Madame Bovary characters

Appears from the start

A provincial doctor's son whose awkward school days open the novel. Dutiful and unimaginative, Charles completes an undistinguished medical education and becomes a country health officer. His trusting nature makes him slow to understand either his own limitations or the desires of the people closest to him.

Appears from the start

Charles's controlling mother, who arranges his education, career, and first marriage. Practical, proud, and accustomed to directing her son, she is suspicious of anyone whose influence over him might rival her own.

Also known as Madame Dubuc

Appears from the start

Charles's first wife, a widow selected largely because she is believed to have money. Jealous and demanding, she closely monitors Charles and resents his visits to the Rouault farm after he treats its owner.

Also known as Emma Rouault, Madame Bovary

First appears in chapter 2

Monsieur Rouault's educated daughter, first seen when Charles visits the family farm. Raised partly in a convent and steeped in romantic reading, Emma longs for elegance, intensity, and escape from ordinary provincial life. Charles is immediately attracted to her composed manner and refinement.

First appears in chapter 2

Emma's widowed father, a prosperous but untidy farmer whose broken leg brings Charles to Les Bertaux. He is hospitable, fond of his daughter, and receptive when the widowed Charles begins to consider marriage again.

First appears in chapter 8

An aristocratic landowner who invites Charles and Emma to a ball after Charles treats him. His household at La Vaubyessard gives Emma a dazzling glimpse of wealth and social polish far removed from her life at Tostes.

First appears in chapter 10

The pharmacist at Yonville, expansive, opinionated, and eager to present himself as a man of science and progress. He welcomes the Bovarys noisily, dominates conversation, and quickly attaches himself to the new doctor despite practicing beyond the limits of his own profession.

First appears in chapter 10

A young law clerk boarding at the inn in Yonville. Quiet and attentive, Leon shares Emma's enthusiasm for books, music, and distant places. Their immediate sense of mutual understanding contrasts with Charles's contentment in everyday routines.

First appears in chapter 12

Charles and Emma's daughter, born after their move to Yonville. She is placed with a wet nurse outside the town, reflecting the practical arrangements and social expectations surrounding the Bovary household.

First appears in chapter 12

A persuasive traveling merchant who begins visiting Emma with fabrics, ornaments, and household goods. Courteous and accommodating, he makes luxury seem easily available through credit and postponed payment.

First appears in chapter 15

Yonville's parish priest, whom Emma approaches when emotional distress makes her seek guidance. Busy with parish routines and inclined toward practical religious formulas, he has difficulty recognizing the personal crisis behind her indirect appeal.

First appears in chapter 16

A wealthy landowner and practiced seducer living near Yonville. He notices Emma when he brings a servant to Charles for treatment and quickly judges her dissatisfaction with provincial married life as an opportunity he can exploit.

First appears in chapter 20

A stable worker at the inn whose clubfoot becomes the subject of a proposed operation. Trusting the town's confident claims about modern treatment, he submits to Charles's intervention in hope of being able to walk normally.

First appears in chapter 20

Homais's young assistant at the pharmacy. Shy and easily commanded by his employer, Justin is strongly affected by Emma and watches her with an admiration he cannot express openly.