On page 63 (in the De Man translation), Flaubert writes, "She gave birth on a Sunday at about six o'clock, as the sun was rising." I found this line quite arresting because it is so simply stated. There is no scene of the birth, no rush to the hospital, no fanfare or drama. Emma gave birth, that's it.
What did the writer gain by stating this fact so simply, as opposed to developing an entire scene around the event? What effect does it have on you as a reader to read this simple line? What can we learn about the pacing of a story from this one simple, understated moment?
The pregnancy feels oddly subterranean. Given Emma's general unhappiness, it's hard to believe that she didn't feel something about the pregnancy. And as pretty as the line about sunrise is, it also seemed to be a way of saying: Don't worry reader, you're not going to have pay much attention to this baby.
ReplyDeleteI have to wonder what Flaubert would have had to say if he himself had ever been pregnant.