Emile Zola.docx

Emile Zola.docx

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EmileZola

EmileZolabyWilliamDeanHowellsInthesetimesofelectricalmovement,thesortofconstructioninthemoralworldforwhichageswereonceneeded,takesplacealmostsimultaneouslywiththeeventtobeadjustedinhistory,andastrueaperspectiveformsitselfasanyinthepast.Afewweeksafterthedeathofapoetofsuchgreatepicalimagination,suchgreatethicalforce,asEmileZola,wemayseehimasclearlyandjudgehimasfairlyasposterityalonewasformerlysupposedabletoseeandtojudgetheheroesthatantedatedit.

Thepresentisalwaysholdinginsolutiontheelementsofthefutureandthepast,infact;andwhilstZolastilllived,inthemomentsofhishighestactivity,theloveandhate,theintelligenceandignorance,ofhismotivesandhisworkwereasevident,andwereasaccuratelythemeasureofprogressiveandretrogressivecriticism,astheywillbehereafterinanyoftheliteraryperiodstocome.Therewillneverbecriticismtoappreciatehimmorejustly,todepreciatehimmoreunjustly,thanthatofhisimmediatecontemporaries.Therewillneverbeadaywhencriticismwillbeofonemindabouthim,whenhewillnolongerbeaquestion,andwillhavebecomeaconclusion.

Aconclusionisanaccomplishedfact,somethingfinallyended,somethingdead;andtheextraordinaryvitalityofZola,whenhewasdoingthethingsmostcharacteristicofhim,forbidsthenotionofthisinhiscase.Likeeverymanwhoembodiesanideal,hisindividualitypartookofwhatwasimperishableinthatideal.Becausehebelievedwithhiswholesoulthatfictionshouldbetherepresentation,andinnomeasurethemisrepresentation,oflife,hewillliveaslongasanyhistoryofliteraturesurvives.Hewillliveasaquestion,adispute,anaffairofinextinguishabledebate;forthetwoprinciplesofthehumanmind,theloveofthenaturalandtheloveoftheunnatural,therealandtheunreal,thetruthfulandthefanciful,areinalienableandindestructible.

I

Zolaembodiedhisidealinadequately,aseverymanwhoembodiesanidealmust.Hisrealismwashiscreed,whichhetriedtomakehisdeed;but,beforehisfightwasended,andalmostbeforehebegantoforebodeitalosingfight,hebegantofeelandtosay（fortofeel,withthatmostvirtuousandvoraciousspirit,impliedsaying）thathewastoomucharomanticistbybirthandtradition,toexemplifyrealisminhiswork.Hecouldnotbealltothecausehehonoredthatothermenwere--menlikeFlaubertandMaupassant,andTourguenieffandTolstoy,andGaldosandValdes--becausehisintellectualyouthhadbeennurturedonthemilkofromanticismatthebreastofhismother-time.Hegrewupinthedaywhenthegreatnovelistsandpoetswereromanticists,andwhathecametoabhorhehadfirstadored.Hewasthatpatheticparadox,aprophetwhocannotpractisewhathepreaches,whocannotbuildhisdoctrineintotheedificeofalivingfaith.

Zolawasnonetheless,butallthemore,apoetinthis.Heconceivedofrealitypoeticallyandalwayssawhishumandocuments,ashebeganearlytocallthem,rangedintheformofanepicpoem.HefellbelowthegreatestoftheRussians,towhomalonehewasinferior,inimaginingthattheaffairsofmengroupthemselvesstronglyaboutacentralinteresttowhichtheyconstantlyrefer,andafterwhateverexcursionsdefinitelyordefinitivelyreturn.Hewasnotwillinglyanepicpoet,perhaps,buthewasanepicpoet,nevertheless;andtheimperfectionofhisrealismbeganwiththeperfectionofhisform.Natureissometimesdramatic,thoughneveronthehardandfasttermsofthetheatre,butsheisalmostneverepic;andZolawasalwaysepic.Oneneedonlythinkoverhisbooksandhissubjectstobeconvincedofthis:

"L'Assommoir"anddrunkenness;"Nana"andharlotry;"Germinale"andstrikes;"L'Argent"andmoneygettingandlosinginallitsbranches;"Pot-Bouille"andthecruelsqualorofpoverty;"LaTerre"andthelifeofthepeasant;"LeDebacle"andthedecayofimperialism.Thelargestoftheseschemesdoesnotextendbeyondtheperipherydescribedbythecentrifugalwhirlofitscentralmotive,andtheleastoftheRougon-Macquartseriesisofthesameepicalityasthegrandest.

Eachisboundtoathesis,butrealityisboundtonothesis.

Youcannotsaywhereitbeginsorwhereitleavesoff;anditwillnotallowyoutosaypreciselywhatitsmeaningorargumentis.Forthisreason,therearenosuchperfectpiecesofrealismastheplaysofIbsen,whichhavealloreachathesis,butdonotholdthemselvesboundtoproveit,orevenfullytostateit;

afterthese,forreality,comethenovelsofTolstoy,whichareofadirectionsoprofoundbecausesopatientofaberrationandexception.

Wethinkofbeautyasimplicatedinsymmetry,buttherearedistinctlytwokindsofbeauty:

thesymmetricalandtheunsymmetrical,thebeautyofthetempleandthebeautyofthetree.Lifeisnotmoresymmetricalthanatree,andtheeffortofarttogiveitbalanceandproportionistomakeitasfalseineffectasatreeclippedandtrainedtoacertainshape.TheRussiansandtheScandinaviansaloneseemtohaverisentoaconsciousnessofthisintheirimaginativeliterature,thoughtheEnglishhavealwaysunconsciouslyobeyedthelawofourbeingintheirgenerallycrudeandinvoluntaryformulationsofit.InthenorthernmastersthereisnoappearanceofwhatM.ErnestDupuycallsthejoiner-workoftheFrenchfictionalists;andthereis,intheprocess,nojoiner-workinZola,butthefinaleffectisjoiner-work.Itisatemplehebuilds,andnotatreeheplantsandletsgrowafterhehasplantedtheseed,andherehebetraysnotonlyhisFrenchschoolbuthisItalianinstinct.

Inhisform,Zolaisclassic,thatisregular,symmetrical,seekingthebeautyofthetempleratherthanthebeautyofthetree.Ifthefightinhisdayhadbeentheearlierfightbetweenclassicismandromanticism,insteadofromanticismandrealism,hisnatureandtraditionwouldhaverangedhimonthesideofclassicism,though,asinthelaterevent,hisfeelingmighthavebeenromantic.IthinkithasbeentheerrorofcriticismnottotakedueaccountofhisItalianorigin,ortorecognizethathewasonlyhalfFrench,andthatthishalfwashissuperficialhalf.Atthebottomofhissoul,thoughnotperhapsatthebottomofhisheart,hewasItalian,andofthegreatracewhichineveryscienceandeveryartseemstowintheprimacywhenitwill.TheFrench,throughtherhetoricofNapoleonIII.,imposedthemselvesontheimaginationoftheworldastherepresentativesoftheLatinrace,buttheyaretheleastandthelastoftheLatins,andtheItaliansarethefirst.TohisItalianoriginZolaowednotonlythemoralisticscopeofhisliteraryambition,butthedepthandstrengthofhispersonalconscience,capableoftheausterepuritanismwhichunderliestheso-calledimmoralitiesofhisbooks,andincapableofthepeculiarlubricitywhichwecallFrench,possiblytodistinguishitfromthelubricityofotherpeopleratherthantodeclareitathingsolelyFrench.Inthefaceofallpublicandprivatecorruptions,hissoulisasPiagnoneasSavonarola's,andthevicesofArrabbiati,smallandgreat,arealwayshistext,uponwhichhepreachesvirtue.

II

ZolaistomesovastathemethatIcanonlyhopeheretotouchhisworkatapointortwo,leavingtheproofofmysayingsmostlytothehonestyofthereader.Itwillnotrequiresogreataneffortofhishonestynow,asitoncewould,toownthatZola'sbooks,thoughoftenindecent,areneverimmoral,butalwaysmostterribly,mostpitilesslymoral.Iamnotsayingnowthattheyoughttobeineveryfamilylibrary,orthattheycouldbeedifyinglycommittedtothehandsofboysandgirls;oneofourfirstpublishinghousesisabouttoissueaneditionevenoftheBible"withthosepassagesomittedwhichareusuallyskippedinreadingaloud";anditisalwaysaquestionhowmuchyoungpeoplecanbeprofitablyallowedtoknow;howmuchtheydoknow,theyalonecantell.ButastotheintentionofZolainhisbooks,Ihavenodoubtofitsrighteousness.Hisbooksmaybe,andIsupposetheyoftenare,indecent,buttheyarenotimmoral;

theymaydisgust,buttheywillnotdeprave;onlythosealreadyrottencanscentcorruptioninthem,andthese,Ithink,maybedeceivedbyeffluviafromwithinthemselves.

ItistothegloryoftheFrenchrealiststhattheybroke,oneandall,withthetraditionoftheFrenchromanticiststhatvicewasormightbesomethinggraceful,somethingpoetic,somethinggay,brilliant,somethingsuperioralmost,andatonceboldlypresenteditinitstruefigure,itsspiritualandsocialandphysicalsqualor.BeginningwithFlaubertinhis"MadameBovary,"andpassingthroughthewholelineoftheirstudiesinmorbidanatomy,asthe"GerminieLacerteux"oftheGoncourts,asthe"Bel-Ami"ofMaupassant,andasallthebooksofZola,youhaveportraitsasveraciousasthoseoftheRussians,orthoseofDefoe,whom,indeed,morethananyothermaster,Zolahasmademethinkofinhisfrankness.ThroughhisepicalityheisDefoe'sinferior,thoughmuchmorethanhisequalintherangeandimplicationofhiswork.

Awholeworldseemstostirineachofhisbooks;and,thoughitisaworldaltogetherbentforthetimebeingupononething,astheactualworldneveris,everyindividualinitseemsaliveandtruetothefact.M.BrunetieresaysZola'scharactersarenottruetotheFrenchfact;thathispeasants,working-men,citizens,soldiersarenotFrench,whateverelsetheymaybe;butthisismerelyM.Brunetiere'swordagainstZola'sword,andZolahadasgoodopportunitiesofknowingFrenchlifeasMr.

Brunetiere,whoseaesthetics,ashebetraystheminhisinstances,areofaflabbinesswhichdoesnotimpar