Madame Bovary - post III

Things are left on a knife-edge with Madame Bovary prepared to take the plunge with her latest flame Rodolphe who she is head over heels with. The problem is that he is not quite as prepared to leave everything behind and you sense there is going to be some heartbreak mingled in with a heavy dose of disgrace to come in the near future for Emma.

Bullet points between pages 134 – 192

* Having been targeted by rich Rodolphe who is determined to break down her barriers with fine speeches about love and following one’s heart the irony is that it is the husband Charles who provides them with a reason to get together

* After a bout of nervousness Rodolphe in front of Charles suggests riding and it is after that has been approved by the husband that Emma and Rodolphe meet in the woods after a ride and become lovers

* Having gone the extra step she never did with Leon Emma seems to go the full distance with Rodolphe and falls in love with him and starts writing to him, seeing him whenever she can and loathing her life and her husband even more

* She gives Charles one more half chance as he tries to become renowned for operating and correcting club feet but he does an experiment on one of the villagers and gangrene sets in and it ends with an amputation and Charles being loathed by Emma

* All the while Emma is coaxing Rodolphe to take her away to a better life an she plans for a trip abroad and packs in secret and the night before the departure she meets her lover and gets him to promise to meet her tomorrow but he leaves reminding himself not to be so foolish

What will happen when Emma discovers she has been abandoned? Will she have burnt her bridges with Charles? Some of the answers will come tomorrow…