ABSTRACT. With an eye to the Napoleon Code that was less than fair in its treatment of women, and never forgetting about Gustave Flaubert’s “confession,” that “Madame Bovary c’est moi,” we will be dealing with this larger-than-life heroine who has invited opinions as diverse as could be: a sinful adulterous woman, a hysterical, antisocial and narcissistic player, a (basically optimistic) person in search of happiness, always ready to take the fifth. Indeed, in her early career she is mostly a normal construct but she gradually grows into a mentally-disturbed woman whose pathological behaviour we will discuss in terms of DSM-5. pp. 122–132
Keywords: Madame Bovary, borderline personality disorder, psychiatric approach to Emma Bovary, symbolism