BIOGRAPHY: GUSTAVE FLAUBERT

Hello everyone, today I will talk about the great novelist Gustave Flaubert, who is currently
listed astheone of the greatest writers of French realism. To better understand
his biography will be divided into three parts: First life of the writer, where he will recount all the
important facts that marked the novelist from his birth to his death, secondly: his segment
of work that will allow me to explain what writings were written for this playwright. Finally, I
I will tell a few curiosities about this great character. After specifying
what will the exposition be, start with the first part:

The life of the writer:

Flaubert was born on December 12, 1821, in Rouen, department oftheSeine-Maritime

High- Normandy inthenorthof theFrance was second son

of Anne Justine Caroline (née Fleuriot, 1793-1872) and Achille-Cléophas Flaubert
1846), surgeon and head of the Hôtel de Dios hospital, where Gustave was raised with his two other
brothers. It is precisely the cold and cruel atmosphere of the hospital that gave birth to Flauvert the
needs to write what he saw and to tell it in the most realistic way possible.

One can therefore say that Flauvert was in love with writing since his childhood, starting
by this pastime, already à eight ans according to
certain sources.
After the story of his life, on May 15, 1832, he entered the royal college of Rouen, where he attended the eighth grade.

year. He continued his studies at the school and the institute in Rouen without much enthusiasm. To
this reason, at school he was considered a lazy man. However, he started
in literature at the age of eleven. Later, at thirteen, he founded the handwritten journal Art
of Progress, the age at which he met Élisa Schlésinger in Trouville during the holidays
of summer; I think it has marked him enough, which was later reflected in his novel.

Sentimental Education.

Fewofsome time later, the young Flaubertisgraduated in 1839, and in August of the following yearapassed
the baccalaureate exam (high school). Therefore, this is why it had to enter in
the army in accordance with the laws of the time. However, in the draft for service
military, he was exempted, thanks to this, This tastarted heastudiedthelaw in Parisonecareer
who didn't suit his taste and for this reason heastudiedà counterheart.During
At this stage, Gustave revealed himself to be a young man full of vigor and, despite his shyness, he had

a certain grace, was very enthusiastic and individualistic and apparently had no
ambition, but it is important to emphasize that it was only a facade of his true writing and
voyager.

Precisely during one of his many travels, Flaubert...amet Victor Hugo with whom he
traveled through the Pyrenees and Corsica at the end of 1840. Upon his return to Paris, he wasted his time

to dream, living off the rents provided by his fortune.

In June 1844, Flaubert, who loved the countryside and hated the city, left law school under
pretext of recovering from a seizure that he always tried to conceal and left Paris for
joinCroisset.

Later, in 1846, his father and sister died two months after their illness.
As a consequence, Flaubert took care of his niece. And at the same time, he began a relationship.

stormy with the poet Louise Colet (1810-1876), which lasted ten years and gave rise to a
very important correspondence; the letters he sent her were preserved and, according to
Emile Faguet, this relationship was the only significant sentimental episode in Flaubert's life,

who had never married.

Years later, In Paris, Gustave attended the revolution of 1848, which he observed with a
very critical eye. Fewofsome time later, during the summeryouThe French Second Empire frequented the most

influential Parisian salons, among others linked to George Sand (pseudonym of the writer)
Aurore Dupin who had a romantic relationship with the Polish composer and pianist.

Frederic Chopin.

After leaving Paris, he returned to Croisset, and just at that moment, the war broke out.
Franco-Prussian (1870-1871), a period during which he was mobilized as a lieutenant.
national lagarde.À because of this, his life and his familyaranthedanger therefore had for
à the family house of hers
shelter your loved ones in Croisset and, later, put an end to the husband who remained.

niece, Ruan. City occupied by the Prussians, place where Flaubert was forced by them to serve.
of secretary and servant.
At the end of the war, Gustave withdrew to a family farm in Croisset, to live with his
mother and her little niece and wholly dedicated to literature. He occasionally went to
Paris and in England, where he apparently had a mistress. However, Flaubert never

married.

Because? Well, it is decided. According to his biographer Émile Faguet, his relationship

with Louise Colet was his only serious romantic relationship and it ended his adventure
with that, thealosteverythinginterest intheromance. So he a decided to frequent
the prostitutes. However, this action was insufficient for him so he decided to abandon this
gallant life and sought a platonic companionship, particularly with other writers with whom
he used to live. spend time.

But his reassuring, monotonous, and dreamy life didn't last long because of his mother.isdeath
in 1872, just after his death, the writerisfell intoof thefinancial difficultiesaexperienced result
fortheeconomic times many difficulties,thiswho has some a little diminished when

theaobtained a pension of one thousand francs, an amount he could not enjoy so much he
wanted his health was deteriorating and he died at Croisset of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1880 at the age
at 58 years old. He was buried in the family vault of the cemetery in Rouen. Henri Chapu presents a
monument to Flaubert presented at the Rouen museum.

Works: We have a series of works created by this important novelist:

1837 Dream from hell - Roman

1838 Souvenirs of a crazy - Memories of a crazy - Roman
1857 Madam Bovary - Roman
1862 Salammbô - Roman
1869 Education sentimental - Education sentimental - Roman
1874 The Candidate - Roman
1874 The Temptation of Saint Anthony - The Temptation of Saint Anthony - Novel
 1877 Three stories - Three tales - Story
1880 The Castle of the hearts - Theater
1881 Bouvard and Pécuchet - Roman
1911 Dictionary of Preconceived Ideas - Dictionary of Received Ideas
1965 Souvenirs, notes and intimate thoughts - Posthumously

Among them, the most influential of French literature and realism are:

Madame Bovary

The novel tells the story of the beautiful Emma Rovault, the only daughter of a humble farmer.
de Berteaux. She studied at a convent of nuns and with a romantic spirit. At
the life of studies and prayers follows a marriage with Doctor Carlos Bovary.

Emma Bovary soon feels sick, disillusioned, and nervous.

Then, Dr. Carlos Bovary and his beautiful wife settle in Yonville, near Rouen, to change.
the environment.

A braille at the castle of the Marquis de Andervilliers awakens in the beautiful woman the desires of a
More beautiful life. Emma Bovary falls madly in love with the young Leon Dupuis, with whom she...
maintains a platonic relationship.

After a while, Léon, her lover, leaves Emma, as he is going to Paris to finish his...
studies. Rodolfo Boulanger wins over Emma, shortly after being absent from the lion Dupuis, passes with
Rodolfo one good season of love passionate.

On the occasion of a lively discussion with her mother-in-law, the rascal Emma proposes to her lover
Rodolfo has to take the plane to Paris; but that à the end does not accept.

Emma Bovary, the adulterous woman, returns with the young Léon Dupuis to fill her troubles. Everything
this implies expenses that she cannot bear and immediately follows the embargo and its
collapse fatal.

Desperate in the face of unpaid debts, she poisons herself with arsenic and plunges into pain.
deeply of her husband, Carlos, who dies of disgust.

In summary, Fluabert In three parts, with an incredible literary acuity, she shows us in
Madame Bovary's point of view on the life of high society in France at the beginning of the 19th century,

by marrying the main character to someone who offers nothing more than to show her as if he
it was about a trophy and finding a law student, with whom he would have a cruel and sad story, this
that he has always sought, but in the end will lead to nothing but his death. Madame Bovary is
So more than a novel, a faithful portrait and a paradigm of realistic and universal literature and
French philosophy from the 19th to the 21st centuries.

Salambo

Salammbo (1862) is a historical novel written by Gustave Flaubert, featuring characters in the
historical and fictional times. The action of the work takes place before and during the mercenary war, which took place

place in the 3rd century BC, in the Phoenician city of Carthage.

The main source for Flaubert was Book I of Polybius' Histories. It was not a

well-documented period of history; it therefore took a lot of work on the part of the author, who has
left behind the sad and depressing theme of Madame Bovary to write this story
scary with blood and action. Flaubert deviated from Polybius' story in certain details.

The book is long, sensual, violent, and full of exoticism. Following the success of Madame Bovary, it is a

another bestseller that cemented Flaubert's reputation. They highlight in this work the

meticulous descriptions of Carthaginian dresses, agreements with the styles of the time.

Regarding the argument of 'Salambo', in the 3rd century BC, Carthage engages in
mercenaries to confront Rome. After the First Punic War, Carthage is unable
to fulfill the promises made to her army of mercenaries. She is therefore attacked. The

fictional protagonist, the daughter of Amílcar Barca, an aristocratic Carthaginian general, is the object of the
uncontrollable thirst of Matho, one of the leaders of the mercenaries.

With the help of a freed slave, Spendios, Matho steals the sacred veil of Carthage, the 'Zaïmph',
thus provoking Salammbo to enter the camp of the mercenaries and try to recover it.

Curiosities

The largest source of information about this author is found in the abundant correspondence.
that he had with the poet Louise Colet and it lasted ten years. This author never married and
It's believed that his relationship with her was the most important of his love life.
The publication of 'Madame Bovary' caused a great stir, and Flaubert and the publisher have
were denounced by the authorities, who deemed that it violated morality. Ultimately, they were
declared innocents.

The character of this author has been described as peculiar. It is said that he was both a dreamer and shy at the same time.
as he appeared at vital and arrogant occasions. Not fond of social relationships,
turned to writing, for which he became obsessed. He abhorred the bourgeoisie and especially the
mediocrity, the lack of intelligence and sensitivity that he presented according to his members.

Flaubert scrupulously avoided inaccuracy, summaries, vague expressions ... he never

let a cliché pass. In a letter to George Sand, he stated that he spent his time

try to write harmonious sentences, avoiding assonances.

Flaubert believed in and pursued the principle of searching for the precise word, which he considered as the

fundamental means of achieving quality in literary art. Flaubert worked in a dark

solitude - sometimes taking a week to complete a page - never satisfied with what he had
written. In his correspondence, Flaubert suggests this, explaining that correct prose did not come

not of him and that his style had been achieved through work and revision.

This meticulous writing style is also evident when Flaubert's production is all about
longer than that of his colleagues (Balzac or Zola, for example). Flaubert published

less prolifically, while his colleagues have published diligently.

As a writer, Flaubert is almost equally romantic and realistic. Therefore,

the members of the different schools, especially realist and formalist, found their origins in
their work. The precision with which he adapts his expressions to his subject is found everywhere.
in his work, especially in the portraits he extracts from the characters of his main
The extent of Flaubert's fame since his death constitutes an interesting chapter of
literary history itself. Many critics consider their best works as

exemplary style models.

Flaubert's writing style had a great influence on 20th-century writers, such as

Franz Kafka and JM Coetzee.
Gustave loved to travel, which is why he made countless expeditions to other countries; By
example, in 1846, theisGo big- Brittany with his friend and everythingto thelong d Maxime
Du Camp. In 1849, he undertook a long journey to the Middle East, traveling to Greece and in

Egypt. In 1850, he spent five weeks in Constantinople. In 1858, Flaubert went to Carthage.
to successfully carry out research on his novel Salambó.

In September 1849, Flaubert finished the first version of the novel 'The Temptation of Saint Anthony'. He

read the novel aloud to Louis Bouilhet and Maxime Du Camp for four days, without their
allow stopping or giving any opinion. At the end of the reading, his friends gave him

said to throw the manuscript in the fire, suggesting instead to focus on everyday life instead of
fantastic subjects.