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From "Madame Bovary" by Flaubert, Gustave
Monsieur Homais
The local apothecary, a self-proclaimed intellectual and champion of progress.
Core Belief
"Science and reason are the keys to progress and social improvement."
Worldview
Homais is a fervent believer in the power of science and technology to solve all of society's problems. He is dismissive of tradition, religion, and anything that he considers to be backward or superstitious.
Personality
Homais is a pompous and verbose man who is obsessed with science, progress, and social status. He is a staunch anti-clerical and a tireless self-promoter, using his position to spread his opinions and advance his own interests. He is ultimately shallow and lacking in genuine understanding.
In Their Own Words
"“The object of chemistry, Madame Lefrancois, being the knowledge of the reciprocal and molecular action of all natural bodies, it follows that agriculture is comprised within its domain."
"“I have a religion, my religion, and I even have more than all these others with their mummeries and their juggling.”"
"“It is time to cry that the blind shall see, the deaf hear, the lame walk! But that which fanaticism formerly promised to its elect, science now accomplishes for all men.”"
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