Madame Bovary | Teaching Key Figures

Character Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major characters in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Characters

Monsieur Binet - This character is Yonville's tax collector, who is not very social.

Monsieur Rodolphe Boulanger - Intelligent but cynical, this character eventually ends an affair, that was begun during a horseback ride, once it loses its initial charm.

Abbé Bournisien - This character reveals his lack of insight when he suggests that food and warmth should be enough to satisfy any woman.

Berthe Bovary - Ultimately, after a parent's death, this character's fate is to work in a cotton factory.

Charles Bovary - Despite this character's "flat" personality, many appreciate his...
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