# The Wedding explained — Madame Bovary > Chapter companion for Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. ## What happens The chapter details the wedding of Charles and Emma Bovary at the Bertaux farm. It describes the arrival of the diverse guests, the procession to and from the church, the lavish wedding feast, and the boisterous celebrations that follow. The narrative contrasts Charles's awkwardness during the festivities with his open, doting affection afterward, while Emma remains impassive. The chapter ends with the couple's departure for Tostes and a poignant moment where Père Rouault, watching them leave, reminisces about his own wedding and feels the emptiness of his house. ## Themes in this chapter ### Romanticism vs. Reality The chapter juxtaposes the idealized, romantic memory of Père Rouault's own wedding (carrying his wife through the snow) with the mundane, sometimes crude reality of Emma and Charles's celebration, foreshadowing Emma's future disillusionment. ### Social Class and Aspiration The careful description of the guests' attire and behavior explicitly maps the social positions within the rural community, from the fine tailcoats to the best blouses, highlighting the class consciousness of the setting. ## Character check-ins ### Emma Bovary The bride; her dress trails on the ground, she is fastidious about picking off grass, and she gives no outward sign of emotion during or after the ceremony, in stark contrast to Charles. ### Charles Bovary The groom; awkward and un-facetious during the wedding festivities but transforms into an openly affectionate and doting husband the next day, calling Emma 'my wife' and constantly seeking her company. ### Père Rouault Emma's father; hosts the wedding, wears a new silk hat, gives his arm to Madame Bovary senior, stops a crude prank, and is left feeling dreary and nostalgic after seeing his daughter depart. ### Madame Dubuc Charles's mother; she is not consulted on any arrangements, does not speak all day, and goes to bed early, highlighting her marginalization. ### Monsieur Bovary senior Charles's father; despises the company, wears a military-style frock-coat, flirts with a young peasant girl, and stays up all night smoking and drinking kirsch-punch, enhancing his reputation. ## Key lines > Charles, who was not of a facetious turn, did not shine at the wedding. Charles, lacking a witty or humorous nature, was unimpressive during the wedding festivities. _Highlights Charles's fundamental social awkwardness and lack of sophistication._ > The next day, on the other hand, he seemed another man. It was he who might rather have been taken for the virgin of the evening before, whilst the bride gave no sign that revealed anything. The day after the wedding, Charles was transformed into the bashful, affectionate partner, while Emma remained completely inscrutable. _Establishes the immediate imbalance in their emotional investment and foreshadows Emma's inner dissatisfaction._ > Then he looked back and saw nothing on the road. He felt dreary as an empty house... After the cart disappears, Père Rouault feels profoundly empty and sad, his house mirroring his emotional state. _A poignant moment of parental loss and nostalgia that contrasts with the preceding boisterous celebration._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/madame_bovary_se/chapters/part-i-iv - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/madame_bovary_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/madame_bovary_se/chapters