Flaubert's Parrot

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1984

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapters 13-15

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Parrots

Of all the symbols and motifs present in the text, the titular parrot is perhaps the most important. While the title refers to a singular—Flaubert’s parrot—the existence of multiple stuffed parrots in the novel communicates the ideological premise of the text: When examining the past, there is no way to discern a single objective truth. Thus, there is no way to determine which of the parrots is the one that sat on Flaubert’s desk while he wrote his novel.

The novel not only uses stuffed parrots as props but also provides an etymological examination of the word: “Parrot” is the name of a property associated with Flaubert’s life, and it is the animal that reminds Louise of Flaubert. Moreover, the text suggests that perhaps Flaubert is best understood through his relationships with parrots. This concept seems to cross Geoffrey’s mind when he first discovers the parrot in the museum, as he hopes this object will grant him entry into the world of Flaubert academia. Geoffrey imagines writing the “parrot biography” and demonstrating all the ways in which parrots came to define Flaubert’s life. Given the indefiniteness of objective truth, using parrots as a metaphor for Flaubert’s life may not be any more absurd than using his books, letters, and abodes.

The parrot motif comes to its logical conclusion in the final chapter. The novel opens with the discovery of two questionably authentic stuffed parrots; the book ends with Geoffrey discovering that there were, in fact, nearly 50. While his entire search has been futile, Geoffrey does not seem upset. He goes to the museum and visits the remaining parrots, saying that he feels “pleased and disappointed at the same time. It was an answer and not an answer; it was an ending and not an ending” (175). The search for the physical parrot may have come to nothing, but the search for the abstract parrot—the one that represented the objective truth about Flaubert—is complete. Geoffrey has reached an understanding about Flaubert, even if the understanding is that his original objective was futile. What did prove meaningful and revealing was Geoffrey’s journey toward Flaubert’s parrot. By the end of the novel, the parrot has provided Geoffrey with the closure and contentment he has been seeking for years.

Diaries

A number of different book types appear in Flaubert’s Parrot. There are the novels, the letters written by Flaubert and other people, and the biographies written about numerous historical figures. Each different type of book carries a different symbolic meaning, appearing throughout the novel to provide the reader with insight into Geoffrey and his life. Of all these different books, diaries carry the clearest symbolic meaning. They come to represent the confessional, personal mode of communication, providing a direct line to the reader. They are one of the clearest rebuttals to the idea that historical figures are unknowable.

The diaries that appear in the text were written by Flaubert and many others. Diaries are confessional in nature, allowing the writer to communicate their thoughts and emotions to a reader without any literary barriers between them. To this point, many diaries are never intended to be read. However, the novel quotes extensively from Flaubert’s journals, as well as the diaries of a number of other key figures in Flaubert’s life. These historical documents provide direct access to the thoughts of those long gone. Having the writer’s own words helps to bring the audience closer to the kind of objective truth that Geoffrey seeks throughout the novel. However, the veracity of diaries is far from firm: The novel questions whether we can trust Flaubert as a diarist and his own biographer; and whether we can trust other diarists’ opinions of Flaubert to provide a clear, objective view of his character. The answer appears to be no. These perspectives carry their own biases and grudges, providing a subjective view, not an objective one. Symbolically, the diaries provide insight into the past without necessarily providing an objective truth.

Furthermore, one consider Flaubert’s Parrot itself to be the diary of Geoffrey Braithwaite. Though not written in diary form, the novel fulfils the same purpose as a journal—it allows Geoffrey to explore his thoughts and exorcise his demons. He uses the narrative to air complaints about critics’ and biographers’ failure to properly capture Flaubert’s memory. Geoffrey confesses personal truths, documents trips and moments in his life, and uses the book to navigate feelings he has bottled up. And, like the other diaries, the novel fails to provide an objective perspective. By the end of the text, Geoffrey realizes that his perspective is just as subjective as anyone else’s.

The Net

One of the strongest motifs found throughout the text is the net. Geoffrey explains how one can view the same object from two different perspectives. The net, he says, can be defined in “one of two ways” (35)—first as a “meshed instrument designed to catch fish” (35) and second, more metaphorically, as “a collection of holes tied together with string” (35). The change in perception alters the net’s meaning and purpose. In one case, the string defines the object, but in the other the space between the strings defines it. The second definition means that the net is no longer designed to catch physical objects but to capture and contain empty space; the holes, a byproduct of the space between the strings, become the defining characteristic. This new and novel definition of a familiar object teaches the audience that it is possible to view a known item from a different perspective.

We can apply the net metaphor to Flaubert. Geoffrey hopes that, by providing so many different perspectives on Flaubert’s life, he can dissuade his audience of certain, previously held opinions. While he might not achieve a radial redefinition, Geoffrey hopes to teach his audience to see the “holes” in Flaubert’s biography, rather than the “string.” Again, this perspective underscores the novel’s central premise: that objective truth is meaningless (or full of holes). There is no objective truth about the net; the net is both the meshed instrument and the collection of holes. Both definitions can exist simultaneously, depending on the audience’s subjective perspective. Likewise, the contrasting definitions of Flaubert can coexist, even if they seem to contradict one another.