"She complained incessantly
about her nerves, her chest, her moods. She couldn't stand the sound
of footsteps; if he went away she couldn't bear solitude; if he hovered near
her it was surely to see her die" (Flaubert 35)
I never ever met Madame Dubuc, but I did talk to Charles about her, his
first wife. He married her because his mother ordered it,
since
she was rich, and he did everything his mother told him because
he
was sort of a mama’s boy. She was 45 years old and
according
to Charles she was “thin as a rail, and had as many pimples
as the
springtime has buds”(Flaubert 34). She controlled
Charles
just as his mother did before; it was as if he was being
passed around,
like an object. I think it is quite pitiful
for a man to be so
weak, for I a winner of Cross of the Legion of
Honor would never let
myself be pushed around by a woman. Eventually
Charles found
out that she didn’t have as much money as she claimed,
and he
was disappointed because of her lies. She was definitely
the head
of the household and she was very demanding and suspicious,
always wary when Charles went to visit Monsieur Ronault, because of
Emma, and I guess rightfully so. Despite her imperfections Charles
was saddened by her death because “she had loved him, after
all” (Flaubert 42).
People of Yonville
Home
