Simple But Great

As I come to the end of Flaubert’s masterpiece I can only think of his theme. It is a story that is based on the boring life of Felicite and her misfortune. This plot might have been able to capture the reader for about twenty pages, but nor more. Flaubert decided to make a much longer book that is surprisingly entertaining. What then, could the reason for this be? The only answer is style. The way the book is written is the best part of the book. It is not a unique and unforgettable story but its style is. Each description gives the reader the option of performing a very detailed close reading: “He was called Loulou. His body was green, his head blue, the tips of his wings were pink and his breast was golden. But he had the tiresome tricks of biting his perch, pulling his feathers out, scattering refuse and spilling the water of his bath. Madame Aubain grew tired of him and gave him to Felicite for good” (Ch. 4). It is surprising that this is true, since writing it must have taken a very long time.

There is a certain simplicity and complexity that is felt when reading A Simple Soul. That balance is what makes it entertaining, and it is what gives the reader the choice of how to read the book. They can either analyze every word that is mentioned or read through the monotonous story of Felicite. The name, A Simple Soul, includes the word simple, which might allude to the stories simplicity or complexity. There is nothing that cannot be taken into consideration when reading, and that itself is worth writing a book about.