One Powerful Scene in Madame Bovary The novel Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert has many lessons hidden in seemingly ordinary dialogue, or scenes in the text. One of the most memorable and powerful passages contains what is a veritable moral of the novel. In the last third of the book, Emma Bovary's life goes on a rapid downward spiral, and in one significant scene, she reflects on her life, past, and what she has learned from her affairs. One line strikes the reader: "everything was a lie!" This avowal can be applied to many different situations in the novel, and can be said to be the chief lesson Flaubert wishes to incorporate. In this passage, Emma remembers her past, a time when she was more innocent and perhaps less preoccupied with her troubles. She remembers her time in the convent as a young girl-a time when she was happy and passionate about life, for awhile. Then she grew bored with the ordinary life of a student in a convent, and the stories of love and passion called to her more than ever. She remembers how she had longed for the love affairs that she had read about in her romance novels, and how she had imagined her future. She recalls how her imagination had carried her away into the depths of the story; perhaps it is her imagination that is at fault for implanting these ideas in her head. Life certainly has not turned out the way she dreamed. Next, she remember the few precious moments in her life: the waltzes, lovers, etc. She then decides that she was never happy. Even though Emma has just listed several of the most happy moments in her life, she feels that life is simply not satisfying. The tone throughout this passage conveys what Emma feels-betrayal, sadness, and anger. These three tones are very important throughout the novel. Also, the sentiments she expresses are ironic-she recognizes that her dreams will never come true, and yet she clings to them. In the end though Flaubert expresses his cynical outlook, which Emma shares: "each smile hid a yawn of boredom..." Emma also ponders why she feels that everything she touches turns to dust. Next, she imagines the man of her dreams, and not surprisingly, he resembles her string of lovers. However, a mere mortal is still not good enough, and besides, she thinks her dream will never happen. Perhaps she should have learned that by now. But she still retains her fantasies, which is not a crime in itself. The problem is that her dreams are unattainable, impossible and futile. One of Flaubert's most profound assertions in the entire book is the line "everything was a lie!" Although this sentiment may not be true, it certainly seems plausible and quite conceivable, especially from Emma's point of view. This is definitely a worthy moral. Although most readers would usually like to believe that they can take people or situations at face value, more often than not the entirety is a lie. The majority of Emma's life, and even her suicide was based on lies or fantasies- "everything was a lie!"-as are many people's lives. Still, it is hard to be a cynic when we all conceive ourselves to be so much more aware than poor Emma-or at least a little bit more sensible. This specific passage is so effective because it comes at a point in the novel when Emma is utterly desperate. Shortly after these sobering comments, she finds herself bankrupt, and her debtors come to repossess and sell all of her possessions. Reflecting on her love life, her marriage, and especially her business affairs in her life, the idea that her life is a lie seems very plausible. The reader knows that her marriage is a lie, and we have seen her love affairs end in lies. It is obvious that her debts were based on lies, and she is too scared to tell her husband anything, adding another lie to the web she has entangled herself in. A tragic character to the end, she even has to lie to get the arsenic, saying she has to kill rats. In the end, Emma has proven that beyond a doubt, everything in her life was a lie. In her childhood, she created fantasies that she could not act out, and her marriage was also a lie. Her love affairs all ended in lies, and her business transactions were utterly fraudulent. Even her suicide was based on a lie-she lied to get the poison and lied to her husband when he asked what she ate. Thus, the line "everything was a lie!" has enhanced significance when examined in the context of the entire novel.
From the beginning we can infer that she is a religious woman, as she insults her father by calling him a “prevaricate” and by stating he “will not be able to prevaricate at the gates of Heaven.” She is disappointed at how her father is lying to the authorities as he is hiding the truth from them. Since Emma is a deeply committed Christian she cannot bear to see her own father going against God’s law, therefore she takes it upon herself to deliver the message of God to Fusi. She and John, her husband, own a Volkswagen with all kinds of religious paraphernalia and films. Although they do not attempt to preach to the townspeople as they are Lutheran, they make an effort to convert those “along the grey dirt roads that led past tumble-down farmhouses, the inhabitants of which were never likely to enter a bank.” Emma is usually passive-aggressive towards Fusi, but after Fusi returns from a particularly difficult fishing trip, she becomes angry with Fusi. She wants Fusi to stop fishing because she cares about him, and she implores him to enter the care home as a resident. Although Fusi is in no condition to fish, he can still remain independent at home. But even knowing this Emma continues to try to get Fusi to leave since Emma knows that if Fusi stays in this home he will continue to fish illegally. Emma wants Fusi to admit the truth since she believes that God will punish him if he does not “repent” by admitting his lies. When Fusi finally gives on up trying to stay in his home and runs to the care home, Emma simply says “The Lord’s work to be done.” This shows that Emma views her actions as carrying out the work of God, which justifies it completely for herself. Rosie, a woman who was talking to Fusi when he ran off, tells Emma “You had no right”, showing that the other people around Emma disapprove of her actions. But this does not matter to Emma since she views her actions as being divinely guided. She perceives
The story of Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley is revered as one of the greatest novels to be formulated. It takes the point of view of a scientist named ‘Victor Frankenstein’ who is fuelled by an insatiable thirst of expanding his knowledge. His interests draw to that of being able to give things life where he takes the seat of god feeling that he has the power to do all he envisions, which in the end destroys him. Almost 150 years later the book Flowers for Algernon written by Daniel Keyes and published in 1959, manages to recreate the conflict between science and ethics and the implications of ungoverned scientific experimentation. The book observes a young man named Charlie who has a mental disorder, he continuously seeks to “become smart” and is attending a special school to achieve his goal. While visiting this school he is
day with nothing but a little bit of arsenic. Maybe she was insane, but maybe she had
Elisa Allen reveals two very different sides of herself in The Chrysanthemums- the person she forces herself to be outwardly and the person she inwardly craves to be. As the story opens, Elisa is very quiet with her husband, giving him brief responses that lack enthusiam. After exchanging a few words with her husband, consisting much of the word “good,” “she said: 'I'll have plenty of time to transplant some of these sets, I guess” (American Short Stories 315). Here, Elisa's responses are neither affirmitive nor a reflection of how she truly feels. Progressively, though, Steinback unveils an eager, overly-expressive Elisa as she encounters a stranger that come to visit her. With the pot fixer, Elisa shares her passion for growing chrysanthemums and expresses a personality trait that is in direct opposition with her otherwise passive attitude. “'It must be very nice,' she said. 'It must be very nice. I wish...
they have done even know they do not lead her to her suicide. But a
Emma's arrogance shines through when she brags that she is exceptionally skillful at matching couples. She believes that she is in control of fate and must play matchmaker in order for couples to discover their true love. Austen confirms, "The real evils indeed of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself" (Austen 1). Although Emma is so spoiled and overbearing, she truly doesn't realize this fact.
Flowers for Algernon, written by Daniel Keyes, is a book that is an emotional roller coaster. This book includes science that one day might not be fictional but may come true and will be able to be used on people who have intellectual disabilities in today's world.
So begin the episodes of anguished soul-searching, of horrific "if-onlys" experienced by the family members of countless suicides. Anyone who has faced what Mr. and Mrs. A now grapple with knows that the girl is wrong: they will not be better off, not feel happier, without her. Yet each year, thousands of suicide victims express similar convictions: I am killing myself, they reassure us, for your own good. This thinking – this appeal for selflessness that our society cannot condone – where does it come from? Why, in truth, do people kill themselves?
Imagine how you would feel if you were always being treated as though you were not human, or if people acted as though they created you. Well this is how you would feel if you were the subject of a science experiment. Science experiments should not be performed on humans or animals because of the unknown outcome. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes shows a destructive nature of man through stereotypes, absence of family, and the various IQ levels needed to mature.
Flowers for Algernon, a classic written by Daniel Keyes, explores the changes a medical surgery can bring to a man’s life. Keyes unfolds the story of a mentally disabled man, Charlie, who is given the ability to become intelligent after pioneering a medical surgery. Charlie, with his new-found intelligence, has to come to terms with his previous life as well as tackling with the effects of being a lab rat. The moral issues behind science altering humans is a prominent theme of the novel because it displays the author’s concern of science unnecessarily tampering with a human life.
She constantly thinks about being a “good person,” she would even like to have been a saint, “because that included everything you could know” (243) but she thinks that she has too many faults such as being a liar, ...
Emma, a novel by Jane Austen, is the story of a young woman, Emma, who is rich, stubborn, conniving, and occupies her time meddling into others' business. There are several recurring themes throughout the novel; the ideas of marriage, social class, women's confinement, and the power of imagination to blind the one from the truth, which all become delineated and reach a climax during the trip to Box Hill. The scene at Box Hill exposes many underlying emotions that have been built up throughout the novel, and sets the stage for the events that conclude it.
First, there is the setting of a strict military like boarding school where the students, all females, are craving the love and affection that they are missing from their family. One particular student, Manuela von Meinhardis, had just recently joined the school after the recent death of her mother. She is particularly vulnerable to the love and care that is provided by the only caring teacher in the school, Fraulein von Bernburg.
Before the operation it is Miss Kinnian who suggests the experiment to Charlie seeing that he is eager to learn. She is one of the only people who is concerned about him and wants to help him achieve his dream. Once Charlie 's intelligence starts increasing, he starts developing feelings for Alice and along the way falls in love with her. However, the old Charlie that is in his mind does not let him have sexual thoughts about her and make love to her: “ ‘I love you...’ the words chocked out of me, ‘but I can 't do it. Something I can 't explain, but if I hadn 't stopped, I would hate myself for the rest of my life. Don 't ask me to explain, or you 'll hate me too. It has to do with Charlie. For some reason, he won 't let me make love to you’ ” (Keyes 205). Charlie is about to make love to Fay but something is restricting him from doing so. He explains this to Alice but she still does not understand what is stopping him. This shows that Charlie does really care for her and does not want to use her. The experiment does not go as planned, a fatal flaw is found that kills Algernon the mouse who is used to test out the same research. When his intelligence starts regressing, Alice stays and takes care of him for a while until he drives her away. She agrees to leave and try to forget about him as she promised him earlier that she would
hence, exposing her inaccuracies. See Nancy fall. Her fleeing of the dilemma, could be the very