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Excerpt ​

Excerpt from Emile Zola, by William Dean Howells

by

William Dean Howells

In these times of electrical movement, the sort of construction in the
moral world for which ages were once needed, takes place almost
simultaneously with the event to be adjusted in history, and as true a
perspective forms itself as any in the past. A few weeks after the
death of a poet of such great epical imagination, such great ethical
force, as Emile Zola, we may see him as clearly and judge him as fairly
as posterity alone was formerly supposed able to see and to judge the
heroes that antedated it. The present is always holding in solution
the elements of the future and the past, in fact; and whilst Zola still
lived, in the moments of his highest activity, the love and hate, the
intelligence and ignorance, of his motives and his work were as
evident, and were as accurately the measure of progressive and
retrogressive criticism, as they will be hereafter in any of the
literary periods to come. There will never be criticism to appreciate
him more justly, to depreciate him more unjustly, than that of his
immediate contemporaries. There will never be a day when criticism
will be of one mind about him, when he will no longer be a question,
and will have become a conclusion. A conclusion is an accomplished
fact, something finally ended, something dead; and the extraordinary
vitality of Zola, when he was doing the things most characteristic of
him, forbids the notion of this in his case. Like every man who
embodies an ideal, his individuality partook of what was imperishable
in that ideal. Because he believed with his whole soul that fiction
should be the representation, and in no measure the misrepresentation,
of life, he will live as long as any history of literature survives.
He will live as a question, a dispute, an affair of inextinguishable
debate; for the two principles of the human mind, the love of the
natural and the love of the unnatural, the real and the unreal, the
truthful and the fanciful, are inalienable and indestructible.

Explanation ​

William Dean Howells’ excerpt on Émile Zola is a reflective and analytical tribute to the French novelist, written shortly after Zola’s death in 1902. Howells, a prominent American realist writer and critic, uses this passage to situate Zola within the broader literary and philosophical debates of his time while emphasizing the enduring controversy and vitality of his work. Below is a detailed breakdown of the text, focusing on its themes, literary devices, context, and significance, with an emphasis on close reading.

1. Context: Who Was Émile Zola, and Why Does Howells Write This? ​

Émile Zola (1840–1902) was the leading figure of French Naturalism, a literary movement that sought to apply scientific objectivity to fiction, depicting human behavior as shaped by heredity, environment, and social forces. His most famous works include Germinal (1885), Nana (1880), and the Rougon-Macquart cycle, a 20-novel series exploring the lives of a single family under the Second French Empire. Zola was also a vocal social critic, most famously in his 1898 open letter "J’Accuse…!", which exposed the anti-Semitic injustice in the Dreyfus Affair.

Howells, a key proponent of American Realism, admired Zola’s unflinching portrayal of reality, though he often softened Zola’s harsher naturalistic determinism in his own work. This excerpt comes from Howells’ 1902 essay on Zola, written in the immediate aftermath of the French writer’s death (Zola died from carbon monoxide poisoning under mysterious circumstances). Howells uses the moment to reflect on Zola’s legacy, arguing that his significance is already clear—not just to future generations, but to his own time.

2. Themes in the Excerpt ​

Howells’ passage explores several key ideas:

A. The Acceleration of Historical Perspective ​

  • Howells begins by noting that in the "electrical" modern age, historical judgment forms instantaneously rather than over centuries.
  • Traditionally, posterity was thought to be the fairest judge of a figure’s legacy, but Howells argues that Zola’s impact was so immediate and polarizing that his contemporaries could already assess him as clearly as any future generation.
  • This reflects the rapid dissemination of ideas in the late 19th/early 20th century (thanks to mass media, telegraphy, and globalized print culture), which made literary debates more immediate and intense.

B. Zola as an Unresolved "Question" ​

  • Howells insists that Zola will never be a "conclusion"—meaning his work will never be universally settled or agreed upon.
  • A "conclusion" is something "dead," but Zola’s "extraordinary vitality" ensures he remains a living debate.
  • This ties into Zola’s Naturalist mission: his fiction was provocative, often grotesque, and morally ambiguous, challenging readers’ comfort with traditional ideals of beauty, morality, and art.

C. The Duality of Human Nature: Real vs. Unreal ​

  • Howells frames Zola’s legacy as part of an eternal tension in human thought:
    • "The love of the natural vs. the love of the unnatural"
    • "The real vs. the unreal"
    • "The truthful vs. the fanciful"
  • Zola’s uncompromising realism (his belief that fiction should "represent, and in no measure misrepresent, life") places him firmly on the side of truth and the natural.
  • However, Howells acknowledges that humanity will always be divided between those who embrace reality and those who prefer idealized or escapist art.

D. The Immortality of Zola’s Ideal ​

  • Howells argues that Zola’s individuality was tied to an "imperishable ideal"—the belief that literature should be a mirror of life, not a distortion of it.
  • Because this ideal is fundamental to literature itself, Zola’s influence will endure as long as literature does.

3. Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices ​

Howells employs several rhetorical and stylistic techniques to convey his argument:

A. Paradox & Contrast ​

  • "The present is always holding in solution the elements of the future and the past"
    • The metaphor of a chemical solution suggests that time is not linear but simultaneous, with past, present, and future coexisting.
  • "A conclusion is an accomplished fact, something finally ended, something dead"
    • Howells contrasts "conclusion" (death, stasis) with "question" (life, dynamism), reinforcing that Zola’s legacy is active and contested.

B. Repetition for Emphasis ​

  • "There will never be criticism to appreciate him more justly, to depreciate him more unjustly..."
    • The parallel structure emphasizes the polarized reactions to Zola—both admiration and condemnation will persist.
  • "The love of the natural and the love of the unnatural, the real and the unreal, the truthful and the fanciful"
    • The triple repetition of binary opposites underscores the irreconcilable divide in artistic and philosophical tastes.

C. Metaphor & Symbolism ​

  • "The present is always holding in solution..."
    • The chemical metaphor suggests that history is not fixed but constantly reacting and evolving.
  • "An affair of inextinguishable debate"
    • The image of fire ("inextinguishable") symbolizes the passion and enduring controversy surrounding Zola.

D. Authoritative Tone & Generalization ​

  • Howells speaks with confidence about the future, asserting that no future criticism will surpass the intensity of Zola’s own time.
  • His sweeping statements (e.g., "the two principles of the human mind...") give the passage a philosophical weight, positioning Zola’s debate as universal and timeless.

4. Significance of the Passage ​

A. Zola as a Symbol of Literary Realism/Naturalism ​

  • Howells defends Zola’s radical realism against critics who found his work too crude or immoral.
  • By framing Zola’s controversy as inevitable and eternal, Howells elevates him to the status of a literary martyr—someone who challenged conventional tastes in the name of truth.

B. The Role of the Artist in Society ​

  • Howells suggests that great artists are never fully accepted because they disrupt comfortable illusions.
  • Zola’s unflinching portrayal of poverty, corruption, and human weakness made him a lightning rod for debate, but also ensured his lasting relevance.

C. The Modernity of Literary Judgment ​

  • Howells’ observation that historical perspective now forms "simultaneously" reflects the accelerated pace of modern life.
  • This idea foreshadows 20th-century media culture, where fame, infamy, and legacy are constructed in real time (e.g., social media, instant criticism).

D. The Unresolved Nature of Art ​

  • Howells’ claim that Zola will always be a "question" aligns with postmodern ideas about interpretation—that great art resists final meaning and invites endless reinterpretation.

5. Close Reading: Key Lines Explained ​

  1. "In these times of electrical movement, the sort of construction in the moral world... takes place almost simultaneously with the event to be adjusted in history..."

    • "Electrical movement" = the speed of modern communication (telegraph, newspapers, global discourse).
    • "Moral world" = public opinion, literary criticism, ethical debates.
    • Howells argues that Zola’s reputation was formed in real time, not slowly over generations.

  2. "Because he believed with his whole soul that fiction should be the representation, and in no measure the misrepresentation, of life..."

    • This is Zola’s Naturalist manifesto in a nutshell—art must show life as it is, not as we wish it to be.
    • Howells admires this principle, though his own realism was less extreme than Zola’s.

  3. "He will live as a question, a dispute, an affair of inextinguishable debate..."

    • Zola’s legacy is not static—it provokes, challenges, and divides.
    • The word "affair" (with its double meaning of romantic scandal and public controversy) hints at the dramatic, even scandalous, nature of Zola’s career (e.g., the Dreyfus Affair, his explicit novels).

  4. "The two principles of the human mind... the love of the natural and the love of the unnatural..."

    • Howells presents this as a fundamental human conflict.
    • Zola’s realism forces readers to confront the "natural" (the ugly, the brutal, the mundane), which many prefer to avoid in favor of the "unnatural" (romanticized, idealized art).

6. Connection to Broader Literary & Historical Context ​

  • Naturalism vs. Romanticism: Zola’s work was a rejection of Romantic idealism, which Howells acknowledges as an unending battle in literature.
  • The Dreyfus Affair (1894–1906): Zola’s public intellectual role (e.g., "J’Accuse…!") made him a political as well as literary figure, reinforcing Howells’ point that his legacy is multidimensional and contested.
  • American Realism: Howells, Mark Twain, and Henry James were influenced by Zola but adapted his methods to fit American sensibilities (less graphic, more focused on middle-class life).
  • Modernist Aftermath: Later writers like James Joyce and Virginia Woolf would push realism further, but Zola’s uncompromising approach remained a touchstone for debates about art’s purpose.

7. Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters ​

Howells’ excerpt is not just a eulogy for Zola—it is a meditation on the nature of literary fame, the tension between truth and beauty, and the accelerating pace of history. By arguing that Zola’s controversy is permanent, Howells:

  1. Defends Naturalism as a necessary, if uncomfortable, force in literature.
  2. Predicts the modern condition, where debates rage in real time and no consensus is ever final.
  3. Elevates Zola to the status of a literary prophet—someone whose ideal (truth in art) ensures his immortality.

Ultimately, Howells suggests that the greatest artists are those who refuse to be "conclusions"—who remain questions, forcing each new generation to grapple with their challenges anew. In this sense, Zola’s legacy is not just historical, but alive and ongoing.