The publication of the novel “Madame Bovary” in 1856 by the French writer Gustave Flaubert was a literary event by all standards.
The publication of the novel “Madame Bovary” in 1856 by the French writer Gustave Flaubert was a literary event by all standards. Whether in terms of the turning point that he inaugurated by breaking with the prevailing romantic movement, or in terms of the reactions that ranged from welcome to condemnation, ending with the trial.
The nineteenth century was the century of the great novel, in which talent exploded in all directions, between fantasy and romance based on self-glorification and pleasures, then science fiction and horror stories. In order for the circle to be complete, a form of writing had to develop that revolved around what actually happens to us in life. What happens at every time actually constitutes fertile material for writing dozens of novels, and the remaining question is: How do we write it?
Writing about life and reality is not just a narration of events or a claim to portray people as they are, because it requires the ability to create artistically and coordinate the writer’s overall perceptions of human life. Therefore, before Flaubert began writing his masterpiece, “Madame Bovary,” he had made a diligent effort to try to create an emotional story of a new style, and to find a foothold within the romantic school, which at that time included geniuses, most notably Victor Hugo. However, he decided to abandon that in accordance with the advice of his friend, the critic Boulet, who threw the manuscript of the story “The Miserables” out of the window, shouting:
Leave it to the garbage collectors, it’s not even suitable for this. You should completely refrain from writing about any ambiguous topic that you do not have a clear picture of. Did you not realize, Gustave, that you are a lover of emotional dialogue of a lyrical nature? You must change this color immediately. Take a topic from reality, from events that happen to all social classes, and then write without affectation!”
The problem with most of our young writers is that they view this type of harsh criticism with suspicion. Some consider it a restriction on the freedom of creativity and creativity, while others consider it an authoritarianism that seeks to preserve the status quo and keep a few pens at the forefront. But it is fortunate for Flaubert that he had such a critic. His talk about writing without affectation is, in my opinion, a spark that sparked the creative potential of Flaubert when he decided to make the events that took place in his village the subject of a realistic literary work.
In 1936, a book was published entitled (Madame Bovary, Preliminary Writings and Unpublished Excerpts) by a bookstore owner named Gabriele Lullo. He had in his possession drafts that revealed the essence of the literary work on which Flaubert worked. Perhaps the most important thing we can extract from the manuscripts of any immortal literary work is that great ideas do not emerge from a vacuum, but rather extend their deep roots in the land of truth. In his humble home in the French countryside, Flaubert was closely following the events of the reckless life of Madame Delphine, the wife of Dr. Georges Delmar. A bourgeois girl who is fond of romantic stories, the boring country life pushes her to betrayal and then internal collapse and betrayal. In his memoirs, Flaubert revealed his intimate knowledge of the lady, and his keenness from the first moment on her to be the heroine of a novel he would write. His critic friend succeeded in freeing him from hesitation and fear of falling under the penalty of the law on charges of defamation.
It was not easy, however, as he described it in a letter to his friend, the writer George Sand:
“You do not know what it means for a person to hold his head in his hands for an entire day, and squeeze his brain for a single word. For you, the flow of an idea is wide, continuous like a flood. As for me, it is meager drops. I have to build a big dam to produce a waterfall from it. Oh, how well I know the trickles of style.”
Despite the difficulty of writing, Flaubert was able to finish his novel, revealing in it precise and profound observations and a unique analysis of the character of Emma Bovary, the traitor who brought him leadership and fame. But the obstacles are not over yet, as the publishers stipulated that the story be stripped of its reality, by adding more emotional touches to the events, and assigning a specialized committee to refine the style and reduce the dose of liberation. So Flaubert decided to publish it in episodes in a weekly magazine, but the first episode was met with strong rejection by Emperor Napoleon III, who tore up an issue of the magazine and threatened to close it.
When a writer creates, he necessarily shakes the foundations of a prevailing situation, and refuses to surrender to accepted rules, even if they are devoid of sense and logic. In the case of Flaubert, the matter required a trial on charges of corrupting morals and attacking the traditions of honorable families!
The poet Lamartine, despite his hostility to Flaubert, expressed his rejection of this trial, which is nothing but an insult to the honor of literature, and unjustified prejudice against a novel that will one day become a cornerstone of modern world literature. Marcel Proust declared that Flaubert is the father of the modern novel, and that writers are indebted to him. Everyone felt that Flaubert boldly reflected that weariness with the falsity of the romantic world that hides the pain and problems of the present, and presented the truth in a manner devoid of verbal embellishment. Thanks to his audacity, the bourgeoisie of his era turned into “Bouvarianism,” characterized by deception of reality and self, and panting after imaginary feelings to escape the ugliness and pain of the world.
Flaubert spent five years of hard effort to write his story, and to prove that realism is not a distorted narrative or a photograph as much as it is an artistic creation of a society moving at a certain moment in daily life, and with its very ordinary people. The writer’s job is to accurately describe and select sentences that produce the desired effect on the reader.