O discurso científico e a representação do indivíduo e do coletivo: uma análise literária de Les Rougon-Macquart, de Émile Zola

Abstract

This doctoral dissertation proposes a literary analysis of deterministic discourse, in social order and heredity, present on individuals and collective relationship representation, such as in different novels by the French writer Émile Zola. Is it further seeks to identify characters whose present psychological and literary density is capable of breaking away to the matters defended by the author, such as internal and external determinism. The twenty works analyzed belong to the literary series titled Os Rougon-Macquart: História Natural e Social de uma Família sob o Segundo Império (1871–1893), to which integrate the naturalist aesthetic movement, which was launched by the writer himself. This movement seeks to artistically portray society through an accurate observation of reality, based on the specific concepts prevalent at time, such as Deterministic Three Factors theory and heredity theory. The deterministic theory, developed by the historian Hippolyte Taine, sustains the belief of the impossibility of human exert free will, since individuals' attitudes and reactions are conditioned by predetermined factors such as race, historical context, and social environment. On the other hand, the heredity theory, inspired by the experimental medicine of physician Claude Bernard, claims that the process of transmission of biological traits between generations also includes the heritage of psychological characteristics and even the vices of their ancestors. In this context, the concept of collectivism – which treasures the common wellness and the group’s interest above the individual's interest – is associated with the application of social and genetic determinism. In contrast, individualism – which values autonomy and freedom of choice – represents a rupture from determinism. During the period of publication of these novels, these narratives not only propagated political and social ideas, but also served as a denouncing tool of the historical context by addressing issues involving both rural environments – such as country life, land disputes, and the exploitation of manual labor – as well as urban spaces, pictured through the growth of large cities, the coexistence of different social classes, political life, luxury, and high commerce, among other relevant issues of 19th-century France. Thus, in a dialectical manner, reality resonates in the writing while the writing influences reality: the novel denounces reality, which in turn, becomes the nourishment that fertilizes this writing.