Madame Bovary, Part 3, Chapter 10 summary

What happens

1. A vague letter from Homais sends old Rouault riding desperately toward Emma, alternating between hope and terror.
2. Rouault joins Charles at the church, where Charles struggles with grief, anger, and the hope of reunion after death.
3. The funeral procession crosses the countryside, and Charles remembers returning home to Emma after visiting patients.
4. At the grave, Charles throws in earth, blows kisses, and tries to move toward the coffin until others lead him away.
5. Rouault leaves without seeing his granddaughter, and Charles’s mother plans to live with her son.
6. At midnight, Charles remains awake, while Lestiboudois discovers Justin leaving the cemetery after weeping at Emma’s grave.

In this chapter

What to notice

Charles’s movements show how unbearable separation feels to him. The burial gives his grief a physical expression that the surrounding ceremony cannot contain.

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