These two novels show a common desire of humans to engage is not so moral behavior to satisfy their needs for a different kind of passion. However, these two stories do have stark differences. Though both stories feature women who can’t see the great affection and love their husbands show for them, how they abandon all to chase those desires, but how different they react to these desires.

Through both stories, the women feature the same cold attitude towards their husbands despite how well they treat them and how much they love them. For instance, Emma Bovary in the story Madame Bovary completely detests her husband through out her affairs. To her he is just a dull country doctor despite his unfailing love for her. He always tries to do what is best for Emma, giving her anything she wanted: whether it was piano lessons in Rouen, going to plays, or letting her go on extended horse rides with a strange man. He always had the utmost respect for her and treated her like a goddess as she only looked down on him as an inferior being. Similarly, Edna Pontellier treats her husband with disrespect despite his love for her and how he treated her. In the story it is said that there aren’t many women that aren’t jealous of Edna’s husband. He is one of the wealthiest in the city, a successful businessman; he buys Edna many presents and almost anything she wants. Though not in the same degree as Emma, Edna treats her husband with disdain. She always tries to aggravate her husband at dinner and blatantly disobeys his request as she feels love for Robert throughout the story.

Another common theme throughout both novels of adulteress desires the women abandon their whole lives to chase and satisfy their romantic desires. Edna from The Awakening forgets almost all of her household duties as she is overcome with these desires. She completely abandons her traditional Tuesdays at home so her neighbors can call on her. This greatly upsets her husband. She also, very willingly, sends her children to her in-laws house to be rid of them while her husband is doing business in New York. Likewise, Emma abandons her whole life to chase her more open affairs. She completely neglects her child and her house duties to chase Rodolphe or Leon. She spends most of her time travelling back and forth between these lovers, spending enormous amounts of money to do so, she neglects her duties of taking care of her child and husband. She doesn’t take care of the servants or helping prepare the house as is accustomed of women during this time period.

On the other hand, the women in these two novels do have very stark differences. Chiefly among them is how hey treat their affairs. In Madame Bovary Emma treats her affairs as something to celebrate. She is very careless throughout her affairs with Leon and especially Rodolphe, as she would travel to visit his country estate in broad daylight and ride off with him on the slightest whim. She was as equally as careless with her affair with Leon. She went to visit him very often, even having to travel to a different city. Her celebration of her affairs is expressed as she exclaims “A lover! I have a lover!” as her affair with Rodolphe begins. Edna, however, isn’t so open about her love for another man. In fact, she tries to forget about Robert when he leaves to go to New Orleans. She is also ashamed after her affair with Arobin while her husband is gone, even if it wasn’t for pity on him. She lacks the excitement of Emma in her extramarital affairs.

There are both many similarities and many differences in Emma of Madame Bovary and Edna of The Awakening. However, their affairs led both of them down the path of self-destruction as though Gustave Flaubert and Kate Chopin wanted the reader to draw the same conclusion.