Madame Bovary

Emma, the daughter of a farmer, grew up in a convent, a reader of romance, and nurtured idealizations; Charles Bovary is a young doctor who, while caring for a gentleman, meets Emma, whom he enchants but is married to.

When he becomes a widower, he proposes marriage to Emma. At first, she is happy, but as time goes by, she realizes that Charles is modest, his appearance slovenly, his boring conversation makes her long for a better life - a refined and elegant life. They are both invited to an aristocratic ball, and there Emma realizes that this is the life she wants, she loves fashion, she spends, and soon discovers that she is pregnant. The birth of her daughter Berthe makes her momentarily resigned, but she still feels sad. She falls in love with León, but she stops him and he moves to Paris. Then one day she meets Rodolphe, a rich, aristocratic man who decides to seduce her. They fall in love, but Rodolphe abandons her on the day they were planning an escape. Emma's neediness was compensated for by shopping.

One day, Charles and Emma travel to Rouane to see a play. They meet Leon, who has just returned from Paris, and they begin an affair, but over time they both become bored.

Emma's debts accumulate until she is bailed out by a bailiff. With no money, she turns to Leon and Rodolphe, who don't come to her aid. Her daughter is left an orphan.

Emma's chronic dissatisfaction and selfishness shock the reader. She acts for herself, with no genuine love for anyone.