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Symbolism of Windows in Madame Bovary

Windows express Emma's desires through the way Flaubert uses them to show illusions she has about life.
             Along with desires, windows also represent the limitations of Emma's life and how they create a barrier between herself and the outside world. This barrier prevents Emma from performing actions she wants to accomplish, but also allows her to entertain her fantasies. When Emma feels ashamed of Charles, "she went into the hallway to open the window and breathe in some fresh air to calm herself" and keep from hitting him (59). In this case, the window acts as a barrier in limiting Emma's anger towards Charles. With this limitation, Flaubert creates a sympathetic mood for both Charles and Emma since Emma exhibits anger towards Charles for no reason and the window prevents Emma from gaining freedom from Charles and his boring lifestyle. The window also limits her desires when Flaubert says "Emma was sitting at the window as she often did enjoying the rustic crowd" (119). Emma yearns to be a part of that crowd and be able to do as she pleases but the window restrains her from being free with all the people who could help her find happiness. Flaubert's diction of "often" indicates Emma's never-ending cycle of unhappiness and the extent of her desires as she repeatedly looks out the window longing to escape her boring life. Emma tries to escape her life by having affairs. During Emma's affair with León, they spend three days at a hotel "with shutters closed and doors locked" (238). The closed shutters represent the barrier between Emma and León and the outside world and allow them to remain undisturbed while they commit adulterous acts. This barrier allows Emma to live in her fantasies and it provides an example of the limitations in her life since being with Charles makes her so miserable; her heart yearns to participate in affairs. Windows indicate Emma's limitations through the way Flaubert uses them to show what she wants but cannot have in life.


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