My favorite of the Baudelaire poems selected for the textbook is A Carcass. The poem is incredibly graphic and I love that Baudelaire uses such words as “festering”, “lecherous”, and “marvelous meat” to give the reader a very clear mental picture of the carcass he is describing. The poem forces the reader to address the fact that they will die and that their body will decay and there is literally not a single thing to be done to stop that. I think that in a way, Baudelaire is actually reflecting the Romantic ideal of appreciation of nature, but takes it a step further. He is obsessed with every aspect of the lifestyle. Too many people are afraid of even discussing death and especially don’t want to think of the rot that will consume their bodies
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When I read A Simple Heart, I found it to be somewhat uplifting. It tells of Félicité’s perseverance, trust in her faith, and ability to love (whether her love be directed at human or animal), despite betrayal, poor treatment by others, and loss. Throughout the story, Félicité helps others, puts other’s needs before herself, and finds ways to express her love for others. When one object of her affection disappears, she finds another. I think that her faith probably plays a part, but also her lack of education probably affects this aspect of her personality. Flaubert shows that there can be good sides to being “simple”. For example, in the scene with the bull in the field, Félicité selflessly throws herself into the path of the bull and “tore up some clods of earth and flung them at its eyes.” (716) giving Mme Aubain and her children more time to escape from the angry animal. Félicité narrowly avoids being gored, but she “never prided herself in the least on what she had done, as it had never occurred to her that she had done anything heroic.” (716) This is a great example of how Félicité finds it so easy to love others, not just the children, but also her mistress who was fussy and did not pay her very
When I read A Simple Heart, I found it to be somewhat uplifting. It tells of Félicité’s perseverance, trust in her faith, and ability to love (whether her love be directed at human or animal), despite betrayal, poor treatment by others, and loss. Throughout the story, Félicité helps others, puts other’s needs before herself, and finds ways to express her love for others. When one object of her affection disappears, she finds another. I think that her faith probably plays a part, but also her lack of education probably affects this aspect of her personality. Flaubert shows that there can be good sides to being “simple”. For example, in the scene with the bull in the field, Félicité selflessly throws herself into the path of the bull and “tore up some clods of earth and flung them at its eyes.” (716) giving Mme Aubain and her children more time to escape from the angry animal. Félicité narrowly avoids being gored, but she “never prided herself in the least on what she had done, as it had never occurred to her that she had done anything heroic.” (716) This is a great example of how Félicité finds it so easy to love others, not just the children, but also her mistress who was fussy and did not pay her very