Date and place of writing from Flaubert's "Correspondence" (Paris : Gallimard, 1973).
Forms part of a collection of 15 letters from Gustave Flaubert to Louise Colet (see MA 14427.1-15).
Flaubert criticizes Colet for constantly railing against [Maxime] Du Camp, accusing him of having too much influence over Flaubert. He tries to get her to accept Du Camp's breaking off relations with her and reassures Colet that Du Camp has not spoken ill of her to him. He goes on to say that Colet misunderstands his (Flaubert's) feelings for her, saying that he is not insensitive. He rejects Colet's accusation that he speaks of art with her as if he were speaking to someone for whom he cared nothing. He is upset at her having said that she would not exchange her happiness for Corneille's fame and questions what fame has to do with art, as anything but accessory to it. He says that he has often seen her mix her ideas about art with other things (patriotism, love, etc.) that have nothing to do with it and which diminish it rather than enhance it. He says this is one of the chasms between the two of them, one that she opened and revealed to him. Flaubert speaks of the difficulties of their relationship since the beginning--always some kind of problem that made her unhappy. He says that she didn't want to understand him and that he perhaps didn't understand her. He doubts that he could make any woman happy. He is having difficulty writing and finds it to be a terrifying task. He asks her to awaken her critical sense and to think of him as ridiculous. He'll make it easy for her. One day, when he no longer means anything to her, she should write about him unflinchingly. It will be the start of a new phase.