 |
|
|
Table of Contents | Printable Version | Barron's Booknotes LIST OF CHARACTERS Minor Characters Monsieur Charles Bovary Charles' father. He is a more dashing figure than his son, but does not have much professional success in his lifetime. Madame Bovary, senior Charles' mother. She is a dominating woman who arranges Charles' first marriage. She cannot tolerate Emma and often quarrels with her son on this account. Madame Héloïse Dubuc Charles' first wife. A supposedly rich widow, she is much older than Charles. She dies soon after their marriage. Berthe The daughter of Charles and Emma Bovary. Nastasie The first maid of the Bovarys, at Tostes. Monsieur Rouault Emma's father. He is a good-natured man who leads a sufficiently comfortable life at Les Bertaux. His love for Emma is evident until the end. He is one of the few characters who is etched sympathetically. The Marquis d' Andervilliers A former secretary of state who is preparing for the parliamentary elections. Charles and Emma are invited to La Vaubyessard, his home. The Viscount One of the guests at the party at La Vaubyessard. Emma dances with him at the ball and cherishes those memories for life. Felicite The maid who replaces Nastasie. She stays with Emma until the end. Lestiboudois The grave keeper at Yonville. Widow Lefrançois The owner of the Golden Lion Inn at Yonville. Hivert The driver of the stagecoach, the Hirondelle.
Monsieur Binet The tax collector at Yonville. An old soldier, he is punctual and rigid in attitude. Abbé Bournisien The curé (priest) at Yonville. He is dedicated to his task but tends to stress the trivial and neglect the more serious matters of conscience. Therefore, he fails to serve his parishioners. His insensitivity is brought out on several occasions. Hippolyte A patient of Charles. It is his foot that Charles, at the urging of Homais and Emma, operates on unsuccessfully. His left leg has to be amputated, due to the gangrene that sets in after the operation. Monsieur Guillaumin A lawyer. He is Leon's employer at Yonville. Emma seeks his help when she faces financial ruin. Justin Homais' assistant. He loves Emma in secret. Ironically, he becomes a direct agent of her death, for he leads her to the arsenic jar. Monsieur Lieuvain The Prefect's deputy, who attends the Yonville fair. His speech, praising agricultural progress and middle-class values, is juxtaposed with Rodolphe's verbal wooing of Emma. Through this, Flaubert achieves a delightful comic irony. Tuvache The mayor of Yonville. Catherine Leroux An old peasant. At the fair she is honored for her fidelity and dedicated service. Her character contrasts with that of Emma's. Napoleon, Athalie, Irma and Franklin Homais' children. Monsieur Canivet A doctor from the neighboring town of Neufchâtel. He amputates Hippolyte's leg after Charles' corrective surgery fails. He is also called in during Emma's final moments. Dr. Lariviere A respected doctor from Rouen. He is consulted when Emma commits suicide. He is talented and hardworking, "hospitable," "generous" and "like a father to the poor." His is perhaps the only character with no overtly negative shades. Mademoiselle Lempereur A music teacher at Rouen. Emma goes to meet Leon under the pretext of taking music lessons from her. Monsieur Vincart A banker at Rouen. He is Lheureux's friend. Maitre Bocage Leon's employer in Rouen. Maitre Hareng The bailiff. Madame Homais Homais' wife. Edgar Lagardy The hero of the opera that the Bovarys attend in Rouen. Emma's fantasy about him culminates in her affair with Leon. The blind beggar A repulsive old tramp whose physical deformities parallel Emma's indiscretions. He appears during Emma's journeys between Yonville and Rouen, and he is also heard singing at the time of her death; he always has a powerful effect on the tragic heroine. He attains symbolic proportions because he heralds death for Emma.
Table of Contents | Printable Version | Barron's Booknotes | |
