Flashback. A flashback is a section of a literary work that presents an event or series of events that occurred earlier than the current time in the work. As you read, look for instances of flashback.
Description. Description is a type of writing that portrays a character, an object, or a scene. Descriptions make use of sensory details—words and phrases that describe how things look, sound, smell, taste, or feel. Effective descriptions contain precise nouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives.
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Madame Bovary, Flaubert’s masterpiece, is a novel about a young married woman who, stirred by romantic ideals and dissatisfaction with her marriage, rebels against her middle-class lifestyle by having love affairs and trying to live an extravagant lifestyle.
When Madame Bovary was first published as a magazine serial in 1856, the public was shocked by its subject matter. In fact, Flaubert was brought to trial for publishing a work that was morally offensive. He defended himself against a conservative and judgmental public by saying that, far from making adultery look attractive, the tragic results of Emma Bovary’s extravagance and romantic encounters serve as a lesson in using good moral judgment. Flaubert was acquitted in 1857, and the story came out in book form that same year.
The selection you are about to read is chapter 8 of Madame Bovary. Emma Bovary, the title character, and her husband Charles have just arrived at Vaubyessard, a chateau owned by the Marquis d’Andervilliers. They have received an invitation to an elegant ball at the chateau, and Emma, who feels trapped in her marriage and in her middle-class life, is looking forward to escaping for the evening into a world she sees as romantic and exciting.
Create a sensory details chart like the one below to help you identify some of the many examples of sensory detail Flaubert creates.
Have you ever wished you lived a life different from the one you have now? Describe it. How has this wish kept you from appreciating the life you currently live?
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