How did the deaths of Gustave Flaubert’s father and sister affect his life?

The deaths of Gustave Flaubert’s father in January 1846 and his beloved sister, Caroline, in March 1846 were pivotal events that fundamentally altered the course of his life. Following these losses, Flaubert retired to his family estate at Croisset, near Rouen, where he lived with his mother and his infant niece. He would spend nearly the entirety of the remainder of his life at this estate, dedicating himself to his literature after having previously abandoned his law studies due to health concerns.1