Analysis of "A Simple Heart" by Gustave Flaubert

Essay by imaGe October 2007

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In The Simple Heart, I found that the main character Félicité is portrayed as a heroine throughout the entire story, although she does not perceive herself as one. The author, Gustave Flaubert created a character in which the audience will sympathize with but none of the characters in the story will sympathize with. In many ways I find that Félicité is another representation of Job in “The New Testament”. Like Job she suffered many hardships and underwent much abuse, but she never once complained about it.

As she was growing up she underwent my pain and hardships. At one point she thought she had found her love but in reality this love of hers was found to be extremely abusive behind closed doors. Another pain she had gone through was the loss of two children that she cared and loved for the most. It seems as if everything she had ever cared for, she loses.

I personally do feel sympathetic for her and I truly felt this when I learned she kept many items she held close to her in one of her closets.

When Madame Aubain, the woman she had worked for passed away she remained in her household until her own death at the end of the story. She grew old and more and more useless as a direct parallel to what was happening to the house she was living in. Even to her last dying breath, not once did she complain about her conditions. She was never awarded for her deeds, but I’m sure she probably would not have accepted any awards for it. This became apparent to me when she trade Virginie, the daughter of the Madame was being chased by a bull. Félicité saved Virginie’s life and was even hailed as a heroine, although...