full title · Sentimental Education
author · Gustave Flaubert
type of work · Novel
genre · Realist fiction
language · French
time and place written · Croisset, France; 1864–1869
date of first publication · November 1869
publisher · Michel Lévy Frères
narrator · An omniscient third-person narrator tells the story.
point of view · Third-person omniscient
tone · Flaubert intended Sentimental Education to provide a satirical view of the bourgeoisie, and this satirical tone permeates the novel. Although the narrator remains distant and simply recounts actions as they happen, Flaubert’s clear recounting of the often vapid society he writes about provides ample opportunity for mockery.
tense · Simple past
setting (time) · The mid-1800s
setting (place) · Primarily Paris, with forays into Nogent-sur-Seine and Fontainebleau
protagonist · Frédéric Moreau
major conflict · Frédéric pines for the married, unattainable Madame Arnoux, sacrificing any possibility of a meaningful relationship or fulfilled ambition so he can pursue her at every opportunity.
rising action · Frédéric develops various schemes to win Madame Arnoux. Each time he is unsuccessful, he shifts his interest to pursuing other women, embarking on unwise alliances and making repeated attempts to raise his social status.
climax · Since the impossibility of Frédéric’s search for love is one of the main themes of the novel, there is no one clear climax. There are several anticlimaxes, including Frédéric’s desperate attempt to stop the Arnouxes from leaving Paris, Frédéric’s too-late arrival in Nogent to win over Louise, and the disastrous final attempt by Madame Arnoux to give herself to Frédéric.
falling action · After Frédéric fails to stop the Arnouxes from leaving Paris, the novel jumps ahead many years, during which time Frédéric moves on from his life, which had so far been spent in pursuit of Madame Arnoux. During this jump, he travels and has love affairs, although he is unfulfilled.
themes · The endless search for love; the elusive purpose of art; the capriciousness and vacuity of society; the perceived influence of fate and luck
motifs · Departures and separations; ribbons; mist
symbols · Parallel lines; roses; Madame Arnoux’s white hair
foreshadowing
