Madame Bovary Lesson Plan

What is the significance of the speech at the agricultural fair?

In several respects, the agricultural fair sharply contrasts with Emma's dalliances with Rodolphe; the way in which Flaubert switches back and forth between the conversation between the two lovers and the speech of the public representative feels like an intentional juxtaposition. Students who noticed this may speculate that this juxtaposition is intended to highlight, once again, the alienation Emma feels from village life. The top award at the fair goes to a woman who has been working on a farm for more than 50 years; and although for Emma this is too dull and uninteresting to matter, for the public...