Hysteria and Emma Bovary

Paper Summary:

The paper examines Sigmun Freud's ideas on hysteria, as presented in his book, "Studies on Hysteria", and looks at how these ideas can be applied to the character of Emma Bovary in Gustave Flaubert's novel, "Madame Bovary: Life in a Country Town". The paper demonstrates how Emma is a tragic character who never finds happiness or contentment in her life. The paper shows how Freud's deep understanding of the human mind and psyche can well bel applied to troubled characters like Emma.

From the Paper:

"Freud's work on hysteria began in the nineteenth century and continued until his death. Freud maintains that many forms of hysteria begin because of a traumatic or memorable event in childhood that the child may not even consciously remember. He writes, "Quite frequently it is some event in childhood that sets up a more or less severe symptom which persists during the years that follow" (Breuer & Freud, 1957, p. 4). This can be seen in Emma's character, when she loses her mother early in her life."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Breuer, J., & Freud, S. (1957). Studies on hysteria (Strachey, J., Trans.). New York: Basic Books.
• Flaubert, G. (1998). Madame Bovary: Life in a country town (Hopkins, G., Trans.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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• Analytical Essay # 124191 : "Emma Bovary's Fatal Flaw"
• Analytical Essay # 25383 : "Emma Bovary and the Failure of Sentimental Romanticism"

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