The process by which Gustave Flaubert created the character of Emma Bovary is examined, as are various of the author's sources for the heroine and their transformation in the course of composing the novel. Certain aspects of the author's psychic makeup, including his bisexuality, are discussed in this light, as are Flaubert's early traumatic losses and their influence on his way of working. Finally, it is suggested that writing had multiple functions for the author and that the creation of Emma Bovary served as a partial solution to unmet needs