He sings songs about "birds and sunshine and green leaves- in a voice "like inarticulate lament of some vague despair-(Flaubert 76). This coupling of innocence with disease relates to the combination of beauty and corruption that Emma herself has become. ... Later, when Emma dies, the blind man gets to the end of his song about a young girl dreaming. We then discover that what we thought was a song about an innocent woman is actually a bawdy, sexual song. This progression from innocence to sexual degradation mirrors the path of Emma's life and inevitable destruction. ...

• Word Count: 1106
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate