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Madame Bovary


It is held in the far off pasture of their farm. After all the guests arrive the wedding procession proceeds to the pasture. As they walk ".she stopped to raise it [her dress], and daintily, with her gloved hands, to pick off the wild grasses and prickly thistles" (Flaubert 23). Her dress is symbolic of the obstacles to her happiness. She is at her wedding and she has to stop and pick grass and twigs off of her dress. The fact that she is suppose to be happy at her wedding and she is not, is the obstacle. Another example Flaubert gives mentions how Rodolphe "without slowing down, leaned across whenever it happened, and pulled it loose." (Flaubert 137). By helping her remove her dress from the snagged stirrup, he was clearing the obstacle and was able to make Emma happy. Unlike Charles who simply stood by and waited at his wedding. Emma's dress is an obstacle with her lovers (Turnell 103).
             The plaster priest, first seen in Tostes in Emma's garden, is symbolic of the pride of their marriage and later the deterioration of their religion. As she examines the garden for the first time she notices the plaster priest posed reading the bible. As time goes on the plaster on the priest starts to flake off, showing the demoralization and fragileness of her religion (Turnell 103). The foot of the plaster figure also breaks off over time. This is symbolic of the future failures in Charles' medical practices. The plaster priest continues to be a symbolic figure in Charles and Emma's lives. Emma becomes depressed due to her failing attempts to be accepted as high class. Charles, .
             showing concern with Emma's health when she begins drinking vinegar and coughing from the depression, arranges a move to Yonville. The plaster priest falls off the cart and ".shattered into a thousand pieces." (Flaubert 76) at the arrival to Yonville. This event foreshadows the doom of the end of their marriage (Turnell 103).
             While in Tostes Charles receives a greyhound from a patient.


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