"A fine man, a great talker, making his spurs ring as he walked, wearing whiskers that ran into his moustache, his fingers always garnished with rings and dressed in loud colours, he had the dash of a military man with the easy go of a commercial traveller..."See in text(Part I - Chapter One)
Note the startling contrast between the shy, content Charles and his flamboyant father.
The phrase "Charbovari" mixes the first and last names of Charles Bovary. This helps readers understand that Charles was awkward in every way, even in his speech.
"her thoughts wandering..."See in text(Part I - Chapter Three)
Readers see the first instances of Emma's personality and start hearing how she "would wish" or "would have wanted" several things. Keep that in mind for further analysis of Emma.
"On it were four sirloins, six chicken fricassees, stewed veal, three legs of mutton, and in the middle a fine roast suckling pig, flanked by four chitterlings with sorrel..."See in text(Part I - Chapter Four)
This description, which contrast tremendously with Emma's future visit to a Chateau, shows the difference between where Emma comes from and where she wishes to be.
"had loved the church for the sake of the flowers, and music for the words of the songs, and literature for its passional stimulus..."See in text(Part I - Chapter Six)
This description show how Emma as an impulsive and reactive woman. She only dwells on the superficial, for the sake of satisfying whims.
"For six months, then, Emma, at fifteen years of age, made her hands dirty with books from old lending libraries..."See in text(Part I - Chapter Six)
Notice the amount of fantastic stories Emma was computing in her mind, and the deep impact that it left on her psyche. Hence, her latter reactions as a result.
"She tried, by way of mortification, to eat nothing a whole day..."See in text(Part I - Chapter Six)
Emma frequently endures extreme pain to make a point. She tends to over-dramatize things. According to blogs about literature characters and mental illnesses, Emma may have suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder.
"like her greyhound..."See in text(Part I - Chapter Seven)
Once again, readers see Emma and her greyhound as mirror images. The dog reflects Emma's anxiety. This leads one to wonder whether Flaubert is sending a message using irony.
" In town, with the noise of the streets, the buzz of the theatres and the lights of the ballroom, they were living lives where the heart expands, the senses bourgeon out..."See in text(Part I - Chapter Seven)
This sentence defines Emma Bovary's personality. She strongly believes in the assumptions that she produces, and takes them to heart. Then, she makes decisions based on those assumptions.
"should he not know everything..."See in text(Part I - Chapter Seven)
Flaubert is adamant that Charles should be presented as a breathing, walking dial-tone. However, is this so, or is it just what Emma sees as someone who is not quite attuned with reality?
"But as the intimacy of their life became deeper, the greater became the gulf that separated her from him..."See in text(Part I - Chapter Seven)
This is a euphemism meaning that as Charles and Emma grew closer (because they could predict each other's every move), they also became more separate (precisely because such predictions led to tediousness).
"a modern building in Italian style..."See in text(Part I - Chapter Eight)
A hint that the Marquis has just come back to money and that his lack of elegance has led him to replicate an Italian (not French) building. Moreover, it is not even an inherited family estate linked to history.
Think about Hivert as the only connection between Yonville and the rest of France. He is the town's "go-for" who brought in news and goods from the nearby cities. How can a character who does this type of work fit into the overall plot?
"Monsieur Leon..."See in text(Part II - Chapter One)
Monsieur Leon is a young student staying at the Lion d'Or who will play a significant role in the novel. His character is dynamic, that is, he will change throughout the novel.
"The keeper, who is at once gravedigger and church beadle (thus making a double profit out of the parish corpses), has taken advantage of the unused plot of ground to plant potatoes there. From year to year, however, his small field grows smaller, and when there is an epidemic, he does not know whether to rejoice at the deaths or regret the burials..."See in text(Part II - Chapter One)
This describes the character of Lestiboudois, who will plan a secondary but still significant part in the novel. Note that the connection with the dead points to foreshadowing.
"had been bad..."See in text(Part II - Chapter Two)
This is all according to the point of view of Emma, who always wanted more and different. Other than that, there is little indication that Emma's life had been a tragedy with the exception of Emma's own personality which makes her her worst enemy.
