Within the first 80 pages, we get a glimpse of Charles’ and Emma’s world, more of Emma’s in the end. Charles Bovary is a dull man who has little inspirations whereas his beautiful wife dreams of another world, wanting to be in love, experiencing passion, and living a luxurious lifestyle. One character that kept reminding me of Emma is Edna Pontellier in The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Both end up trapped in a unhappy marriage due to “marrying out of convenience.” Edna rushes into marriage before her time of youth is up, and Emma is bored at her father’s as well as disillusioned, thinking that she is in love with Charles.
Yet instead of marriage satisfying their sexual and emotional desires, both end up feeling as if life is a bore with no spontaneity and crave for much more. Both of their husbands seem oblivious to the reason for their wives’ switch in attitudes. However it is good to point out that Charles Bovary seems much more attentive to his wife on some levels, more so than, Leonce Pontellier; as in The Awakening, his present is barely mentioned, whereas in Charles Bovary seems to try to be involved with his wife’s life a little more. Like at the time when they attended the Marquis d’Andervilliers’ ball at Vaubyessard and he was talking about dancing, she told him that was a foolish idea and that he’s “place” as a doctor was better to just watch the dancing. Her prominent and strong personality begins to show up around this time, seeming to come around earlier than Edna.
Emma seems to be the stronger of the two when it comes to being independent which is seen when she fires Nastasie and challenges her husband when he asks if she sent Nastasie away for good (p. 73). Both characters struggle with their identity and place in the world as a woman. In The Awakening, our heroine, Edna Pontellier, expresses her femininity and independence, and so I am guessing that Emma Bovary will follow in her same footsteps, yet in a different way which doesn‘t lead to committing suicide in the end.
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