Dreams that Backfire: "Madame Bovary."

In a grand ball at La Vaubyessard, Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" describes Emma's first ever experience with the wealthy. She not only enjoys herself, but she tries to embed this "heavenly" memory within a mind morphed by countless romantic novels. In addition to her great passion for the rich, she also rejects her own class, the bourgeoisie - even rejecting her very husband, who sits patiently for her as the party draws to a close. When we were first introduced to Emma in the novel, Flaubert presents her as an extremely pretty girl, having very white almond shaped fingernails and a skin that…