... Feydeaus, one of Flaubert's contemporaries, entitled "Fanny" told of an adulterous liaison in extremely graphic detail. However, despite the sexual subtlety of Madame Bovary, Flaubert was prosecuted when it was published for, as David Roe cites "an outrage to morals and religion."2 The trial of Flaubert was divided into the prosecution claiming glorification of adultery and the defence claiming condemnation of adultery, however, the case was acquitted finally. The problem which lay behind this mass outrage was that Flaubert did not appear to be making a personal moral judgement and providing an outright condemnation of adultery. English novelists of the time, such as George Eliot and Charles Dickens were offering moral guidance, and Flaubert lacked this trait in his writing. Added to this was the fact that Emma Bovary is a woman and has two adulterous affairs which was seen as extremely controversial. However, Flaubert was basing his pretext ...

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