Kate Chopin's 'The Awakening' and Gustave Flaubert's 'Madame Bovary' In Comparison

Emma Bovary and Edna Pontellier are two of many nineteenth-century female protagonists who fail in their struggles out of the boredom of married life. Among Anna Karenina, Effi Briest, Hedda Gabler and others, they, too, commit suicide. In this essay, Gustave Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary” will be compared to the American novel “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin. First of all, general similarities and differences, such as the historical background, characters, plot, conflicts and motifs, will be examined. In the third chapter, the scenes of suicide will be compared more closely in order to point out the differences between Chopin and Flaubert concerning language and style. Finally, a summarizing conclusion will be given.