This thesis will analyze the reasons of the tragedy of Madame Bovary. The aim of this thesis is to further understanding Emma’s personal reasons and social reasons. This thesis will describe the reasons of Emma’s tragedy from various angles, it can help us to understand the reasons of Emma’s tragedy comprehensively, and instead of explore the reasons of Emma’s tragedy from a single angle, it has practical significance for us to pursue love and happiness.

2. Literature Review源[自-751*`论/文'网·www.751com.cn/

Madame Bovary is the French writer Gustave Flaubert’s representative novel. It is very famous in the world. Many scholars were interested in studying it. Different scholars have different angles and focus of research.

Li Yanjie attempted to analyze the personage’s subconscious territory. He thought “Emma’s artistic complex was developed during her teen. Emma was disappointed at the real life under the artistic complex after her with Charles. Finally, Emma committed suicide by poison”. (Li Yanjie 2006:2)

Huang Zhicheng mainly explored the contradiction between fantasy and reality. He thought “Emma indulged herself in the fantasy of love due to the influence of romanticism, which resulted in her great disappointment. This novel showed the cruel reality of capitalist society, warning people not to pursue the unpractical life”. (Huang Zhicheng 2011:5)

Yang Xue analyzed the feminism of Madame Bovary. She thought “the novel showed the advancement of feminism, but simultaneously promulgates the woman heroine could not escape the tragedy foreordain of degeneration in a society predominated by patriarchy”.(Yang Xue 2007:6)

After reading so many articles, the author has her own opinions. A lot of reasons lead to the tragedy of Emma. The author will explore it from two aspects, Emma’s personal reasons and social reasons.

3. The Reasons of Emma’s Tragedy in the Novel

3.1 Emma’s Personal Reasons

3.1.1 In Pursuit of Romance

In the middle of the 19th century, romance was most popular in French. At that time, a lot of convents taught their students about the romantic literature works, such as Paul and Virginia and Genie du Christianisme. Li Ling thought Emma’s pursuit of the romance is the most important reason of the reasons of Emma’s tragedy. Emma affected by the teaching of convents. She loved and pursued the romance. She knew the lives of upper classes of society from the novel, and she also read many stories about lovers. In the novels, “they were all love, lovers, sweethearts, persecuted ladies fainting in lonely pavilions, postilions killed at every stage, horses ridden to death on every page, sombre forests, heartaches, vows, sobs, tears and kisses, little skiffs by moonlight, nightingales in shady groves, “gentlemen” brave as lions, gentle as lambs, virtuous as no one ever was, always well dressed, and weeping like fountains”. (Stephen Heath, 1992:32)