Madame Bovary Blog

I chose this passage because I liked the way that Flaubert paints this scene which contains symbolism.

“The moon, dark red and perfectly round, was just climbing above the horizon, beyond the meadows. It rose swiftly behind the poplars, whose branches partially hid it like a torn black curtain, then it appeared in all its elegant whiteness, lighting up the cloudless sky; finally, moving more slowly, it cast on the surface of the river a large patch of light which glittered like an infinity of stars; the silvery gleam seemed to writhe all the way to the bottom of the water like a headless serpent covered with luminous scales. It also remembered a monstrous candlestick with molten diamonds streaming down its sides. The soft night enveloped them; the spaces between the leaves of the trees were filled in the dark shadows. Emma, her eyes half-closed, breathed in the cool breeze with deep sighs. Lost in reverie, they did not speak. The sweetness of earlier days returned to their hearts, as abundant and silent as the flowing river, soft as the fragrance of the lilacs, and it projected into their memories longer and more melancholy shadows than those cast on the grass by the motionless willows. Often some prowling nocturnal animal, a hedgehog or a weasel, would rustle through the foliage, and occasionally they heard the sound of a ripe peach dropping from one of the trees along the wall”(171).

I find Rodolphe to be a pathetic person who just uses women and to feel love but he leaves them so that he will not feel the struggle and pain that companies a relationship. This passage is at the end of the chapter before him and Emma part for the night. They are suppose to run-away together in the next chapter. The imagery of this passage is incredible and Flaubert’s writing flows beautifully. The moon is glowing beautifully but the “branches partially hid it like a torn black curtain” revealing that Emma and Rudolphe’s love, although once beautiful will not last. I love the image of the “the silvery gleam” of the moon “seemed to writhe all the way to the bottom of the water like a headless serpent covered with luminous scales”. He is comparing the list of the moon to a headless serpent which must symbolize something. I may be reading into this too much but serpents are thought of to be the devil, which began in the story of Adam and Eve. The serpent tempted Eve to eat the fruit and she did, causing everyone in the world to suffer. The fact that such a beautiful light is being compared to a serpent or “devil”, suggests that this love is false and revealing that it is a sin. These are things that the reader already knows but I think it is cool how Flaubert incorporates these subtle details. Also the serpent is headless and has no eyes which may suggest that Emma is “blinded” by Rodolphe and is letting him deceive her. Flaubert continues to write about the glow of the moon which reminded them of a “candlestick”, which is interesting because candles melt and burn out, suggesting that Emma and Rodolphe’s relationship will die. Towards the end of the passage they become enveloped in their thoughts and “often some prowling nocturnal animal, a hedgehog or a weasel, would rustle through the foliage, and occasionally”… “a ripe peach” would fall form the tree. This last part reminds me of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden where they sinned and caused suffering. The weasel, a sly creature may represent the serpent in the Garden of Eden and the peach may symbolize the apple. I also found that a peach has been called a “Persian apple” which reveals that it may connect to Adam and Eve. Overall I feel that Flaubert is comparing their relationship with Adam and Eve to reveal that they are sinners and they will eventually suffer from avoiding their destiny and by not resisting temptation