What Do Emma Bovary by Flaubert and Nora Helmer by Ibsen Have in Common Free Essay Example, 1250 words

At the time of her death, Madame Bovary is still portrayed very sympathetically because she is symbolic of women during this time period. There was no sense of independence for women at this point in history, and Madame Bovary represents this in the way that she relies on men for everything in her life. This event continues on to her death, as she relies on Justin to obtain the arsenic that she uses to take her own life. Flaubert s goal here was to make people think about how helpless women were during this time period. The fact that Madame Bovary did not even have the resources to kill herself without the help of a man highlights this fact. All of this is an example of the realism that Flaubert incorporated into many of his novels. Madame Bovary s actual death is another example of her own helplessness because she must rely on the help of a man to save her life. The man, however, fails to do so and she dies. Since the man was unable to help her, she died. Flaubert s realistic style of writing is highlighted when he writes: Drops of sweat oozed from her bluish face, which seemed as if rigid in the exhalations of a metallic vapor. We will write a custom essay sample on What Do Emma Bovary by Flaubert and Nora Helmer by Ibsen Have in Common or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page my God! It is horrible! " (Flaubert Chapter 32). Nora is a character who is much different from Bovary because she appears to be happy with her life just the way it is. She does not appear to be interested in making any social movement upward but is happy with her family and friends. She does not even seem to mind that she is not taken seriously by anyone. As the play progresses, however, we begin to see the serious side of Nora, as she reveals that she does have knowledge of business and does indeed have some intelligence.