The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-25
Zola,s IdeAa.

ZoIa's Ideas.
It Is we'll known that EMILE lola. IN his own
opinion. and In that Of his admirers. IL not only
q writer OF novels. but critic scientist. and .
philosopher. Even those who reject his con-
illusions. at all events In their unqualified form.
recognize In Zo!a man OF an original turn OF
mind who thinks for himself who adopts NO
current notions without sitting them. and
who. even when his dogmas are manifestly
open to objection. 10 nevertheless interesting
and suggestive. There is no doubt that he has
exercised q great influence over the younger
generation OF writer's, although there have
been recently signs OF reaction against him.
still. II one would seek to understand the trend
not only OF French literature. but OF literature
in general during the last quarter Of q CEN
fury. IL 10 now and will always be indispensable
to keep In view the principles and methods
associated with Zolas name. The Messrs
Cassell have. therefore. rendered us . service
By publishing. under the name Of The Erperi-
-ne,adI Norri and Other Essays. a number OF
papers contributed BY lola to St. Petersburg
review and t. several Paris newspapers That
the author himself regards these articles as
containing some OF the best fruitage Of his
intellect is evident from the Introduction. In
which he asks himself: rs 1t possible that
these papers will DO found to be my best
work." He adds that no is overcome with
shame when he thinks OF the enormous pile
OF romantic rhetoric which lies behind him.
l.
What does lola mean by tho experimental
novel2 In his view the producer Of such q
work is at once an observer and an expert
menter The observer in him gives the facts
as he has observed them, suggests the point
OF departure. displays the solid earth on which
his characters are to tread. and the pheno ON na
to be developed. Then the expsrim entalist
appears and introduces an experiment. that is
TO say. sets his characters going In a certain
story. as to show that the succession Of
facts will be such as tho requirements OF the
determination OF the phenomena under ex-
animation call for Here It is nearly always
an experiment pour ron. or to find out. as a
scientist would call il. That is to say. the nov
elist starts out in search OF tho truth. lola
takes as an example tho character OF Baron
Hulot In Balzacs "Cousins Bette" The gen
eral TACT observed by Balzac is the rAvaRe s that
the amorous temperament Of q man causes In
his home. In his family. and in society. As
soon AS the novelist has chosen his subject
he starts from known facts; then he makes his
experiments. and exposes Hulot to a series OF
trials. placing him amid certain surroundings
in order to exhibit how the complicated ma
chinery OF his passions works. 1t is evident
that there Is here not only observation. but
also experiment. seeing that Balzac does not
remain satisfied with photographing the facts
coliscted by him. but interferes In direct way
to put his character In certain conditions. OF
which conditions the author remains the
master The problem Is to know what such
\ passion acting In such an environment
would produce from the viewpolnt OF an
individual and of society. and an eI-
perimental novel like "Cousine Bette" 10
simply tho report OF the experiment that the
novelist conducts before tho eyes OF the pub
lie. The whole operation. in fine. consists OF
taking facts from nature and then studying
the mechanism Of these facts. while acting
upon them by the modifying force OF circum-
stances aud surroundings. without deviAting
from the laws of nature The aim OF the oper-
alton 10 10 acquire a scientific knowledge Of
the man who Is the subject OF study, in both
his individual and social relations OF course
lola does not take for granted the absolute Ac-
euracy OF tho knowledge thus obtained We
are still far from esrtainties In chemistry and
physiology Much less do We know the Tea & ents
which decom pose the passions. rendering them
susceptible OF analysis. The experimental
novel Is still Younger than experimental msdi-
cine. and cannot be expected to yield more
definite and satisfactory results ZolR's pur-
pose is simply to expound a method. For his
own Iart he 10 convinced that the method OF
oDsoNAtlOu anu eApeIliheht 10 uesbluou 10
triumph eventually not only in novels. bat on
the stage. and even In poetry To his mind It
seems impossible that literature should not be
Influenced By the nature II dsDicts and the man
whom II studies When the scientists change
their IDEAS OF nature aud OF man. thsy force
men Of letters to follow them. Ia order that the
latter may play their part In the world built
upon the new hypotheses. We may add that
the pioneers and standard bearers in the Rp-
pllestlOn Of this method are. In ZolE's opinion.
StendhSL BAlzae. Fiaubsrt. and the De Con
court brothers. 1t goes without saying that
the method eliminated IN The production Of
the RouEon- haequart series which lola has |
recently completed.
II.
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