Le luxe et le matérialisme au XIXe siècle dans Madame Bovary

Le luxe et le materialisme au XIXe siecle dans Madame Bovary -
Esthetisation et critique de la materialite
Christina Jtirges
Memoire
presente
au
Departement d'Etudes francaises
comme exigence partielle au grade de
Maitrise es Arts (Litteratures francophones et resonances mediatiques)
Universite Concordia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Aout, 2008
© Christina Jtirges, 2008

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Sommaire
Le luxe et le materialisme au XIX6 siecle dans Madame Bovary -
Esthetisation et critique de la materialite
Christina Jurges
Le luxe et le materialisme sont des phenomenes qui traversent les siecles. En
revanche, ils n'ont pas la meme signification d'une epoque a l'autre. Dans la societe du
XIXe siecle, ils cristallisent les relations entre les differentes classes sociales (comme la
bourgeoisie, raristocratie et la paysannerie), revelent leur statut, leurs conflits, leurs
ambitions et leurs valeurs. Ils deviennent aussi des themes litteraires au sein de plusieurs
romans realistes, par exemple dans Madame Bovary de Gustave Flaubert. Dans mon
memoire, j'examine les sujets du luxe et du materialisme dans ce roman et je montre que
celui-ci est en lien avec son contexte social, historique et economique. Je prends
notamment appui sur la sociocritique. Selon celle-ci, Poeuvre romanesque reformule et
fait resonner les enjeux sociaux de Pepoque. Cette inscription du social dans le texte ne
passe pas uniquement par les sujets, mais aussi par la rhetorique de Pauteur. Le memoire
montre egalement que les personnages sont emblematiques dans leur rapport a la
materialite, ce qui permet de discerner la place de Pindividu dans une societe dominee
par l'economie. Pour resumer, ce travail montre que Madame Bovary constitue une
representation significative et parfois critique de Pepoque et que ce roman contient un
propos sur l'economie ainsi que sur le role du luxe et du materialisme au XIX6 siecle.
iii

Abstract
19 century luxury and materialism in Madame Bovary -
Aesthetization and criticism of materiality
Christina Jtirges
Luxury and materialism are phenomena present throughout all centuries.
However, they do not have the same meaning from one period to another. In 19th century
society, they crystallize the relations between the different social classes (such as the
bourgeoisie, the aristocracy, and the peasantry), and reveal their status, their conflicts,
their ambitions, and their values. They are also literary subjects in several realistic novels,
such as Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. In my thesis, I examine luxury and
materialism in this novel to show that it is tied to its social, historical and economical
context. Amongst other theories, I rely on the sociocriticism, according to which a novel
echoes and reformulates the social issues of its time. This integration of social issues is
not only found in the topics dealt with in the text, but also in the author's rhetoric. My
research also reveals that the characters are emblematic in their relation to materiality,
which allows one to discern the place of the individual in a society dominated by the
economy. To summarize, this thesis shows that Madame Bovary can be seen as a
significant and sometimes critical representation of the era, and that it comments on the
economy and on the role of luxury and materialism in the 19th century.
iv

Remerciements
First of all, I want to thank my parents, Dieter Jtirges and Jutta Jtirges and my
grandparents Wolfgang Jtirges and Leni Jtirges for supporting me and making my
academic studies possible.
I would like to thank Karin Schwekendiekfor being such a motivating and joyful person.
My thanks go to Genevieve Sicotte for her help and her advice during my work and for
being an inspiring supervisor.
I want to thank my friend Marie-Helene Beaudoinfor helping me during my studies and
for showing me the Quebecois way of life.
My special thanks go to Ulf Schwekendiek, who showed me that nothing is impossible
and who has been my greatest supporter.