Oh, death. It seems to be lurking just around the corner at every turn in "A Simple Heart." But not in a spooky, haunted house kind of way. The story spans fifty years, so it's not all that surprising that some characters die.
But, really, Flaubert? Do you have to kill them all off? It's almost like Félicité is cursed or something. Everyone she's close to dies before she does: her parents, her nephew, her boss' daughter, her boss…even her pet parrot, and those things can live longer than many humans.
Questions About Mortality
- Whose death is the most painful for Félicité?
- Why do you think she sees a parrot when she dies?
- What is the connection between Victor and Virginie, for Félicité?
- Why does Félicité keep Loulou around even after he's dead?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
"A Simple Heart" is marked by the deaths of almost all of its characters, emphasizing the fact that life is finite.
"A Simple Heart" shows that Félicité's reward for her good life comes after her death.