Madame Bovary Homais - 901 Words

Mikael Janko March 19, 2013 Critical Practice Draft Characterization in Madame Bovary: Homais In literature, there are various (and many) ways of introducing a character. The simplest way, as Lodge proposes this â€Å"most important single component of the novel,† is by providing a biographic summary or a physical description of a character. (Lodge, 67) The name Homais derives from the word ‘homai,’ more than often traced and linked to Bhagavad Gita (A Hindu Scripture), and whose translation predominantly refers to the notion of ego, self, and selfishness. Needless to say, in the narrative’s discourse such traits become inseparable from Homais’s character sooner rather than later, and the question becomes—why was Flaubert inclined in†¦show more content†¦Lodge identifies this as a tool used to â€Å"accelerate the tempo of a narrative, hurrying us through events which would be uninteresting, or to interesting – therefore distracting, if lingered over.† (Lodge 122) In evaluating Homais’s centrality in the Novel’s thematic sphere (outside of its plot) we arrive at its conclusive moment: He has an enormous clientele. The authorities cultivate him and public opinion protects him. He has just received the Legion of Honor. (Flaubert, 324) Such conclusion, both ironically and critically, pinpoints the existence of social stresses which cultivate within Homais’s character. Homais, although not a central figure in the plot, is a milieu for representing crude reality imposed by Madame Bovary’s underlying thematic, as his inseparable countenance in mediating the novel’s plot. Yet, Homais is more than a mere mediator. He is the usurper of minds and the one who, although only marginally, influences the outside view by using such every possible medium for disseminating own prejudices. His significance (although destructive) thus stretches far beyond his mediating role (which he achieves with supplying the novel and its respective characters with irony)— it is Homais who manipulated Charles into taking Emma to the opera in Rouen, an event thatShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis of Homais as an Instrument of Satire in Flauberts, Madame Bovary1596 Words   |  7 PagesAn analysis of Homais as an instrument of satire In Flauberts satiric novel, the storys apothecary is used to convey Flauberts views of the bourgeois. 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