Madame Bovary
Saturday, 5 January 2008
In 1866, Gustave Flaubert - famous French Writer of his time -- wrote Madame Bovary and called it one of his best writings. There was a definite perception about freedom of expression and about what is obscene and what is not. It was due to that societal sensitivity that novel Madame Bovary was declared immoral and Flaubert charged.
The prosecution attorney logically presented his case and told the court that Flaubert has violated the French literary traditions (What was novel writing before Flaubert? Actually, it was very much like the flowery novels that Emma Bovary (the heroin) feeds on -- Victorian in the high-flown ideals of romantic love and perhaps not too far off from the Harlequin Romances of today's marketplace, but without the sexual innuendo). Madam Bovary does not represent women; her disenchantments are appalling. Flaubert has let a wolf lose in our society that is seen dissecting its fibbers. The Judge and other audiences in the court, who had all read the novel, were mesmerized by noble arguments attorney had offered with deep concern.
Later, Flaubert was asked to present his defence. Flaubert said, “My Lord, Madame Bovary indeed is a wolf as rightly pointed out by the leaned council. But I have not unleashed this wolf. This is done by the French society. I have only pointed it out.”
Now look at the wolf let lose in another form; advertising, advertising in any form, on the web or at billboards in streets. Consumers every where stumble upon sexually laced advertising - odd juxtaposition of the two figures warning something briefer than a lot of panty styles, ‘her’ eyes riveted on a ‘guy’ next to her. These ads looking like simulated sex. It might take ages of ads to convince targeted audiences that the main goal in life is to look sexy, but sure such campaigns are sexualizing society fast and teaching that love equals lust, and lust with anyone is OK.
Is this what "freedom of expression" really mean? Or is this marketing?
The prosecution attorney logically presented his case and told the court that Flaubert has violated the French literary traditions (What was novel writing before Flaubert? Actually, it was very much like the flowery novels that Emma Bovary (the heroin) feeds on -- Victorian in the high-flown ideals of romantic love and perhaps not too far off from the Harlequin Romances of today's marketplace, but without the sexual innuendo). Madam Bovary does not represent women; her disenchantments are appalling. Flaubert has let a wolf lose in our society that is seen dissecting its fibbers. The Judge and other audiences in the court, who had all read the novel, were mesmerized by noble arguments attorney had offered with deep concern.
Later, Flaubert was asked to present his defence. Flaubert said, “My Lord, Madame Bovary indeed is a wolf as rightly pointed out by the leaned council. But I have not unleashed this wolf. This is done by the French society. I have only pointed it out.”
Now look at the wolf let lose in another form; advertising, advertising in any form, on the web or at billboards in streets. Consumers every where stumble upon sexually laced advertising - odd juxtaposition of the two figures warning something briefer than a lot of panty styles, ‘her’ eyes riveted on a ‘guy’ next to her. These ads looking like simulated sex. It might take ages of ads to convince targeted audiences that the main goal in life is to look sexy, but sure such campaigns are sexualizing society fast and teaching that love equals lust, and lust with anyone is OK.
Is this what "freedom of expression" really mean? Or is this marketing?
Labels: Madame Bovary
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, January 05, 2008,
1 Comments:
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At 12:07 AM PKST,
said...
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Madame Bovary was first published in 1857.
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