Simile and Metaphor Analysis for Madame Bovary

Chapter 1 page 86:

"Not a hair was out of place in the blonde chin whisker outlining his jaw: it was like the

edging of a flower bed around his long, dreary face with its small eyes and hooked nose."

The poetic device of simile used to describe Monsieur Binet helps the reader

visualize how meticulous he is. A meticulous man is the last thing a person wants in a

small and very interconnected village. The reader after such a brief description becomes

aware of this character and his possible significance in the later on affair.

Chapter 2 page 96:

"She was wearing a little blue silk scarf that held her pleated batiste collar stiff as a ruff;

and as she moved her head the lower part of her face buried itself in the folds or gently

rose out of them."

The simile in this quote foreshadows many future events. The Eurasian sandpiper

has a very similar look in the breeding season; this could pertain to the story in several

different ways. This simile also reveals that Emma wants to be noticed, that particular

look happened to be "the hit style" of the time.

Chapter 3 page 108:

"It ran silently, swift and cold looking; long fine grasses bent with the current, like

masses of loose green hair streaming in its limpid depths."

The simile in this particular quote reveals how Emma feels about this man. Emma

is portrayed as the hair and Leon as the wind. It seems that she is open to this man's

desires; the grass bends to the wind and the grass is like the hair. The reader realizes how

evident her feelings are through this comparison more easily.

Chapter 4 page 114:

"Love, to her, was something that comes suddenly, like a blinding flash of lightning--a

heaven sent storm hurled into life, uprooting it, sweeping every will before it like a leaf,

engulfing all feelings."

From this simile the reader becomes aware of how easily Emma can be seduced

into having an affair; she cannot resist love once she is struck by it. The reader becomes

aware that Emma is not scared to hurt her family and reputation. This fearlessness causes

trouble in any type of situation.

Chapter 5 page 115:

"And his large blue eyes, lifted toward the clouds, seemed to Emma more limpid and

lovely than mountain lakes mirroring the sky."

This metaphor portrays Emma's progressing feelings. She slowly approaches that

sudden burst of love. Leon is compared to magnificent mountain lakes and the sky, due to

such a comparison Emma must look up to Leon. With such a description, the reader may

realize that the beginning of the end has begun.

Chapter 6 page 125:

"The memory filled her with emotion: she felt limp and passive, like a bit of bird's-down

whirling in a storm; and automatically she turned her steps toward the church."

The simile used in this quote basically illustrates the story. She knows her actions

are wrong but deep inside she cannot resist the temptation. The reader visualizes that a

bird in a storm will go up and down and therefore in the novel Emma might go to the

church and promise devotion but shortly after her unmoral behavior would continue.

Chapter 7 page 140:

"But the storm kept raging, her passion burned itself to ashes, no help was forthcoming,

no new sun rose on the horizon."

This metaphor is used by Flaubert to portray how Emma feels more clearly. Leon

is the center of her distress, but the burned passion represents a transitional period she is

going through. Through the use of the metaphor, Flaubert manages to make the reader see

this pattern; one passion burns to ashes and another arises.

Chapter 8 page 164:

"He was smiling from beneath his headgear as sweetly as a baby; and his small pale face,

dripping with sweat, wore an expression of enjoyment, exhaustion and drowsiness."

Even though this description is not directed at Rodolphe, it describes him

indirectly. The reader goes on this path of thought because the other character is not

particularly important; it is made clear to the reader how Rodolphe attempts to seduce

Emma by presenting his love in the innocent and natural way. The poetic device simply

makes this idea more clear and prevalent to the reader.

Chapter 9 page 181:

"She felt her heart beating again, and her blood flowing in her flesh like a river of milk."

This simile is used shortly after Emma gives in to Rodolphe. The reader through

this simile learns that Emma at this moment feels fulfilled and excited. Milk is usually

depicted as fresh, this represents a new phase in Emma's life. The comparison to a river

of milk suggests to the reader a detour Emma takes from her usual everyday functions.

Chapter 10 page 190:

"And amidst the silence their soft-spoken words had a crystalline ring that echoed and

reechoed in their hearts."

The following metaphor portrays how Emma feels in a very simple but powerful

way. The soft-spoken words represent the discreet affair and how it is engraved into their

hearts. After the reference to the echoes, the reader realizes that Emma regrets her actions

and wants a second chance.

Chapter 11 page 209:

"Emma bit her pale lips; and twisting and turning in her fingers a silver she had broken

off the coral, she stared fixedly at Charles with blazing eyes that were like twin fiery

arrows."

This simile portrays Emma's disappointment and anger more vividly to the

reader. The arrows show how all the faith she has for her husband disappears in an

instant. The blazing eyes gives the reader the feeling that her passion for Rodolphe is

reinvigorated, which undoubtedly is.

Chapter 12 page 217:

"And then in her own room she flung herself flat on the be and wept like a child, her head

buried in the pillow."

This simile foreshadows Emma's behavior towards the end of the chapter. Emma

as compared to a child does not act in a very responsible way. The reader slowly notices

that Emma does not make many right choices. The reader continually reflects on

statements similar to this quote and slowly realizes that all Emma's problems are self-

inflicted.

Chapter 13 page 231:

"She saw Rodolphe, heard his voice, clasped him in her arms; and a series of irregular

palpitations, thudding in her breast like great blows from a battering ram, came faster and

faster."

This simile portrays Emma's feelings about the whole story concerning Rodolphe.

Through this quote the reader starts understand that Emma does dearly need to leave her

life, she is on the verge of suicide and unknowingly attempts to save herself by running

away. The blows that come faster and faster show the reader how much more she needs

to leave everyday. This quote with the use of the simile makes the reader feel sympathetic

for the sick woman.

Chapter 14 page 242:

"As for the memory of Rodolphe, she had buried it in the depths of her heart; and there it

remained, as solemn and motionless as the mummy of a pharaoh in an underground

chamber."

This simile proves that Emma has become more mature about life after her long

days of sickness. The reader through this simile can conclude all relations with Rodophe

gone for good. The quote with use of the poetic device gives the reader some hope for a

healthy future in the hands of Emma.

Chapter 15 page 251:

"She was left alone on the stage, and there came the sound of a flute, like the ripple of a

spring or the warbling of a bird."

The ripple and warbling are some emotions and desires that may arise. While

reading the sentence, the reader is made to feel that the simile is used in a transitional

way that hints some affair in the near future. The poetic device of simile is an excellent

method to start a new phase in Emma's life concluding part II.