A comparative study of the pursuit of love of the protagonist Emma Bovary and Siddhartha - Essay Example

The novel Madame Bovary revolves around the feeling of love which takes onto the major characters.The plot revolves around love of the three major characters which are Emma, Rodolph and Bovary. These three characters have a different sense of love and each react differently with their love. Similarly in the novel Siddhartha the sense of love is different than that portrayed in Madame Bovary. Siddhartha is the major character in the story whose aim is to achieve spiritual love and happiness. He leaves behind many things in pursuing his love for spirituality.

This essay would further discuss love in both these novels in accordance to their characters.Love is one of the major themes of "Madame Bovary". Emma's love and dream, which is Rodolphe is totally different from her husband Charles, who truly loves her. Charles was simple, decent and shy, whereas, Rodolphe was stylish, confident and bold. Emma loved the way Rodolphe declared his love for her. When Charles announces his love for Emma, he does it very gracelessly. Conversely when Rodolphe declares his love, he continues with a beautiful speech and continues explaining his feelings to Emma.

The strength of love defined by both characters is also poles apart. Charles loved Emma sincerely, dreams of her, cares for her and forgives and forgets every mistake she makes. On the other hand, Rodolphe uses her to fulfill his sexual desires. Emma falls in love with his lifestyle, grace, beauty of speech and appearance. Regardless of many differences between Charles Bovary and Rodolphe, they loved Emma firstly for her physical beauty and appearance. Emma and Rodolphe loved each other to fulfill their sexual life.

Emma dreams of a perfect romantic couple and loving life. Regardless of Rodolphe's flirty nature, Emma gets a wrong presumption that he loves her truly and madly. Her unrealistic nature can be identified by her presumption that Rodolphe would help her by lending money to pay her debts. She was so impractical that she was ready to offer her body to Rodolphe assuming that he loves her and it won't be counted as prostitution. "And besides, should [Rodolphe] hesitate to come to her assistance, she would know well enough how one single glance would reawaken their lost love.

So she set out towards La Huchette, unaware that she was hastening to offer what had so angered her a while ago, not in the least conscious of her prostitution" (Part 3, Chapter VII). This is an example of her idealistic approach that Rodolphe still loves her and she can resume the affair by giving him a single gaze. She also assumed that taking money from Rodolphe would be the effect of his love and not the payment of her body. Hence it can be concluded that love, in Emma's sight, is a feeling which can only be observed by sexual interaction and romanticism.

Love plays a vital role in Siddhartha's life too as it changes the whole course of the story. Siddhartha, who was in search of spiritual enlightenment, was affected by love in several ways, at times through its marvelous pleasure and at times because of its difficulties. Siddharta first experiences the love of his father but rejects the love by leaving his father and following Samanas. Later on, Kamala enters his life and gives him the physical aspect of love. She also makes him realize love's importance and its strength.

However, Siddhartha does not truly love Kamala because he soon realizes that his destination is not to find the physical satisfaction but to attain spiritual peace. Siddhartha feels the real love for his son and tried to get rid of it as he feels that it may divert his attention and may change his course of life. He feels that the feeling of love for a person is the love for this world. His aim was to achieve Nirvana and enlightenment is not achievable without love and affection for others. This feeling allows him to accept the love of Kamala and his son.

He experiences the pleasures and pains of love.