The Temptations of the Flesh in Madame Bovary and The Awakening

This thesis addresses the formation of self- realization in conjunction with the nature of sexual desire. Each of Emma Bovary and Edna Pontellier chooses to experience the pleasures of the flesh only in an attempt to define her subjectivity and prove her existence as an active independent being in society. Through sex, these two characters seek self-assertion, acknowledgement, and they discover their embodied selves. Their existence is not a matter of being anymore, but a matter of becoming. Their journey is not about discovering a fixed essence, on the contrary it is about understanding that the 'Self' is a fluid entity which emerges out of a dynamic process, within a certain time and space, with a diversity of possibilities. In short, the self is transformative; it evolves along a path of repeated events, or situations to find subjective truth attained only through choice. Finally, both Emma and Edna also come to understand that it is not enough to find this subjective truth, but in addition they have to remain transparent and true to their own subjectivity and to face the consequences and responsibilities of their choices.