At first glance, the characters of Emma Bovary and Raskolnikov can be classified as villains, as one is an egotistical murderer and the other a self-pitying adulterer. However, on closer observation, these negative traits are what define them as modern characters because they are confused characters whose complexity blurs the lines between moral and immoral thoughts and actions. This complexity makes them realistic allowing the reader to relate to them through their flaws as well as their positive qualities. One of the most obvious modern characteristics of the characters is that neither is satisfied with his or her current life. This discontentment and inability to accept their lives leads them to extreme actions (to try to change their lives for the better), Raskolnikov through committing murder and Emma through committing adultery.

Raskolnikov is an intelligent individual who feels a need to challenge both himself and his surrounding environment. When

Emma Bovary shares Raskolnikov's discontentment with life. As a result of her loveless marriage and mundane society, she commits adulterous and thoughtless acts not only out of boredom but also as an attempt at satisfying her desires for love and money. She reveals her dissatisfaction with her life and her desire to change it by having affairs with Roldolphe and Leon, men who are superficially suave and intelligent or members of high society. These affairs were both a result of her annoyance with Charles and her attraction to romantic love, money and status (cultivated after she attends the ball at La Vaubyessard). She is also innately materialistic and believes that if she buys expensive possessions, her life will change for the better, bringing about fulfillment. As a result, she frequently increases her debt to Monsieur Lheureux by buying frivolous and extravagant furniture, clothing and gifts for her lovers. Yet with all these acts that are supposed to satisfy her, she does not reach the fulfillment she expects. Rather, after each act o

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Approximate Word count = 707
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)