252:, Rougon resigns from his position as premier of the Corps législatif before he can be dismissed. This puts the plans and dreams of Rougon's friends in limbo, as they are counting on his political influence to win various personal favors. His greatest ally and his greatest adversary is Clorinde Balbi, an Italian woman of dubious background and devious intent. Clorinde desires power as much as Rougon does but, because she is a woman, she is forced to act behind the scenes. Rougon refuses to marry her because he believes two such dominant personalities would inevitably destroy each other. Instead, he encourages her to marry M. Delestang, a man of great wealth who can easily be wheedled, while he himself takes a respectable nonentity of a wife who will not hinder his ambition.
312:, the famous Vice-Emperor of history. Symbolism is to be found in every one of Zola's novels, and Rougon, in his main lines, is but the symbol of a principle, or, to be accurate, the symbol of a certain form of the principle of authority. His face is Rouher's, like his build and his favorite gesture; but with Rouher's words, actions, opinions, and experiences are blended those of half a dozen other personages. He is the incarnation of that craving, that lust for power which impelled so many men of ability to throw all principle to the winds and become the instruments of an abominable system of government. And his transformation at the close of the story is in strict accordance with historical facts."
342:"With him it was love of power for sheer power's sake, a love, what is more, untrammelled by any craving for personal glory or wealth or honours. Shockingly ignorant and terribly mediocre in all but the management of other men, it was only by his need to dominate others that he really rose to any height. He loved the mere effort of it, and worshipped his own ability." (trans. Alec Brown)
363:(which opens in 1864), Eugène's refusal to help his brother Aristide after a financial setback by the latter is the catalyst for the novel, spurring Aristide to ruthless and unethical speculations that eventually lead to the financial ruination of thousands. To disassociate himself from the scandal and to keep Aristide from prison, Eugène arranges for his brother's exile to
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Eugène also resembles his avaricious parents Pierre and Félicité. Their desire for power over their hometown of
Plassans becomes in Eugène a desire for power on a national scale. (In this, he shows an affinity to his brothers Aristide, who lusts for money, and Pascal, who thirsts for knowledge.) Zola
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with power to maintain peace and national security at any cost. Rougon uses this as an opportunity to punish his political adversaries, deport anti-imperialists by the hundreds, and reward his loyal friends with honors, commissions, and political appointments. Through his influence, Delestang is made
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At the center of all this conflict is
Clorinde. As Rougon's power has grown, so has hers, until she has influence at the highest level and on an international scale, including as the Emperor's mistress. Now having the upper hand, she is able to punish Rougon for his refusal to marry her. To silence
276:
political and personal opposition, Rougon decides to submit his resignation to the
Emperor, confident that it will not be accepted. However, it is accepted, and Delestang is made Minister of the Interior, the implication being that both actions are founded on Clorinde’s authority over the Emperor.
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As Rougon's power expands, however, his cronies begin to desert him despite his fulfilling their personal requests. They feel that he has not done enough for them and what he has done either has not been good enough or has had consequences so disastrous as to be no help at all. Moreover, they
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is the one existing French novel which gives the reader a fair general idea of what occurred in political spheres at an important period of the Empire. But His
Excellency Eugene Rougon is not, as many critics and others have supposed, a mere portrait or caricature of
205:. Eugène's maneuverings establish his parents' control over the town of Plassans and lay the foundations for solidifying the family fortune. Eugène, acknowledged as one of the prime movers in legitimizing the Emperor, has remained in
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consider him ungrateful, given all the work they claim to have done to have him reinstated as
Minister. Eventually, Rougon is involved in several great scandals based on the favors he has shown to his inner circle.
287:. Ostensibly, the appointment is meant to reconfigure the country on less imperialistic, more liberal lines, but in reality Rougon has a free hand to crush resistance, curtail opposition, and control the press.
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and environment worked on members of one family over the course of the Second Empire. All of the descendants of Adelaïde Fouque (Tante Dide), Eugène's grandmother, demonstrate what today would be called
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government. It follows the career of Eugène Rougon and a dozen or so of his cronies as they jockey for political favor and personal gain, and embraces the public and personal life of
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also strongly suggests that the corrupt environment of Second Empire politics and society is what allows Eugène's personality and desire for power to be nurtured and fulfilled.
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Rougon learns of an assassination plot against the
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The novel opens in 1856 with Rougon's career at a low ebb. In conflict with the
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Eugène's brothers are Pascal, who is the main character of
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412:(1958, tr. Alec Brown, Elek Books)
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259:of 1858), the Emperor makes him
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617:La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret
493:by E.A. Vizetelly (1897).
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261:Minister of the Interior
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610:La Conquête de Plassans
402:(1886, tr. unknown for
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329:novels was to show how
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237:La conquête de Plassans
197:as a key player in the
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1180:The Life of Emile Zola
1164:Portrait of Emile Zola
1110:Television adaptations
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506:by Alec Brown (1958).
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1216:Novels by Émile Zola
1134:The Ladies' Paradise
659:Au Bonheur des Dames
336:obsessive-compulsive
325:Zola's plan for the
186:Emperor Napoleon III
1067:L'attaque du moulin
1051:Musical adaptations
920:Shop Girls of Paris
821:Les Quatre journées
579:Les Rougon-Macquart
376:Franco-Prussian War
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1183:(1937 film)
1121:(1995 film)
1118:Cruel Train
840:L'Assommoir
771:Non-fiction
652:Pot-Bouille
631:L'Assommoir
418:(2018, tr.
199:coup d'état
1205:Categories
1158:Naturalism
715:La Débâcle
570:Émile Zola
429:References
165:Émile Zola
163:series by
33:Émile Zola
1040:In Secret
864:The Earth
805:L'Ouragan
496:Zola, É.
483:Zola, É.
472:Zola, É.
177:in 2018.
170:Le Siècle
108:paperback
69:Publisher
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673:Germinal
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527:(French)
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232:La curée
227:L'argent
221:La curée
139:La Curée
104:hardback
39:Language
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694:Le Rêve
680:L'Œuvre
460:Sources
365:Belgium
250:Empress
98:Print (
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1035:(2009)
1032:Thirst
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