"Caught up in life, you see it badly. You suffer from it or enjoy it too much. The artist, in my opinion, is a monstrosity, something outside of nature"

In this quote, Gustave Flaubert is revealing his belief that being too captured up in the everyday struggles of life can cloud one's point of view. He recommends that people either suffer excessive or end up being too consumed with pleasure, not able to see things clearly. Flaubert then goes on to explain the artist as a "monstrosity," something that exists beyond the natural order of things. This might be analyzed as a commentary on the non-traditional and frequently misunderstood nature of artists and their work. Flaubert's words serve as a suggestion to step back and see life from a various point of view, one that is not clouded by our own individual experiences and predispositions.