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| Sentimental Education | |
 Title page from the first edition of L'Education sentimentale |
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| Author | Gustav Flaubert |
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| Original title | L'Education sentimentale |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Genre(s) | Realism |
| Publication date | 1869 |
| Media type | hardback |
Sentimental Education (French: L'Éducation sentimentale, 1869) was Gustave Flaubert's last novel published during his lifetime, and is considered one of the most influential novels of the 19th century, being praised by contemporaries George Sand,[1] Emile Zola,[2] and Henry James.[3]
Contents |
Plot introduction
The novel describes the life of a young man (Frederic Moreau) living through the revolution of 1848 and the founding of the Second French Empire, and his love for an older woman (based on the wife of the music publisher Maurice Schlesinger, who is portrayed in the book as Jacques Arnoux). Flaubert based many of the protagonist's experiences (including the romantic passion) on his own life. He wrote of the work in 1864
- "I want to write the moral history of the men of my generation-- or, more accurately, the history of their feelings. It's a book about love, about passion; but passion such as can exist nowadays--that is to say, inactive."
The novel's tone is by turns ironic and pessimistic; it occasionally lampoons French society. The main character, Frédéric, often gives himself to romantic flights of fancy.
Characters in Sentimental Education
The characters of Sentimental Education are marked by capriciousness and self-interest. Frederic, the main character, is originally infatuated with Madame Arnoux, but throughout the novel falls in and out of love with her. Furthermore, he is unable to decide on a profession and instead lives on his uncle's inheritance. Other characters, such as Mr. Arnoux, are as capricious with business as Frederic is with love. Without their materialism and "instinctive worship of power", almost the entire cast would be completely rootless. Such was Flaubert's judgement of his times, and the continuing applicability of that cynicism goes a long way in explaining the novel's enduring appeal.
Sequence of appearances
- Frédéric Moreau, the "hero", a young man from the provincial France, who ends up a member of the middle class.
- Jacques Arnoux, publisher, porcelain manufacturer; also a speculator and a womanizer, dead by the end of the novel.
- Mme [Marie] Arnoux, his wife, mother of two children, who moves to Rome by the end of the novel.
- Marthe Arnoux, their daughter
- M. Roque, land-owner and M. Dambreuse's unsavory agent; father of Louise Roque.
- Louise Roque, his red-headed daughter, a country-girl; has a crush on Frederic, marries Deslauriers, leaves him for a singer.
- Charles Deslauriers, law student, close friend of Frederic, a lawyer by the end of the novel.
- M. Dambreuse, banker, aristocratic politician, timeserver, financier. Dead in the third part of the novel.
- Mme Dambreuse, his much-younger, very determined, exquisitely younger wife; she marries an Englishman by the end of the novel.
- Baptiste Martinon, law student, a rich farmer's son, a reasonable by hard-working careerist ends up a senator by the end of the novel.
- Marquis de Cisy, nobleman and law student, a dapper youth, father of eight by the end of the novel.
- Sénécal, math teacher and uncompromising, puritanical, dogmatic Republican; supposedly dead by the end of the novel.
- Dussardier, shop worker, an idealistic Republican; dies at the end of the novel by Sénécal's hand.
- Hussonet, journalist, drama critic, clown, ends up controlling all the theaters and the whole press.
- Regimbart, "The Citizen", a boozy revolutionary chauvinist; becomes a ghost of a man.
- Pellerin, painter with more theories than talent; becomes a photographer.
- Mlle Vatnaz, actress, courtesan, frustrated feminist with literary pretensions; vanishes by the end of the novel.
- Dittmer, frequent guest of Arnoux
- Delmas or Delmar, actor, singer, showman (may also be the singer introduced in Chapter 1)
- M. and Mme Oudry, guests of the Arnoux
- Catherine, housekeeper for M. Roque
- Eléonore, mother of Louise Roque
- Uncle Barthélemy, wealthy uncle of Frédéric
- Eugène Arnoux, son of the Arnoux
- Rosanette Bron, "The Marshal," courtesan, later the wife and widow of M. Audry; adopts a little boy
- Clémence, Deslauriers' mistress
- Marquis Aulnays, Cisy's godfather; M. de Forchambeaux, his friend, Baron de Comaing, another friend; M. Vezou, his tutor
- Cécile, M. Dambreuse's "niece", actually daughter
- Another "character": Mme Arnoux's Renaissance silver casket, first noted at her house, then at Rosanette's, finally bought at auction by Mme Dambreuse
Allusions and references
Allusions to other works
Early in the novel, Frédéric compares himself to Young Werther and René, two popular romantic protagonists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His friend Deslauriers also asks Frédéric to "remember" Rastignac from Balzac's Comédie humaine.
Allusions to actual history, geography and current science
The novel takes place between 1840 and 1867 and references many political and artistic events during that time. Primarily, the main characters discuss the conflict between the monarchists, imperialists, and republicans in the years following the revolution of 1830 in France.
Allusions in other works
- In the film Manhattan, Woody Allen's character lists this novel as one of his main reasons for living.
- In the television series The Sopranos, an episode in season 5 was entitled "Sentimental Education."[4]
- Mario Vargas Llosa's 2007 novel "The Bad Girl" makes several allusions to Sentimental Education. One of the characters takes the name "Madame Arnoux," and the narrator admits to reading Flaubert's works.[5]
- In a season 5 episode of Dawson's Creek, Joey Potter's literature professor references Sentimental Education and the theme of the book.
- "Sentimental Education" is the title of a poem by the American poet Lawrence Joseph.
Film, TV, or theatrical adaptations
- L'Education sentimentale - 1962 West German production, only loosely based on the novel
- Sentimental Education - 1970 British mini-series
- L'Education sentimentale - 1973 French mini-series
References
External links
- Complete French text, by chapter
- Complete French text, in HTML - WARNING: large file.
- Complete French text, in PDF
- Various resources, French
- Manuscript photographs
- Proust on Flaubert
- Internal timeline of the novel
