Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert. It provides a thorough exploration of the book’s plot, characters and main themes, along with a discussion of Flaubert’s approach to writing and the particularities of his style. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 30-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of Gustave Flaubert
• Presentation of Sentimental Education
• Summary of Sentimental Education
• Character study
  • Frederick Moreau
  • Marie Arnoux
  • Rosanette
  • Deslauriers
  • The Dambreuses
• Analysis of Sentimental Education
  • A static young man
  • Frederick’s failures
  • A generation of losers
  • A writing style modelled on its subject

About Sentimental Education

Sentimental Education depicts an indecisive young man named Frederick Moreau and his inability to achieve lasting love and find his place in society, against the backdrop of the political upheaval of 1848 in France. Although Sentimental Education is arguably less celebrated than Flaubert’s other major novel Madame Bovary, and met with an unenthusiastic and even hostile reception from critics when it was first published, it remains a key realist text and one of the most significant novels of the 19^th century.

About Gustave Flaubert

Gustave Flaubert was one of the major French writers of the 19^th century and a key figure in the realist movement. He wrote several novels, including Madame Bovary and Sentimental Education, which are now considered classics. His writing stands out in particular for its close attention to detail and the depth of the psychological study of the characters, making Flaubert a precusor to many of the leading writers of the 20^th century. He was also an influential figure during his lifetime: he mixed with the most important writers of his age, including Charles Baudelaire, Ivan Turgenev and George Sand, and served as a role model to the acclaimed short story writer Guy de Maupassant.