Berthe appears only a few times in Flaubert's Madame Bovary and is too young to contribute much to the novel with her words or actions, but she is still extremely important to the story . Emma's lack of maternal attitude and weakness of moral character are made evident by Berthe's presence. Because of Berthe's young age and innocence, she is able to serve as a foil to counter Emma's lifestyle of immorality and self-gratification. Berthe's main functions in the novel are to bring to light Emma's character flaws as well as the consequences of her actions and to serve as a symbol of Emma's union with Charles. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first reason for Berthe's inclusion in the novel is that Berthe's presence exposes Emma's maternal ineptitude. Flaubert makes it clear from the beginning that Emma Bovary is far from being the ideal mother. While she's not entirely against the idea of ​​having a child, Emma sees motherhood simply as a way to try something new and fuel the romantic fire within her. She cares little about her relationship with her son. At the beginning of her pregnancy Emma showed little interest in becoming a mother. Charles, however, convinced her, with his continued enthusiasm about their future role as parents, that it would be an interesting experience (902). Although Emma sees parenthood as something new and fascinating, she fails to show true love for her daughter for the rest of her life. Emma's reaction to having a daughter reveals her selfish attitude. She wants a child who "is strong and dark" and "free to range between passions and the world" (902). On the contrary, Emma herself certainly embodies this type of freedom much more than her husband Charles. She wants a boyfriend so that she can live the passionate and romantic life that she dreams of and tries to live for herself. Flaubert states that "woman is continually hindered" and that "there is always a desire that seduces, a convention that holds back" (902). Emma, ​​however, defies this restraint, choosing to give in to the temptation provided by Rodolphe and Lon. Although she demonstrates that it is entirely possible for a woman to live a "free" life, Emma wants a son so badly that she convinces herself that her child will be a boy. After learning that her daughter is a girl, her disappointment is so great that she "turned her head away and fainted" (902). Emma hasn't even considered a name for a daughter yet because she was so sure she would have a boy, thus demonstrating her desire not to experience the joys of motherhood, but rather to assuage her own selfishness. She does not want the joy of having and raising a child, but rather a child through whom she can vicariously experience the same emotions she seeks in her life. Berthe's existence provides a catalyst for Emma's relationship with Lon, and thus brings to light another flaw in Emma's character: infidelity. It is while she is visiting her daughter that Emma takes the first of many walks with Lon. When Emma meets Lon on the way to the nurse's house, Lon starts asking Emma if she would like his company. However, he stops short, realizing the embarrassment that would arise if he accompanied another man's wife to visit his son. Emma, ​​however, is not deterred and asks Lon to accompany her, without the thought of losing her reputation. Throughout the visit, Lon's discomfort with the situation is evident, while Emma doesn't seem at all bothered by the fact that she's holding Charles's son in the company of another man. Berthe too it seemsrealizing her mother's flaws when she vomits on Emma (904-905). While this is common behavior in children, it is also indicative of disgust at Emma's actions. Emma's selfishness and lack of concern for Berthe are already demonstrated again during her next affair when she plans to move to Genoa with Rodolphe. Their passion for each other has become too great for the two to remain apart, and Emma asks Rodolphe to run away with her. She doesn't consider what would happen to her daughter until Rodolphe asks her, "What about your little girl?" Emma stops to think and then replies, "We'll take her with us, it's the only way" (967). Rather than do everything she can to make her daughter's life better, Emma decides to drag Berthe along with her to fulfill her illicit desires. Emma's maternal incompetence is further exemplified when she tires of Berthe's playful attempts to be close to her and pushes the little girl away so hard that she falls into a cupboard and cuts her face. When Charles arrives, Emma calmly tells him that Berthe "fell and hurt herself playing" (919). Emma's mild and quickly dissipated concern for her son once again demonstrates her selfishness. She appears to be more concerned with appearing inept because Berthe was injured under her care than with the fact that her son was injured. As Emma cares for Berthe the evening after the girl is injured, she notices "what an ugly little girl [Berthe] is" (919). Far from being a typical maternal thought, this observation indicates a tremendous lack of maternal love. This is another example of the same unnatural attitude that led to Berthe's injury. Instead of feeling tender compassion for her daughter, Emma feels only frustration and disgust. In addition to highlighting Emma's flaws, both as a person and as a mother, Berthe serves to constantly remind Emma of her union with Charles. While packing her bags to move to Yonville, Emma discovers her wedding bouquet. He then throws this symbol of his marriage into the fireplace and watches it burn. Having demonstrated the extent to which she deplores her marriage by destroying this transitory icon of her union with Charles, Emma ironically gains a much more lasting symbol. The chapter ends with the short and seemingly banal sentence: "When they left Tostes in March, Madame Bovary was pregnant" (890). Although Emma's pregnancy receives little attention here, Berthe becomes a poignant reminder of Emma's bond with Charles later in the novel. Berthe serves as a symbol of Emma's marriage when Emma's affair with Rodolphe leads to discussion about eloping together. Rodolphe asks Emma the question of what to do with Berthe. She replies that the child will have to go with them; “it's the only way” (967). Emma's struggle to achieve her romantic ideals is emphasized by the fact that the only way for her to pursue her passion for Rodolphe is to carry with her a memory of her union with Charles. Finally, Berthe serves as a means to accentuate the effects of Emma's love. attitudes and actions. This is most evident after Emma's death. Soon after the funeral, Berthe asks Charles where his mother is, and Charles replies that she is "away on a journey". Berthe "mentioned her again several times, then gradually forgot her" (1057), but Berthe never recovered from the effects of Emma's behavior. Berthe was condemned to a life of poverty by her mother's unconscionable lifestyle. Not long after her mother's death, Berthe finds her father dead. In Charles's hand was the lock of hair he took from Emma after her death (1063). In this way Flaubert brings together the deaths of both of Berthe's parents, as if they were both lost at the same time. Being an orphan, Berthe is sent to live with her aunt who she cannot afford..