Pécuchet

Pécuchet is a fictional character who appears in Gustave Flaubert's posthumously published novel *Bouvard and Pécuchet*. He is one of the two titular protagonists, an aspiring intellectual and amateur scientist. Pécuchet is depicted as a well-meaning but ultimately naive and easily discouraged man.

Along with his friend Bouvard, Pécuchet inherits a substantial sum of money and decides to abandon his administrative career. They then embark on a series of ambitious projects, aiming to master various fields of knowledge and human endeavor. Their pursuits range from agriculture and geology to history, literature, and philosophy.

Throughout the novel, Pécuchet and Bouvard's attempts to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical situations invariably lead to comical failures and profound disillusionment. Pécuchet's personality is often characterized by his earnestness and his deep desire to understand the world, which contrasts sharply with his lack of practical success. He embodies the futility of accumulating knowledge without wisdom or the ability to apply it meaningfully.

Flaubert uses Pécuchet, alongside Bouvard, to satirize the limitations of bourgeois education and the intellectual pretensions of the era. Their endless studies and experiments, devoid of genuine insight or understanding, serve as a critique of superficial learning and the human tendency towards error. Pécuchet's character ultimately represents a poignant figure whose intellectual aspirations are constantly thwarted by his own limitations and the complexities of reality.