A woman enslaved to her lusts. The story follows Emma, married to a country doctor, and her entrapment to her desires, her immaturity and her flighty notions of romance. It touches on religion and the habit of false piety that many entertain. And it ends in calamity. The finale is unsatisfactory. It is tragic, but it doesn't feel thus, because it seems to follow the natural order of things. Emma and Monsieur Bovary are so caught up in their infatuations and seeking the fulfillment of their desires by others, and to me it was clear from the get go that these desires would not be fulfilled as they hoped, because they were centred on other faulty and selfish human beings.
I can't help but to read a book like this in the light of God's Word. God's wisdom helps us to navigate the issues of marriage and have a more realistic outlook on it. I suppose its interesting to watch this self-indulgent character walk herself into trouble and difficulty. And a reminder to follow the wisdom of God rather than immediate desires. What Madame thought would make her happy led her to heartache, destitution and hopelessness.
Definitely something to think about.
