Analyze a specific aspect of Emma Bovary’s character, her actions, or her role in the novel. Develop a clear and focused argument supported by textual evidence. Some examples could be:
● The influence of societal expectations on Emma’s downfall and dissatisfaction.
● The detrimental impact of Emma’s romanticized worldview on her life choices and relationships.
● Emma’s complex motivations behind her extramarital affairs.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Thesis Statement:
Emma Bovary’s insatiable desire for passion and romance, fueled by her dissatisfaction with the mundanity of her life and her unrealistic expectations, ultimately leads to her downfall in Gustave Flaubert’s novel “Madame Bovary.”
Introduction:
In Gustave Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary,” the protagonist, Emma Bovary, is portrayed as a woman trapped in a world she finds dull and unfulfilling. Her relentless pursuit of passion and romance forms the core of her character, driving her decisions and actions throughout the novel. This essay will explore how Emma’s yearning for a life of excitement and luxury, influenced by societal expectations and her own romanticized worldview, ultimately leads to her tragic downfall.
Body Paragraphs:
Societal Expectations and Dissatisfaction:
Emma’s dissatisfaction with her provincial life is exacerbated by the societal expectations placed upon women during the 19th century. The pressure to conform to the roles of dutiful wife and mother stifles Emma’s own desires for a more glamorous and fulfilling existence. For example, when she marries Charles Bovary, she quickly realizes that he cannot provide her with the excitement and luxury she craves, leading to her disillusionment with married life.
Romanticized Worldview and Life Choices:
Emma’s idealized notions of love and romance, largely shaped by the novels she reads, blind her to the realities of her own relationships. She embarks on extramarital affairs with Rodolphe and Leon, seeking the passionate love she believes she deserves. However, these relationships are fleeting and fail to meet her unrealistic expectations, further fueling her dissatisfaction and sense of emptiness.
Complex Motivations behind Affairs:
While Emma’s affairs may seem solely driven by a desire for excitement and passion, a closer look reveals more complex motivations at play. Her infidelities serve as a means of escape from the monotony of her everyday life and a way to assert control over her own narrative. By engaging in these affairs, Emma seeks to reclaim agency and autonomy in a world that often denies her both.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Emma Bovary’s character in “Madame Bovary” is marked by a profound sense of disillusionment and longing for a life that exists only in her fantasies. Her relentless pursuit of passion and romance, influenced by societal expectations and her own romanticized worldview, ultimately leads to her tragic downfall. Through an analysis of Emma’s actions and motivations, it becomes evident that her inability to reconcile reality with her idealized vision of life ultimately seals her fate. Flaubert’s portrayal of Emma serves as a cautionary tale, warning against the dangers of unchecked desires and the consequences of living a life driven solely by unrealistic expectations.
