the carriage that Emma missed her opportunity to return to Yonville. When she does return to Yonville, she went to Homais' shop and found out about the fight between Homais and Justin, and also that Charles' father has died and his mother would be coming to stay with them while they mourn. Lheureux gives Charles another list of debts and Emma convinces him the best way to resolve it is to go to Rouen and have Leon help them with the paperwork. While in Rouen the two of them make love to each other and take a romantic boat ride, apparently the same boat that Rodolphe had been on the night before. When Emma again returns to Yonville, Leon pays her many visits and Emma convinces Charles to let her take piano lessons in Rouen so that she can sneak away to see her lover. Charles nearly discovers the affair when he encounters Emma's piano teacher and the teacher has no idea who Emma is. Emma fakes receipts from the lesson to prove his suspicions otherwise. On the way to and from Rouen Emma meets a blind beggar who sings her a song that terrifies her. Charles' mother again comes to visit to help them take care of financial trouble, and burns Emma's power over the money. Emma is seeing Leon whatever chance she gets, but he starts to get annoyed with the fact that she wants to spend so much time with him.
3. In this section, Emma again tries to compare her relationships to those in the romantic novels she reads. This time, it is Leon instead of Charles. She and Leon pretend that they are characters in these novels, however, in real life their relationship is superficial. They think that their relationship is based off of common interests, when really they are just telling each other whatever they think the other one wants to hear. Eventually, they discover this and become annoyed with each other. Emma feels the need to then spend even more money to make up for her loss. I find that Flaubert is trying to show his readers that as Emma gains more control over Charles' money her morals are spinning even more out of control. She is officially corrupted, Charles cannot understand his wifes' behavior but he continues to stick by her even when she is self-destructing. At first, I thought that Flaubert was thinking that she was merely stuck in the Bourgeousie life, but now I think that he is almost mocking the fact that she is middle class and she cannot get out of it despite her best efforts to purchase expensive material things.
4. a) Charles is confused by his wife's behavior, and even he is beginning to see that something is not right, but yet, why doesn't he take action on his suspicions or control Emma's spending?
b) It seems to me that the same thing that happened in her relationship with Rodolphe is happening with Leon, is Flaubert trying to suggest that all relationships end in self-destruction or corruption?
c) Since Emma was contemplating Charles' father's estate, where is the older Madame Bovary going to stay?
Madame Bovary Part 2, Ch. 14-15
1. tallow ( page 214) : the white nearly tasteless solid rendered fat of cattle and sheep used chiefly in soap, candles, and lubricants.
2. Charles is under a great amount of pressure in these chapters because he is concerned both for Emma's health and their financial situation. When he is informed about the debt that Emma owes to Lheureux he has to borrow money. Since Emma has recovered from her illness she has rediscovered religion from her days in the convent. Of course, she becomes dissatisfied with it because it doesn't compare to the excitement of her affairs. Despite her unhappiness, she tries to be a better wife to Charles and mother to Berthe, also, is kinder to everyone in the town. Charles decides to take Emma to the opera in Rouen despite the arguments between the priest and Homais saying that the theater is not moral. Emma loved the opera, however she was again embarassed by the fact that Charles is not sophisticated. The opera also causes her to fantasize about the romantic novels she read and the life she longs for. Soon, she learns that Leon is also at the opera. Emma, Charles, and Leon go to a cafe and discuss the opera. Leon does not like it but when he finds out that Emma wishes to stay and see the rest of it he changes his mind. Charles convinces Emma to stay and watch the rest of the opera while he returns home.
3. In this section Flaubert again is trying to show his readers that language can at times be inadequate. This time, it is written words that fail to convey Rodolphe's emotions in the letter. Rodolphe writes in his heartbreaking letter to Emma that fate is to blame, and that he really does love her but he cannot runaway with her. However, we know that Rodolphe does not really love her and it is not fate's fault that they cannot be together. He does not love her, he is annoyed with her and stayed with her purely because of her beauty. I have to wonder why Flaubert showed the over exaggerated romanticism in the letter, but then when Emma reads the letter the text is filled with realistic ideas.
4. a) Why did Flaubert choose to show us that the opera was simply good, not great, but then go on about how much Emma loved the opera and the fact that it again made her desire a life of aristocracy?
b) How does Flaubert feel about Emma's heartbreak, does he pity her, or is he laughing at her inability to learn from her mistakes?
c) Why was Leon thrown back into the story at such a random time during the opera?
2. Charles is under a great amount of pressure in these chapters because he is concerned both for Emma's health and their financial situation. When he is informed about the debt that Emma owes to Lheureux he has to borrow money. Since Emma has recovered from her illness she has rediscovered religion from her days in the convent. Of course, she becomes dissatisfied with it because it doesn't compare to the excitement of her affairs. Despite her unhappiness, she tries to be a better wife to Charles and mother to Berthe, also, is kinder to everyone in the town. Charles decides to take Emma to the opera in Rouen despite the arguments between the priest and Homais saying that the theater is not moral. Emma loved the opera, however she was again embarassed by the fact that Charles is not sophisticated. The opera also causes her to fantasize about the romantic novels she read and the life she longs for. Soon, she learns that Leon is also at the opera. Emma, Charles, and Leon go to a cafe and discuss the opera. Leon does not like it but when he finds out that Emma wishes to stay and see the rest of it he changes his mind. Charles convinces Emma to stay and watch the rest of the opera while he returns home.
3. In this section Flaubert again is trying to show his readers that language can at times be inadequate. This time, it is written words that fail to convey Rodolphe's emotions in the letter. Rodolphe writes in his heartbreaking letter to Emma that fate is to blame, and that he really does love her but he cannot runaway with her. However, we know that Rodolphe does not really love her and it is not fate's fault that they cannot be together. He does not love her, he is annoyed with her and stayed with her purely because of her beauty. I have to wonder why Flaubert showed the over exaggerated romanticism in the letter, but then when Emma reads the letter the text is filled with realistic ideas.
4. a) Why did Flaubert choose to show us that the opera was simply good, not great, but then go on about how much Emma loved the opera and the fact that it again made her desire a life of aristocracy?
b) How does Flaubert feel about Emma's heartbreak, does he pity her, or is he laughing at her inability to learn from her mistakes?
c) Why was Leon thrown back into the story at such a random time during the opera?
Madame Bovary Part 2, Ch. 9-13
1. immaculate (page 161) : having no stain or blemish: pure. Also, containing no flaw or error.
2. In this part of the novel, Rodolphe leaves Emma for six weeks thinking that it will make her miss him even more, when he returns she is at first angry with him and then she gives in to his charm and they are romantic with each other. Rodolphe offers her a horse to ride, Charles urges her to accept his offer because he thinks it will be good for her health. Emma does not want to, but again she gives in and they ride off together and Rodolphe again confesses his love for her. However, Rodolphe soon grows tired of her and stays with her merely because he thinks she is beautiful. The town definitely knows of their affair so they try to be more careful with it. Meanwhile, Homais and Emma convince Charles to preform a surgery in an attempt to correct the clubfoot of Hippolyte, a servant. Charles fails to correct his deformity and Emma again deems him incompetent and is very embarassed of him. Emma is hinting to Rodolphe that she would like to leave Charles and because of her carelessness when Charles' mother comes to visit, she knows that Emma is having an affair. The two of them argue and this pushes Emma farther away from Charles and she and Rodolphe decide to runaway together and take Berthe with them. However, after one of their "secret" meetings Rodolphe decides that he does not want to go. Rodolphe writes Emma a letter full of lies saying that it is his fault that they could not run away together and he really does love her. Emma is heartbroken and contemplates throwing herself out of the attic window. Charles unknowingly stops her from killing herself as he calls to her to come downstairs. She faints when she sees Rodolphe leaving town and becomes ill for the next few months, Charles calls in doctors from all over to try and cure her, but there is no luck.
3. Whenever Emma is looking out of the window in the attic she sees Binet working in his lathe. At first, I did not think anything of it. But then I realized that Flaubert was trying to show us the irony of Emma seeing Binet working. The author intends to show us that while Binet is working at his life, Emma's is destructing. Also, he again shows how Emma is far too dramatic in his descriptions of this scene, for example, page 200 says: " She could see him in front of her, hear him; she was wrapping her arms around him. Her heart was pounding like a sledgehammer, furiously, irregularly, constantly accelerating. She looked all around her, hoping that the earth would crumble. Why not end it all? Who was keeping her back?"
Also, when Emma looks out the window she sees that the world is going about their usual business, she is very disappointed. I found it interesting that the author would include these over the top emotions in a realistic part in the novel. In a classic romantic novel the main character would never be contemplating suicide.
4. a) Emma seems to have a pattern of destruction, she becomes infatuated with a man, then it goes wrong, then she wallows in self-pity, then decides to be a better wife and go to church. Then, after doing this, she repeats it. Is she incapable of learning from her mistakes or does she just want to lead a very dramatic life?
b) Why did Charles, Emma, and Homais decide to fix Hippolyte's foot? I know that he had a club foot, but he wasn't complaining about it and was still able to do his daily work.
c) In the end of this section Rodolphe breaks Emma's heart and she wishes to commit suicide. Since Charles prevents her from doing so, she is overcome with misery. Is Rodolphe to blame for Emma's corruption?
2. In this part of the novel, Rodolphe leaves Emma for six weeks thinking that it will make her miss him even more, when he returns she is at first angry with him and then she gives in to his charm and they are romantic with each other. Rodolphe offers her a horse to ride, Charles urges her to accept his offer because he thinks it will be good for her health. Emma does not want to, but again she gives in and they ride off together and Rodolphe again confesses his love for her. However, Rodolphe soon grows tired of her and stays with her merely because he thinks she is beautiful. The town definitely knows of their affair so they try to be more careful with it. Meanwhile, Homais and Emma convince Charles to preform a surgery in an attempt to correct the clubfoot of Hippolyte, a servant. Charles fails to correct his deformity and Emma again deems him incompetent and is very embarassed of him. Emma is hinting to Rodolphe that she would like to leave Charles and because of her carelessness when Charles' mother comes to visit, she knows that Emma is having an affair. The two of them argue and this pushes Emma farther away from Charles and she and Rodolphe decide to runaway together and take Berthe with them. However, after one of their "secret" meetings Rodolphe decides that he does not want to go. Rodolphe writes Emma a letter full of lies saying that it is his fault that they could not run away together and he really does love her. Emma is heartbroken and contemplates throwing herself out of the attic window. Charles unknowingly stops her from killing herself as he calls to her to come downstairs. She faints when she sees Rodolphe leaving town and becomes ill for the next few months, Charles calls in doctors from all over to try and cure her, but there is no luck.
3. Whenever Emma is looking out of the window in the attic she sees Binet working in his lathe. At first, I did not think anything of it. But then I realized that Flaubert was trying to show us the irony of Emma seeing Binet working. The author intends to show us that while Binet is working at his life, Emma's is destructing. Also, he again shows how Emma is far too dramatic in his descriptions of this scene, for example, page 200 says: " She could see him in front of her, hear him; she was wrapping her arms around him. Her heart was pounding like a sledgehammer, furiously, irregularly, constantly accelerating. She looked all around her, hoping that the earth would crumble. Why not end it all? Who was keeping her back?"
Also, when Emma looks out the window she sees that the world is going about their usual business, she is very disappointed. I found it interesting that the author would include these over the top emotions in a realistic part in the novel. In a classic romantic novel the main character would never be contemplating suicide.
4. a) Emma seems to have a pattern of destruction, she becomes infatuated with a man, then it goes wrong, then she wallows in self-pity, then decides to be a better wife and go to church. Then, after doing this, she repeats it. Is she incapable of learning from her mistakes or does she just want to lead a very dramatic life?
b) Why did Charles, Emma, and Homais decide to fix Hippolyte's foot? I know that he had a club foot, but he wasn't complaining about it and was still able to do his daily work.
c) In the end of this section Rodolphe breaks Emma's heart and she wishes to commit suicide. Since Charles prevents her from doing so, she is overcome with misery. Is Rodolphe to blame for Emma's corruption?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Madame Bovary Part 2, Ch. 5-8
1. loquaciousness (page 113) : full of excessive talk
2. In this section, Emma decides that everything that Charles says or does is just average, she is so annoyed with him that she wallows in self-pity. Because of this internal struggle Emma decides to go to church to seek help. Despite the fact that she went to church, she is still upset about Charles and pushes Berthe and she the little girl falls and cuts herself. She frantically runs to Charles telling him that she was playing and she fell. After this she suddenly decides that she wants to be a good wife to Charles, however this did not last long because after Leon left for Paris, she went back to her old ways of being miserable and rude to Charles. She soon forgot of her love for Leon when she met Rodolphe a wealthy land owner. Rodolphe finds Emma attractive, and immediately decides to think of ways to seduce her and figure out how he can leave her after he gets what he wants. Meanwhile, there is excitement in Yonville due to the agricultural fair that is to take place there. At the fair, Rodolphe takes Emma inside an empty building to watch the fair and confess his love to her. She is infatuated with him, but feels that she needs to act appropriately considering the fact that she is married.
3. In this part of the novel, Emma hears the church bells and all of a sudden she decides that she wants to go talk to the priest. I am not sure why she does this, I think that maybe she thinks it will be the solution to all of her problems. When she goes to explain things to the priest, he thinks she is physically ill, he is giving her all of these remedys for physical illnesses. She is trying to tell him about her affair with another man that her husband is unaware of. Why is the priest so ignorant? Had the priest aknowledged what Emma was talking about, he could have helped her with her problems and perhaps the outcome of the situation would have been different.
4. a) Why does Flaubert come out and explain things in the text that would never be said in real life?
b) I know that Catherine is the opposite of Emma, but why did the author choose to put her in the story?
c) Why does Emma hear the bells, and that all of a sudden makes her want to go to church?
2. In this section, Emma decides that everything that Charles says or does is just average, she is so annoyed with him that she wallows in self-pity. Because of this internal struggle Emma decides to go to church to seek help. Despite the fact that she went to church, she is still upset about Charles and pushes Berthe and she the little girl falls and cuts herself. She frantically runs to Charles telling him that she was playing and she fell. After this she suddenly decides that she wants to be a good wife to Charles, however this did not last long because after Leon left for Paris, she went back to her old ways of being miserable and rude to Charles. She soon forgot of her love for Leon when she met Rodolphe a wealthy land owner. Rodolphe finds Emma attractive, and immediately decides to think of ways to seduce her and figure out how he can leave her after he gets what he wants. Meanwhile, there is excitement in Yonville due to the agricultural fair that is to take place there. At the fair, Rodolphe takes Emma inside an empty building to watch the fair and confess his love to her. She is infatuated with him, but feels that she needs to act appropriately considering the fact that she is married.
3. In this part of the novel, Emma hears the church bells and all of a sudden she decides that she wants to go talk to the priest. I am not sure why she does this, I think that maybe she thinks it will be the solution to all of her problems. When she goes to explain things to the priest, he thinks she is physically ill, he is giving her all of these remedys for physical illnesses. She is trying to tell him about her affair with another man that her husband is unaware of. Why is the priest so ignorant? Had the priest aknowledged what Emma was talking about, he could have helped her with her problems and perhaps the outcome of the situation would have been different.
4. a) Why does Flaubert come out and explain things in the text that would never be said in real life?
b) I know that Catherine is the opposite of Emma, but why did the author choose to put her in the story?
c) Why does Emma hear the bells, and that all of a sudden makes her want to go to church?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Madame Bovary Part 2, Ch. 1-4
1. blaspheming (page 91) : speaking of or addressing with irreverence
2. This section starts off by giving a description of Yonville, the place where Emma and Charles are moving. Upon arriving at the town, they discover that there is not much there other than the inn, the graveyard, and the pharmacy. The pharmacy is owned by a man named Homais who eats a meal every Sunday with the Bovarys, and Leon, a boarder at the inn. During these meals Charles and Homais discuss medicine and Emma and Leon bond instantly by discovering the things that they both like. Only a little while after moving to Yonville, Emma gives birth to a baby girl named Berthe, even though she desperately wished for a boy. One day, Emma decided that she wanted to go see her baby, but on the way she was overcome with weakness and she encountered Leon, so she asked him to come along. This is when the town starts to suspect that the two of them are having an affair, but Charles knows nothing of it. Continuing their bonding, Leon and Emma go off on a walk together and become very romantic. Both of them love each other, however, neither one will speak of it.
3. It became very obvious to me that from the second that Leon and Emma met, there was an attraction between them. Emma thinks it is love, but Leon has another plan. He was planning ways to get rid of her even before they were romantically involved. He is telling her exactly what she wants to hear in order to make her fall in love with him. The common interests between the two of them fuels their relationship. But is it really common interest? A conversation from page 95 leads me to believe that Leon is doing exactly what he needs to do to make Emma swoon over him. It says, " I find nothing as inspiring as sunsets, " she said, "but especially at the seashore."
" Oh, I adore the sea," Monsieur Leon said.
"And don't you agree, " Madame Bovary continued, "that your spirit soars more freely over that limitless expanse? That just looking at it elevates your soul and inspires thoughts about the infinite ideal?"
"Mountain landscapes do the same," Leon said.
Leon is merely pretending to be in agreement with her in order to take advantage of Emma who is so desperate for love.
4. a) On page 101 it says, " She hoped for a son; he would be strong and dark and she would call him Georges. The thought of having a male was an anticipatory revenge for all her earlier helplessness. A man, at least, is free. He can explore passions and countries, surmount obstacles, taste the most exotice pleasures." Is the author suggesting that women are helpless or that it is society's fault that women cannot do these things?
b) In this section, there are contradicting views about what Yonville is like, does Flaubert want us to believe that it is a place with beautiful country land or that it is a place for people with no character?
c) In this time period, women were portrayed as being naive, but isn't Charles the one who is being naive? He has no idea that his wife is unhappy with their marriage, let alone that she is having an affair, even though the whole town can see what is going on.
2. This section starts off by giving a description of Yonville, the place where Emma and Charles are moving. Upon arriving at the town, they discover that there is not much there other than the inn, the graveyard, and the pharmacy. The pharmacy is owned by a man named Homais who eats a meal every Sunday with the Bovarys, and Leon, a boarder at the inn. During these meals Charles and Homais discuss medicine and Emma and Leon bond instantly by discovering the things that they both like. Only a little while after moving to Yonville, Emma gives birth to a baby girl named Berthe, even though she desperately wished for a boy. One day, Emma decided that she wanted to go see her baby, but on the way she was overcome with weakness and she encountered Leon, so she asked him to come along. This is when the town starts to suspect that the two of them are having an affair, but Charles knows nothing of it. Continuing their bonding, Leon and Emma go off on a walk together and become very romantic. Both of them love each other, however, neither one will speak of it.
3. It became very obvious to me that from the second that Leon and Emma met, there was an attraction between them. Emma thinks it is love, but Leon has another plan. He was planning ways to get rid of her even before they were romantically involved. He is telling her exactly what she wants to hear in order to make her fall in love with him. The common interests between the two of them fuels their relationship. But is it really common interest? A conversation from page 95 leads me to believe that Leon is doing exactly what he needs to do to make Emma swoon over him. It says, " I find nothing as inspiring as sunsets, " she said, "but especially at the seashore."
" Oh, I adore the sea," Monsieur Leon said.
"And don't you agree, " Madame Bovary continued, "that your spirit soars more freely over that limitless expanse? That just looking at it elevates your soul and inspires thoughts about the infinite ideal?"
"Mountain landscapes do the same," Leon said.
Leon is merely pretending to be in agreement with her in order to take advantage of Emma who is so desperate for love.
4. a) On page 101 it says, " She hoped for a son; he would be strong and dark and she would call him Georges. The thought of having a male was an anticipatory revenge for all her earlier helplessness. A man, at least, is free. He can explore passions and countries, surmount obstacles, taste the most exotice pleasures." Is the author suggesting that women are helpless or that it is society's fault that women cannot do these things?
b) In this section, there are contradicting views about what Yonville is like, does Flaubert want us to believe that it is a place with beautiful country land or that it is a place for people with no character?
c) In this time period, women were portrayed as being naive, but isn't Charles the one who is being naive? He has no idea that his wife is unhappy with their marriage, let alone that she is having an affair, even though the whole town can see what is going on.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Madame Bovary, Ch. 6-9
1. infallible (page 62) : incapable of error
2. In this section, we learn a lot about Emma. Chapter six starts off telling about how Emma was reminiscing on her life in the convent, and how she used that time to grieve about her mother's death. She soon got bored of this and went to live with her father but she soon got tired of this too. Then she met Charles and by marrying him she was hoping that he could give her the life that she read about in books. She is constantly daydreaming of having a life of money and therefore, bliss. Her dream to have this life becomes more prevalent when the Bovarys are invited to a ball at Marquis d'Andervilliers' home and Emma sees the way that they live and suddenly becomes angry at Charles for being a bad dancer, and ultimately for not being able to give her that life.
3. One of the major themes in this novel is the inadequacy of language. This is shown on page 60 where it says, " She might have wanted to confide all these things to someone. But how do you describe an intangible uneasiness that changes shape like a cloud and blows about like the wind? Words failed her-- as well as the opportunity and the courage." Emma wants to tell Charles that she does not feel a passion or a happiness in their relationship. She also wants to tell him how she longs to live the life of a rich person and that she is embarassed by the fact that he is ill-mannered and rather clumsy. She is lacking the ability to tell him how she feels because she is afraid that her words will convey the opposite of what she means. Because of the fact that language is inadequate in this section, Emma is unable to tell Charles the things that she needs to in order to feel better. I believe that her inability to communicate with Charles causes her great distress and will only cause trouble in the long run.
4. a) How can Charles not see that Emma is clearly not in love with him and that she wishes she was married to a man more like one that she met at the ball? Or does he see it and he chooses to ignore it because he loves her so much, and only wants to be with her?
b) Page 63 reads, " She would ask herself if there might not be a way, by other combinations of fate, to meet some other man, and she tried to imagine what these unrealized events, this different life, this husband she did not know, would be like. None of them resembled her present husband." Is Emma trapped in this life with Charles, and her desire to live this life of luxury unattainable?
c) Along the same lines as my previous question, does Emma feel that she stumbled upon this life with Charles by mistake and she's not supposed to be with him? Does she think that she is of a higher social status and deserves better?
2. In this section, we learn a lot about Emma. Chapter six starts off telling about how Emma was reminiscing on her life in the convent, and how she used that time to grieve about her mother's death. She soon got bored of this and went to live with her father but she soon got tired of this too. Then she met Charles and by marrying him she was hoping that he could give her the life that she read about in books. She is constantly daydreaming of having a life of money and therefore, bliss. Her dream to have this life becomes more prevalent when the Bovarys are invited to a ball at Marquis d'Andervilliers' home and Emma sees the way that they live and suddenly becomes angry at Charles for being a bad dancer, and ultimately for not being able to give her that life.
3. One of the major themes in this novel is the inadequacy of language. This is shown on page 60 where it says, " She might have wanted to confide all these things to someone. But how do you describe an intangible uneasiness that changes shape like a cloud and blows about like the wind? Words failed her-- as well as the opportunity and the courage." Emma wants to tell Charles that she does not feel a passion or a happiness in their relationship. She also wants to tell him how she longs to live the life of a rich person and that she is embarassed by the fact that he is ill-mannered and rather clumsy. She is lacking the ability to tell him how she feels because she is afraid that her words will convey the opposite of what she means. Because of the fact that language is inadequate in this section, Emma is unable to tell Charles the things that she needs to in order to feel better. I believe that her inability to communicate with Charles causes her great distress and will only cause trouble in the long run.
4. a) How can Charles not see that Emma is clearly not in love with him and that she wishes she was married to a man more like one that she met at the ball? Or does he see it and he chooses to ignore it because he loves her so much, and only wants to be with her?
b) Page 63 reads, " She would ask herself if there might not be a way, by other combinations of fate, to meet some other man, and she tried to imagine what these unrealized events, this different life, this husband she did not know, would be like. None of them resembled her present husband." Is Emma trapped in this life with Charles, and her desire to live this life of luxury unattainable?
c) Along the same lines as my previous question, does Emma feel that she stumbled upon this life with Charles by mistake and she's not supposed to be with him? Does she think that she is of a higher social status and deserves better?
Madame Bovary, Ch. 1-5
1. Dowry (pg. 46): the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to a man in marriage.
2. The novel begins on Charles Bovary's first day of school at a village school. The author reveals to us characteristics of his personality, such as the fact that he is not very hard working and merely an average child. This becomes evident when he fails his exam to get in to medical school several times before passing and getting a job in Tostes that his mother arranged for him. His mother also arranged a marriage to an old, supposedly rich widow who is very overbearing and protective when she finds out about Emma - the daughter of one of his patients that lives in another town. Charles becomes immediately infatuated with Emma, and despite the fact that his wife forbid him to see her, he pays many visits to her home. Soon after this, the old widow died a sudden death and Charles barely had time to grieve before asking her father for her hand in marriage. The wedding was held at Emma's farm, and guests were preocupied with the clothes they were not used to wearing and the rudeness of their hosts. When Emma arrives at Charles' place, Charles is clearly very happy with the marriage, while Emma is worried about making improvements to the home and she realizes that she only thought she was in love before she got married, but that their relationship is lacking the passion that she reads about in books.
3. I find it interesting how Flaubert portrays the relationship between love and marriage in these first few chapters. Charles' first marriage was to Heloise, an old widow who supposedly had a rather large fortune to her name. And for this reason, Charles' mother decides that she is suitable for her son. Although there was love in this marriage, it was unrequited. At times the old widow was overbearing and jealous, but even so, she loved Charles very much. After reading about the relationship between Charles and Heloise I find that the author is almost suggesting that at these times, love was not necessary in a marriage. Also, that men and women were merely settling for each other, regardless of how they felt about each other.
As I read more about the newly married couple Charles and Emma, I started to discover that Charles' love for Emma is also unrequited. Page 55 says: "Before she had married she thought she was in love. But the happiness that should have resulted from this love had not come; she must have deceived herself, she thought. Emma sought to learn what was really meant in life by the words " happiness," "passion," and "intoxication" -- words that had seemed so beautiful to her in books. Since Emma learned most of what she knows about love from books, she is comparing her marriage with Charles to those in the novels she reads. Because of her desire to live the rich life and have a perfect, passionate marriage, she will never be able to love Charles the way that he loves her.
4. a) I have to wonder why the author switches the point of view, in the very beginning it is told from the perspective of a classmate of Charles' and it switches to a random outsider. Is there a reason for this?
b) Although Charles loves Emma, I am thinking that he loves her for the wrong reasons. Does he truly have romantic love for her, or is he only in love with her because of the excitement she brings or her physical attractiveness?
c) Why did Flaubert write about the wedding for so long? As I was reading it, I almost got a little bored, did we really have to know every little detail about it?
2. The novel begins on Charles Bovary's first day of school at a village school. The author reveals to us characteristics of his personality, such as the fact that he is not very hard working and merely an average child. This becomes evident when he fails his exam to get in to medical school several times before passing and getting a job in Tostes that his mother arranged for him. His mother also arranged a marriage to an old, supposedly rich widow who is very overbearing and protective when she finds out about Emma - the daughter of one of his patients that lives in another town. Charles becomes immediately infatuated with Emma, and despite the fact that his wife forbid him to see her, he pays many visits to her home. Soon after this, the old widow died a sudden death and Charles barely had time to grieve before asking her father for her hand in marriage. The wedding was held at Emma's farm, and guests were preocupied with the clothes they were not used to wearing and the rudeness of their hosts. When Emma arrives at Charles' place, Charles is clearly very happy with the marriage, while Emma is worried about making improvements to the home and she realizes that she only thought she was in love before she got married, but that their relationship is lacking the passion that she reads about in books.
3. I find it interesting how Flaubert portrays the relationship between love and marriage in these first few chapters. Charles' first marriage was to Heloise, an old widow who supposedly had a rather large fortune to her name. And for this reason, Charles' mother decides that she is suitable for her son. Although there was love in this marriage, it was unrequited. At times the old widow was overbearing and jealous, but even so, she loved Charles very much. After reading about the relationship between Charles and Heloise I find that the author is almost suggesting that at these times, love was not necessary in a marriage. Also, that men and women were merely settling for each other, regardless of how they felt about each other.
As I read more about the newly married couple Charles and Emma, I started to discover that Charles' love for Emma is also unrequited. Page 55 says: "Before she had married she thought she was in love. But the happiness that should have resulted from this love had not come; she must have deceived herself, she thought. Emma sought to learn what was really meant in life by the words " happiness," "passion," and "intoxication" -- words that had seemed so beautiful to her in books. Since Emma learned most of what she knows about love from books, she is comparing her marriage with Charles to those in the novels she reads. Because of her desire to live the rich life and have a perfect, passionate marriage, she will never be able to love Charles the way that he loves her.
4. a) I have to wonder why the author switches the point of view, in the very beginning it is told from the perspective of a classmate of Charles' and it switches to a random outsider. Is there a reason for this?
b) Although Charles loves Emma, I am thinking that he loves her for the wrong reasons. Does he truly have romantic love for her, or is he only in love with her because of the excitement she brings or her physical attractiveness?
c) Why did Flaubert write about the wedding for so long? As I was reading it, I almost got a little bored, did we really have to know every little detail about it?
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