Analyzing French Naturalism with Examples

Naturalism is a literary movement that profoundly impacted French literature in the 19th century, and is also my favorite among the other literary movements of the century. Naturalism is an heir to realism, which explores the human condition with almost scientific methods and an objective perspective. With detailed descriptions and particular attention to social and biological influences, naturalist authors such as Émile Zola and Guy de Maupassant seek to reveal the mechanisms that shape lives and destinies. In this article, we will analyze one example from each of their literary works. Behind their approach, there is also a profound humanity: an attempt to understand the suffering and struggles of individuals in a sometimes unjust world with topics and themes that had not been prominently addressed in literature before. This tension between scientific methods and compassion to show the reality of society is what makes naturalism fascinating and timeless for us.

Le Horla by Maupassant

Whence come these mysterious effects which change our happiness into discouragement and our confidence into distress? It seems as if the air, the invisible air, is full of unknowable powers, whose mysterious neighborhoods we undergo. I awake full of gaiety, with a desire to sing in my throat. — Why? — I go down along the water; and suddenly, after a short walk, I return desolate, as if some misfortune awaited me at home.—Why? — Is it a shiver of cold which, brushing my skin, has shaken my nerves and darkened my soul? Is it the shape of the clouds, or the color of the day, the color of things, so variable, which, passing through my eyes, has troubled my thought?

Maupassant, the melancholic author of Naturalism, has that deep, humane nuance of solitude, or even madness in his style. To me, it is the true definition of the "human condition" in Naturalism. In Le Horla, everything is designed to draw the reader into a state of fear. The feeling of constant tension and stress is simply beautiful... The story unfolds through the daily life of the narrator, who documents his experiences in a journal. Gradually, events occur in his reality that can only be explained by the supernatural—or perhaps by hallucination. It is this intrusion of the inexplicable into the every day that gives the text its deeply fantastical quality.

What adds to the feeling of fear and begins to destabilize the narrator’s sense of reality is the reflection on the inadequacy of our senses to fully perceive the world around us. This is why the word "air" plays such an important role: “It seems as if the air, the invisible air, is full of unknowable powers.” Air, being the ultimate imperceptible element, symbolizes this idea perfectly if you ask me. The difficulty in perceiving air raises some unsettling questions too: “Is it a shiver of cold…?” and later, “Is it the shape of the clouds…?” The narrator tries to find tangible causes for his shifting moods: “I return home, disheartened. Why?" These unanswered questions deepen the sense of unease as the narrator struggles to grasp what is happening to him.

Au Bonheur des Dames by Émile Zola

Denise had walked from the Gare Saint-Lazare, where a train from Cherbourg had dropped her off with her two brothers after a night spent on the hard bench of a third-class carriage. She was holding Pépé by the hand, while Jean followed her. All three were exhausted from the journey, bewildered and lost in the vastness of Paris, their heads tilted back as they stared at the buildings, asking at every intersection for Rue de la Michodière, where their uncle Baudu lived. But as they finally arrived at Place Gaillon, the young woman stopped abruptly, struck with surprise.

“Oh!” she said. “Look, Jean!”

And they stood there, huddled together, dressed in mourning black, their clothes worn from the grief of their father’s death. Denise, frail for her twenty years, looked poor and carried a small bundle. On one side, her little brother, only five years old, clung to her arm, while on the other, her older brother—sixteen years old blooming with vitality—stood behind her, his arms hanging at his sides.

In that chapter, Zola creates the scene perfectly; it is almost like watching a movie for the readers. It is a metropolitan story of a poor family, which takes place in Paris. Zola chooses place names carefully to make it even more realistic for us. The thing is, every place he used in the narrative is, in fact, real. For example, he mentions the "Gare Saint-Lazare," "Place Gaillon," and "the corner of Rue de la Michodière and Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin."

Moreover, there is a temporal context in the narrative, which makes the story way more captivating if you ask me. The family came to Paris one October morning, "the soft and pale October day" and also the mention of "eight o'clock striking at Saint-Roch." These markers give us some sort of vivid sense of the moment in time, while the quiet reference to the time of day subtly highlights the freshness of their new arrival in the city. It also feels like a new chapter in life or even a new life. Zola’s use of very specific dates and real locations establishes a naturalistic environment and also enhances the reader's connection to the characters' experiences as they start a new life in the unknown world of Paris, bringing a sense of grounded authenticity to their journey.

The energy of the city contrasts with theirs. Faced with their fatigue, their dismay, and their immobility, the "morning Paris" is very dynamic. This is evidenced by the verbs that translate rapid actions. However, all this energy seems polarized towards the department store, which is presented as the nerve center of the city.