Gustave Flaubert Summary

The French novelist Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) was one of the most important forces in creating the modern novel as a conscious art form and in launching, much against his will, the realistic school... Read more

In the following excerpt, Culler discusses the function of "stupidity" in Flaubert's themes, symbols, narrative strategies, and characters. Culler connects the idea of stupefactio... Read more

In the following essay, Brombert discusses the concept of the literary subject in Flaubert's works and refutes critical "distortions" and "overstatements" which view... Read more

In the following essay, Rouxeville examines elements of critical controversy that surrounded Flaubert's oeuvre during the Victorian era, noting in particular the Victorian rejection of pessimis... Read more

In the following essay, Murphy identifies speech as a unifying element of the stories in Trois contes. In his study of Trois Contes Michael Issacharoff argues that unlike the novelist who requires ... Read more

In the following essay, Erickson examines the role of both prophecy and irony in Trois contes. Prophecy is a recurrent voice in Flaubert's collection of tales, and provides a parabolic narra... Read more

In the following essay, Cronk explores the function of the allusions associated with the names of the children, Paul and Virginie, in Flaubert's tale “Un Coeur simple.” So, the... Read more

In the following essay, Diamond finds parallels between Flaubert's “Quidquid volueris” and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It is generally admitted that with woman the powe... Read more

In the following essay, Overaker suggests that in Flaubert's story “Un Coeur simple,” through the character of Félicité and the parrot named Loulou, one is witness &... Read more