Immoral Women In French Literature: Portraits of Women in Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' Les liaisons dangereuses and Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary

Author

Hannah R. SchultzFollow

Graduation Year

2016

Graduation Month

May

Document Type

Thesis - Campus Access Only

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

School or Department

Modern and Classical Languages

Major

French

Faculty Mentor Department

Modern and Classical Languages

Faculty Mentor

M. Ione Crummy

Faculty Reader(s)

M. Ione Crummy

Keywords

French, Literature, Immoral, Women, Flaubert, Laclos

Subject Categories

French and Francophone Literature | Women's Studies

Abstract

The portrayals of immoral women in Laclos’ Les Liaisons dangereuses and Flaubert’s Madame Bovary sparked social criticism in the society in which these two novels were published. Eighteen and Nineteenth-century society upheld strict social expectations for women that often made them feel trapped in a life without meaning if they chose to prescribe to those expected gender roles. Men, on the other hand, had more freedom and moral forgiveness than women. These two novels portray women as they struggle against the oppression of social conventions. The main female characters of these novels, the Marquise de Merteuil and Emma Bovary are representations of women who choose to reject social norms in search for new identities, freedom and happiness. These characters also act as examples of the consequences of such a rebellion against society.

Honors College Research Project

1

Recommended Citation

Schultz, Hannah R., "Immoral Women In French Literature: Portraits of Women in Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' Les liaisons dangereuses and Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary" (2016). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 88.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/88