Literary analyses concerning the Three Tales have not been as widespread as for some of Flaubert’s other notable literary works. However, the Three Tales have two essential characteristics making it one of Flaubert’s most important works. The first characteristic is that, compared to his other works, the Three Tales are relatively short. The second is that the Three Tales involve various themes found in many of Flaubert’s literary works. For example, in A Simple Heart, Flaubert shows his imaginative wizardry; in Saint Julian, writing about the legend of Saints, Flaubert revisits a common thread in his works; lastly, as he has done in the past, Flaubert sets his third tale, Herodias, in the Ancient Orient.In this thesis, the writer considers the motivation behind the writing of the Three Tales and also attempts to shed light on the evolution of Flaubert’s artistic imagination. This involves looking at the creation and description of the characters and theirjourneys. It is imperative that analysts attempt to decipher the subtext found in many of Flaubert’s notebooks and earlier manuscripts of the Three Tales, so as to better understand the profound impact that Flaubert has had on modern literature.Ultimately, in-depth analyses of Flaubert’s manuscripts shows how he created his stories. His unique style shows that he commonly spreads his main characters among his most important scenes in each tale. The author also describes Flaubert’s peculiarity for writing coherent stories, while transcended the boundaries of different elements in each tale and also between western and oriental cultures.
