Thérèse Raquin, Émile Zola, crime novel, guilt, murder, accomplice, punishment, naturalism, French literature, 19th century novel
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Abstract
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Abstract
Analysis of Émile Zola's novel Thérèse Raquin, exploring the aftermath of a crime and the guilt that haunts the perpetrators.
Extract
[...] The memory of the crime haunts Laurent. We notice the physiological manifestations of his fear of being confused: 'icy sweats', 'the cold of the knife on his neck'. B. A fierce hatred that divides the accomplices of the crime « This was an atrocious hatred, with terrible outbursts. They felt that they were getting in each other's way; they told themselves that they would lead a peaceful existence, if they were not always face to face. When they were in each other's presence, it seemed to them that an enormous weight was suffocating them, and they would have liked to get rid of this weight, to annihilate it; their lips were pinched, thoughts of violence passed through their clear eyes, they had a desire to devour each other. [...]
[...] Thérèse Raquin - Émile Zola (1867) - Police Novel I - The flawless execution of the crime A. Des policiers incompétents « Downstairs, in the common room, there was a police officer who was issuing a summons for the accident. Michaud and his son went down, followed by Laurent. When Olivier had made known his quality as a superior employee of the Prefecture, everything was finished in ten minutes" (chapter 12). On retrouve dans ce roman de Zola le topos of incompetent police officers who botch the investigation. [...]
[...] In reading each other's secret plan on their disturbed face, they felt pity and horror Émile Zola thus proposed a particular dénouement compared to a traditional detective novel that is not Thérèse Raquin. The two accomplices eventually end up killing themselves using the poison that Thérèse had carefully prepared: « They exchanged a final glance, a glance of gratitude, in front of the knife and the glass of poison. Thérèse took the glass, drank half of it and handed it to Laurent who finished it off in one go. It was a flash. [...]
[...] We are approaching the end of the novel. We can feel that the tension is becoming increasingly strong between the two characters who are blaming each other for their guilt. The tension is palpable in this passage with the growing tension that builds up in a muted way until the hyperbolic formula 'to devour each other'. The two characters thought they could live a peaceful life after committing what is called 'the perfect crime' but it is not so. Thérèse now accuses Laurent of having killed Camille, whom she says she now regrets: may not have loved him in his lifetime, but now I remember and I love him? [...]
[...] The mere intention of the old lady to reveal the truth rekindles in Laurent a palpable anxiety, symbolized by the sensation of 'the heaviness and the cold of the punishment' that befalls him. This highlights the way in which guilt can manifest physically, even in the absence of any immediate sanction. II - The Guilty Conscience of the Crime's Perpetrators A. The Physical Manifestation of Guilt Émile Zola, a convinced naturalist, closely observes the reactions of his characters, and particularly the way in which Laurent is consumed by the memory of the crime. [...]
