"Madame Bovary" (1857), a novel by Gustave Flaubert, is considered one of the greatest works of realist aesthetics in French literature. The secret to its success lies in the style, characterized by "the perfection of prose and the absolute mastery of the art of storytelling."

This work occupies a central position in the novel genre for several reasons. One is the fact that it was deemed “indecent and corrupting” for young women from respectable families. Another reason is that Flaubert was prosecuted by the Sixth Correctional Court of the Seine for addressing a theme as sinful as "adultery." Although he was acquitted by the judges, he faced condemnation from puritan critics.

The plot of "Madame Bovary" impresses with its simplicity and its precise portrayal of human folly. The story begins by describing Charles Bovary when he enters school, causing a commotion among his classmates due to his ridiculous hat, shyness, incompetence, and significant ineptitude. Many critics have found this description unnecessary and tedious. While it may indeed be exhausting, it is not useless; the ridiculousness of the hat symbolizes the stupidity of its wearer. Throughout the narrative, many other ridiculous hats appear, such as the "Greek cap" of the pharmacist Homais, the beaver hat of Father Bournisien, and Rodolphe's elegant but outdated hat.

Emma, in turn, is the dreamer and romantic heroine, believing that her mediocre readings impart wisdom about the happiness love can provide. This colorful world of illusions quickly shatters when she marries Charles Bovary, a physician, to escape her narrow upbringing. One day, at a ball in the castle of a neighboring aristocrat, Emma Bovary rekindles her romantic dreams, which her husband barely reciprocates.

After this, Emma embarks on affairs with various lovers. First, she engages with Rodolphe, a Don Juan of the countryside, who soon abandons her. Then she becomes involved with Léon, a young clerk to a lawyer. Through this relationship, she loses her balance, accumulating debts through loans she can never repay. Desperate and cornered by the greed of creditors, she commits suicide.

It is only after her death that Charles Bovary discovers the truth. Disturbed and unsure of what to think, he does not seek revenge on her lovers or take any action. He loses everything he owns to settle her debts and eventually dies, embittered, leaving behind a small daughter who goes to live with her grandmother, who also dies. To survive, the aunt sends her to work in a textile factory. It is a sad and somewhat sordid story.

The novel is titled "Madame Bovary". If we consider the title, Emma Bovary would be its "heroine." However, the narration begins and ends with the foolish Charles Bovary; the narrative is also significantly shaped by Rodolphe's foolish Don Juanism, Léon's foolish passion, the pharisaical foolishness of Father Bournisien, and the small provincial setting that offers no escape for Emma or anyone else. This is why Otto Maria, in his essay on the work, emphasizes that "the true character of this novel is Human Stupidity."