The Motif of Windows in Madame Bovary
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert is a novel about a woman who is never satisfied. She is always searching for something new, and when she finds that, she quickly leaves it to search for yet one more thing. Throughout the novel there is a constant reference to windows. This motif is used by Flaubert to help give insights into the character of Emma. By showing her in the context of windows, Flaubert paints a picture of a woman who is constantly searching for excitement and a woman who is trapped inside her own life. From the opening of the book, the reader realizes that windows will be a major part of the novel. Windows make up the crucial centers around which the plot is organized (Rousset 161). Windows are used in two main ways in the novel: as description tools that convey theme, and as a way to convey theme through the character of Emma. Windows become powerful description devices because they convey Emma Bovary's attitude towards life (and the author's theme) simply with description. Because Emma does not like her married life, the description of her home is not very flattering. In her home "the pallid light that filtered through the window faded softly away with little shadowy undulations" (Flaubert 16). Here, the
Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary. Translated by Lowell Bair. Bantam. New York, New York. 1989.
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Approximate Word count = 848
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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