Are Emma Bovary And Isabel Gilbert Victims Of Circumstances Or Of Themselves.

Chapter 1: Genre: When considering The Doctor's Wife as a rewriting of Madame Bovary it is necessary to consider the impact genre has on both texts since as "a human social construct a genre dictates to a great extent how reality is perceived in a text." It would be unrealistic in a novel such as Madame Bovary, for Emma to be rewarded for all her vices through deliverance of all that Rodolphe Boulanger promises her; in the same way that it would not be viable for Isabel Gilbert to live out her days unremarkably and uneventfully as any other Doctor's wife in the countryside would do. Emma and Isabel's fates are intertwined with their genres; if it is through realism that Emma commits suicide and sensationalism that allows Isabel to survive how far can we say that their fates are self induced?

Within Madame Bovary it is clear to see how the concept of realism influenced not only the style in which it is written but also the plot. "Realism involved a fundamental materialism: an account of the world as socio- historical reality within which, are lives made, values defined, meanings found"; in this descri ption we can see Emma's stark reality. Her status as a product of her situation becomes central to the trajectory of the novel; and if Emma is fated for death through genre then she is unable to save herself from her circumstances. It has been posited that "one gains as one reads a knowledge of how the book will treat her aspirations and activities. Emma is fated to be destroyed." However, I would argue that this is not the case- Flaubert's purpose in writing Madame Bovary was not to condemn Emma, rather to create something that displayed beauty and truth in equal measure. The sharp irony which Flaubert subjects Charles Bovary to highlights his disregard for the bourgeoisie, "the idea of having begotten a child delighted him. He knew human life from end to end, and he sat down to it with serenity." It is precisely Emma's desire for more than she has that condemns her and yet it also gives her the power to change her fate; in many ways she is not confined by her genre in the same way as the other characters because she sees beyond her existence. It would be more fitting to say that Emma is trapped in provincial life, and in turn a continual cycle of poor decisions and folly brought on by her unhappiness and dissatisfaction. While we anticipate her fate it is not because Flaubert limits her to a certain end but rather her circumstances set into motion a chain of events that spiral out of control.

Charles's proposal to marry Emma is put to her father, Monsieur Roualt, there is no a mention of Emma's desires, feelings or thoughts until it is too late- "the happiness that should have followed this love not having come, she must, she thought, have been mistaken. And Emma tried to find out what one meant by the words felicity, passion, that had seemed to her so beautiful in books." The unflinching realism in Flaubert's novel was written to show that reality was at the "limit of its vision: the ordinary, no great- heroic, epic- figures or events; just the human comedy." Emma does not live happily ever after with Charles, no knight in shining armour comes to her rescue and she is left with the realisation that motherhood does not fulfil her. These aspects of Madame Bovary go a long way not only to highlight the aims of the genre but to show that the protagonists are as much a victim of themselves as of their circumstances, "she was eaten up with desires, with rage, with hate." Emma is a teenager when she marries Charles Bovary, she does not yet understand her own conceptions of love as being idealised through romantic literature- significantly, however, old Roualt gives Emma the opportunity to discuss Charles's proposal. Though it is not clear whether she is forced into the marriage or willingly steps into the abyss, it is nonetheless presented as a choice Emma is not truly free to make- she is bound by realities of nineteenth century life and yet is hopeful that she has made the right decision.

Though Madame Bovary effectively utilises aspects of the genre, Flaubert produced a novel so saturated with ennui and tedium that Emma Bovary's increasing discontent is palpable even through the nod of her head as she waves her husband goodbye, this does not mean that the characters are bound to miserable existences. The crucial point is that they have the power to change their lives, "there is no divine inspiration, no transcendence, God has left." The realism in Madame Bovary exposes the fallibility of God, Emma does not have to wait for salvation by being pious or virtuous. Instead, the only person she must look to is herself and in turn she must accept the consequences of her actions. The ambition Flaubert had to create a novel that in equal measure portrayed despair and beauty can be seen through his "achievement of the finely cadenced sentence, the page wrought like poetry, the book as internally balanced." The concept of balance within the novel is crucial to his version of realism, while he hated the ugliness and supposed immorality of the genre he resisted strongly against the false romances fed to the public. Therefore, in this sense Flaubert uses Emma to represent his own views and feelings of discontent with society and portrayed them in unflinchingly honest prose. However, that is not to say that Flaubert's work is without poetry or romanticism; a great deal of the novel also focuses on the awe and wonder Emma feels when she attends the ball at Vaubyessard and visits Paris with Léon. In these experiences Flaubert displays everyday life- the despair and the joy, and while Madame Bovary's life in many ways confines her it does not mean that she is prevented from achieving happiness.

The reality of Emma's daily existence can be seen through Flaubert's language, each chapter is filled with ennui documenting the banality of the town and its people- "Charles's conversation was as commonplace as a street pavement, everyone's ideas trooped through it without exciting emotion, laughter, or thought." Once again, while the realist genre has its roots in truth it is not concerned with disregarding the beautiful or the hopeful, "reality is to be set out as it is, but also transformed." Where the unrelenting tedium exhibited through repetition of words such as "misery" and "longing" appears at first to consume Emma, and consequently the novel, it is interspersed with moments of undeniable delicacy and grace "she saw the gentle face of the Virgin amid the blue smoke of the rising incense. Then she was moved; she felt herself weak and quite deserted, like the down of a bird whirled by the tempest." The softening of Emma's character is achieved through exposing her true feelings by using sympathetic and poetic language to ensure the reader sympathises with her plight rather than condemns her. Empathy is at the crux of the issues I will be addressing across all three chapters. Flaubert's portrayal of Emma Bovary through the lens of realism promotes an affecting view of bourgeois society; the cruxes used to survive it, such as religion, and reveals the true nature of realist fiction. Arguably, Flaubert presents Emma in a sympathetic light, a victim of her circumstances and of herself. Therefore Madame Bovary embodies elements of Flaubert's own views, "no less do I detest the false idealisation with which we are lulled these days" ; he is inevitably an integral part of the world he created in Madame Bovary, which his declaration, "Madame Bovary, c'est moi!" demonstrates.

While Madame Bovary stands as a testament to realist fiction The Doctor's Wife was produced by a sensationalist author and, though differing to her previous works, struggles to escape from the genre Braddon created. The difference in genre heavily dictates the direction in which the plot goes, "from the renunciation of temptation onwards, Miss Braddon reverts to the familiar moralising tradition of Scott, Bulwer Lytton and George Eliot." In the same way that Flaubert allows Emma Bovary the opportunities to find salvation in herself, Braddon strays from the prescribed avenues of sensation fiction and provides deeper insight into Isabel Gilbert than first appears. However, the manner in which Braddon departs from the norms of her genre is not through a deviation in plot but rather through her depiction of life, explicitly stating at one point that "this is not a sensation novel" , drifting somewhat into realism in many ways. Posing the same question to The Doctor's Wife as to Madame Bovary we can see that, to an extent, Isabel is bound to a certain fate due to her genre though in an unexpected way.

It could be argued that realism and sensationalism merge together significantly in The Doctor's Wife- a detailed insight into Isabel's character and feelings coupled with the more dramatic scenes of blackmail, murder and death ensures that Braddon's work cannot be dismissed as merely another sensation novel. The differences between the two genres can be classified "in regard to style rather than content, realism concerned more with exploration of internal states and sensation with detailing external events." Applying this to The Doctor's Wife it is clear to see that both these states exist in the novel, creating the sense of balance seen in Madame Bovary. Much of the novel is focused on relating Isabel Gilbert's persistent feelings of dissatisfaction and entrapment within her marriage and her community- and in this sense Braddon breaks the conventional rules of sensation fiction. However, Isabel is also confined by various conventions, notably so in her resistance to temptation, attitude to materialism and her fate. In contrast to Madame Bovary we are able to anticipate Isabel's trajectory throughout, and feel as if her choices are not necessarily her own. It has been noted that "we are incited to judge her according to the sensational standards that she so provocatively seems to follow" , indeed the reader is explicitly told not to identify with Isabel, and it is precisely this that undermines any notes of realism portrayed in the novel. The mixture of genres encapsulated in a singular text presents a number of unexpected twists, for example Isabel's refusal to elope with Roland Lansdell runs in the vein of the sentimental, and yet the reader is able to foresee that Braddon will ensure Isabel survives her transgressions and is in fact rewarded for them at the end.

Having acknowledged that the boundaries between realism and sensationalism are blurred, and that the sentimental plays a large role, I will address the effect that this has on Isabel's status as a victim. In many ways Isabel Gilbert is the anti-sensation heroine through "sensational plot elements that are never fully realised or remain in the background" which provides the case for realism within the novel. In attempting to "elevate the sensational by art" , following in the footsteps of Gustave Flaubert, Braddon steers Isabel away from the sordid activities of Jack-the-Scribe and removes her to a locality that enables the narrative to focus on her emotions and thoughts. However, this move towards the realistic is cut short through the death of her husband and lover and the reappearance of her immoral father. It can be noted that Jack's sudden emergence and his altercation with Roland Lansdell may not be predicted by the reader but Isabel's fate is easily guessed. Isabel Gilbert cannot commit suicide- she must prevail as the archetypal tragic heroine who comes through adversity, redeemed and profoundly affected by her past sins. Furthermore, suicide is regarded as the most serious sin which Braddon cannot allow Isabel to undertake. The realism that Isabel's death would lend to the plot is shielded from the reader in The Doctor's Wife; and instead is replaced by the characteristics of sensationalist fiction. The ending of the novel can be considered a considerable weakness in Braddon's bid to take on realism; it is predictable that Isabel will overcome her transgressions and sin to learn from her mistakes as is customary in sensation fiction. "My original intention was to have left George Gilbert alive, and Isabel reconciled to a commonplace life doing her duty bravely, and suppressing all outward evidence of her deep grief for Roland." This statement by Braddon demonstrates her intention to create a more consistent re-writing of Madame Bovary, and yet "Braddon's plans were interrupted by the anxiety of what other people thought of her work." This admission to reverting back to sensationalist writing shows that while addressing serious nineteenth century issues, such as the role of women in society and female emancipation, it is ultimately the sensation genre that dictates Isabel's fate.

The use of sensation in The Doctor's Wife begs the question of whether Isabel is a victim at all, she escapes her transgressions unscathed. Part of what marks Emma Bovary out as a victim is her extreme belief that there is no way out for her other than death- having this possibility removed from her Isabel is never forced to accept responsibility for her actions. The death of George Gilbert rather than Isabel means that "he died; and never, throughout his simple life, had one pang of doubt or jealousy tortured his breast." Her lover's death too shields Isabel from feeling the full force of realism- Roland's death is romanticised, he dies defending Isabel's honour, and she too is never confronted with the possibility that her great romance may be nothing more than momentary passion. That being said, it is precisely Isabel's transformation from a naïve girl to a philanthropic woman that portrays her as a woman shaped by circumstance. Braddon implies that once removed from an unhappy situation Isabel is able to become the person she was capable of being from the beginning. Furthermore, it is stated repeatedly that "because she had been a foolish woman do not think she must necessarily be a vicious woman." Therefore, I would argue that Isabel Gilbert's fate is constrained through genre and dictated by her circumstances because from the outset she is never destined to die, but to triumph. Sensation fiction flies in the face of realism in that it seeks to inject the ordinary with the extraordinary, and while the sense of inertia and stagnation in Graybridge is conveyed through Isabel's frustration, the presence of sensation obscures these aspects and saves her.