Was Madame Bovary the first novel about female protagonists?
No. There had been earlier works with female main characters. Some works from the 18th century also had female characters at the center of their stories. 'Madame Bovary' is well - known for its female protagonist, but it was not the pioneer in having a female - centered novel. Many other novels had explored the experiences and lives of women before it.
No. There were novels before 'Madame Bovary' that had female protagonists. For instance, 'Jane Eyre' was published in 1847, which had a very strong female lead. So, 'Madame Bovary' was not the first in this regard.
Not at all. The concept of a novel centered around a female character was not new when 'Madame Bovary' was published. There were various novels in different languages and cultures that had already focused on female characters and their stories. 'Madame Bovary' is just one of the many great novels with a female protagonist, but it was far from being the first.