Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

What a fantastic story!  So many themes in this book... Who can blame Emma Bovary for her impossible and ridiculous dreams?  Sadly, her impossible dreams still ring true today.  Females are taught/brainwashed to believe in romantic notions of relationships with men, that Prince Charming exists, that we must be beautiful and have shiny objects to wear, to have beautiful things in one's house.  Of course, we all want to look good, males included but women in particular are subjected to gendered roles and expectations.  After all, what do fairy tales like Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast teach us?  In our modern consumerist society, we are taught that "diamonds are a girl's best friend", etc.

Female musicians and even athletes use their sexuality to get noticed (or industries use their sexuality to promote their agenda - think Anna Kournikova who wasn't even all that good of a tennis player yet rose to stardom based solely on her looks).  How would the intelligent but naive dreamer, Emma Bovary be different in using the only tool she has, her sexuality to advance herself in society?

1949 Vincente Minnelli's film production

Granted, her 'advancement' and dreams are misguided - but we cannot just lay the blame solely on her.  Societal gendered values play a large role in her impossible dreams.  She longs for Rodolphe, the rich playboy, blind to the reality of the good hearted man that is her husband, Charles Bovary. Rodolphe who is also morally corrupt like Emma would likely not have been chastised by society, in the way that Emma would have been.  This rings true today.  If a man is a playboy, he is called a "stud" (generally, a positive connotation) but if a woman acts in a similar manner, she is labelled a "slut" (a very negative connotation). How things have changed but yet not in many ways.

Emma is stuck in a gendered role in which her only tool to 'advance' herself in society is by flaunting her sexuality.  Perhaps this is why, she wished for a male child, who in her eyes has the ability to advance in society, at least more so that a female can - even if the male advancement is limited due to his class, as is the case of Léon Dupuis.

Ironic that Emma Bovary is never really happy despite all the material things she owns (plus living beyond her means).

Monsieur Lheureux who is also morally corrupt would likely have still been more respected in society in his status as a merchant than Emma Bovary.  What does that say about professions and industries that value profits over people and the environment?

Random thoughts:
1. Women often base their self worth on the amount of attention (or lack thereof) they receive from men - completely misguided but understandable.  I, too, have been misguided this way and used to think that overt sexual comments about my body parts are some sort of compliment that propelled my self-confidence.  No longer, thank goodness!
2. Women flaunting their sexuality as empowerment - I used to think this but don't anymore.  I don't believe in moral conservatism, rather I think that women who use sexuality to advance themselves (a.k.a. to gain money) is not a form of female empowerment or feminism.  I do think that women have a right not to be judged on a double standard when it comes to sexuality but to make money from say.. stripping is absolutely not my idea of feminism or empowerment.  Ultimately, this action is mainly for the male gaze in which women are mere sexual objects.
3. There is an assumption that all women are maternal but I have talked to many women who tell me otherwise.  Another socially constructed gender norm?