And it came with this caption...
So you really can make anything relate to Bovary it seems. Thoughts on the interpretation?
Secondly was this...
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I don'thave From Hell with me so you'll have to let me know if Moore's portrayal is accurate. I can only assume it is with him but I was curious.
Hope you are all doing well!
That drawing of Emma that you posted has got me thinking. It was triggered by the word "voyeur" in the description of the image. When we read "Madame Bovary" for the club I found myself much less sympathetic to Emma than the first time I read the book. She seemed to be a stupid, silly girl, who has stupid, silly affairs and kills herself in a stupid, silly way. Yet, I wonder if my reaction is a result of the fact that I am a voyeur into her life. We have all watched someone without them knowing it, and there is something inherently silly about the day to day unscripted actions of someone. This is the fascination of reality TV, the power of the position of voyeur to rob the lives of others of meaning or to render their passions into silliness.
ReplyDeleteIt is the voyeur's position as observer that gives him the power to judge the observed. I would argue that the very act of observation renders the simple day-to-day actions and desires of the observed ridiculous.
This is where I feel troubled with "Madame Bovary." In the grand scheme of things all our lives are rather silly, and stupid when observed by an unsympathetic voyeur. So in rendering my harsh judgment of Emma Bovary's life, I am perhaps just trying to hide the fact that my own desires might be judged equally silly and stupid by a voyeur.
So the drawing, with its portrayal of an intimate scene reflects the fact that the novel "Madame Bovary" is an unsparing portrait of the intimate life of a rather normal woman. She desires great passion and a full life. Yet, it is the position of the reader as voyeur that allows them to judge her passions as silly and stupid. But in the end all of us have desires and passions that would appear equally ridiculous. I wonder if this was what was meant when Flaubert said, "Madame Bovary, c'est moi"?
Anyway thanks Noelle for the picture. I don't know if any of the above makes sense but the image really got me thinking.
I'm so glad it made you think! I was really hoping to hear what you guys thought about it. I was really puzzled but the connection and couldn't figure out a real link. I do like your thoughts though. It's definitely interesting to think about.
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