Madame Bovary, written in 1856 by Gustave Flaubert, is considered a realistic fiction novel in northern France. This novel, originally written in French and then translated into English, retains Flaubert's original depiction of the characters. Flaubert characterizes the men in Madame Bovary as if society views women as a means of showing weakness. Throughout the novel, Flaubert continually describes his male characters as having feminine qualities. Charles represents the women of this era in having his freedom to speak his mind taken away. His inability to perform this usually common act builds this wall between him and Emma that he cannot get past. Another character, known as Rodolphe, expresses the thought that as long as he has an intact outer shell, all is well in the world and nothing can go wrong. Finally, Léon molds himself into this fantasy which Emma cannot resist. Overall, Flaubert's male characters represent feminine qualities in multiple contexts. Flaubert's description of Charles' clothing and posture hides his knowledge and understanding of society. Charles' clothing resembles that of a woman's corset, "his green cloth suit jacket with black buttons must have pinched him at the armholes" (Flaubert 1). A female corset pinches and manipulates women, to restrict them and make them conform to society. During this period, women could not express their own opinions on any subject. Meanwhile, the dominant male expressed his opinion and the females followed his opinion. The author presents this concept as a norm in society while the idea of ​​a man being more submissive or acting like a woman would have surprised people. Charles adopts feminine characteristics, but society does... middle of paper ...... aspects of life with fluff or brutality, depending on the situation. Flaubert's characterization of the male characters in this novel accentuates the weaknesses of women during this period. The author believes that the behavior towards women during this period was immoral and he describes it through men. The progression of subthemes: begins with the description of Charles' clothing and posture, to Rodolphe's possessiveness towards money, Léon's indissoluble bond with his relationships, and finally Homais' conversational skills. Progressing from physical descriptions to social interactions, these subthemes show the authors' views on the mistreatment of women at the time, giving feminine characteristics to male characters.Works CitedFlaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary. Trans. Eleanor Marx Aveling. Mineola (NY): Dover, 1996.