--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As Baudelaire said it so beautifully…" description: "\"As Baudelaire said it so beautifully, Emma Bovary is an androgynous character. She cannot be reduced to a gender or a sociological type. She represents..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/sophie-barthes-49244_ability_as-baudelaire-said-it-so-beautifully-emm_2952947.jpg" --- # As Baudelaire said it so beautifully, Emma Bovary is an… ![“As Baudelaire said it so beautifully, Emma Bovary is an androgynous character. She cannot be reduced to a gender or a sociological type. She represents something bigger than herself. That was the genius of Flaubert: the ability to combine the general and the particular.” quote by Sophie Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/sophie-barthes-49244_ability_as-baudelaire-said-it-so-beautifully-emm_2952947.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/sophie-barthes-49244_ability_as-baudelaire-said-it-so-beautifully-emm_2952947.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/sophie-barthes-49244_ability_as-baudelaire-said-it-so-beautifully-emm_2952947.jpg) > “As Baudelaire said it so beautifully, Emma Bovary is an androgynous character. She cannot be reduced to a gender or a sociological type. She represents something bigger than herself. That was the genius of Flaubert: the ability to combine the general and the particular.” [Sophie Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-barthes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emma Bovary is portrayed beyond gender and social class, embodying universal human desires and contradictions. **In simple terms:** Emma shows universal human traits beyond gender. Key Takeaway Recognize the broader human themes in characters. Themes identity gender universalism literature characterization Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary critical interpretive When to use this quote - literary analysis - teaching literature - psychotherapy - creative writing - cultural studies Key Concepts existentialism psychology social critique Questions to Reflect On - How does Emma’s gender ambiguity affect readers? - What universal themes does she reveal? A Different Perspective The focus on universality may overlook specific historical gender issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Androgynous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/androgynous/) [Androgynous Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/androgynous-character-4459503/) [Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baudelaire/) [Beautifully Emma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautifully-emma-4459506/) [Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger/) [Bovary Androgynous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bovary-androgynous-4459504/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Emma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emma/) [Emma Bovary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emma-bovary-220075/) [Flaubert Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flaubert-ability-4459505/) [Gender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Sociological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sociological/) [Type](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/type/) ## Related quotes > [Madame Bovary is one my favorite novels. Emma Bovary will always be an enigma, but as the years pass, I feel that I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-barthes/madame-bovary-is-one-my-favorite-novels-emma-bovary-will-always-be-an/) [Sophie Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-barthes/) > [You can examine the whole 19th century from the point of view of who would have maxed out their credit cards. Emma Bovary would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/you-can-examine-the-whole-19th-century-from-the-point-of-view-of-who/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Gustave Flaubert said, "Emma Bovary, c'est moi." It is not possible to write something you are not, but to have a new form, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lore-segal/gustave-flaubert-said-emma-bovary-c-est-moi-it-is-not-possible-to/) [Lore Segal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lore-segal/) > [“Madame Bovary, c'est moi. Emma Bovary. She was the first. 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