A Cloud Castle Furnished with Bourgeois Pettiness

Dear fellow readers, let's meet in July to discuss Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert—a razor-sharp portrait of romantic longing and self-deception colliding with the mediocrity of provincial life.
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Here are some questions I would like to discuss during our meeting:

One. Is it really love that Emma is longing for?

Two. What role do material objects—clothes, décor, gifts—play in her dreams and desires?

Three. Emma reads a great deal. Is she a good, careful reader? What does she read for—and how does this shape her expectations of life?

Four. Do you sympathize with Emma, judge her, or both?

Five. What do you think of Emma’s husband and lovers? What does each of them offer her, and what does each fail to give her?

Six. Which secondary characters—such as Homais, Lheureux, Binet, the elder Bovarys, or the priest—stood out to you? What do they reveal about the society Emma lives in?

Seven. Keep an eye on the appearances of blue and green in the novel. In your opinion, what meanings or associations might these colors carry?

Eight. Were there any particular passages, phrases, or episodes that stayed with you? Why?
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As Madame Bovary is the second novel in our series dedicated to adultery, I would also like to compare it with the first one—The Scarlet Letter.
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Nine. How do Hester and Emma differ as adulterous heroines?

Ten. How does society in each novel respond to female adultery? What forms of punishment, shame, or exposure do we see in each novel?
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Is there anything else you would like to bring to the discussion? Please feel very welcome to do so!