The Life of Emile Zola

Marcus Beltran        

Mrs. Ahern

English 3-4

20 February 2014

The Life of Emile Zola

        One of the greatest authors of French fiction is Emile Zola. He is known by many readers for his books on naturalism. A well known work of his was his novel, Germinal, which was his most brilliant and greatest masterpiece. Emile Zola was very famous for being a naturalist and his social advocacy. Emile Zola was also a big inspiration for his young followers of naturlism.

        Emile Zola was a French novelist born in Paris, France but raised in Aix-en-Provence. He was born on April 12, 1840 and died on September 28, 1902. He was the only child of his family. His French mother was Emilie Zola married to his Italian father, Francesco Zola. His father was a civil engineer who died of pneumonia and left his family poor, struggling with finance. Four years after his father’s death, Zola went to a secondary school where he became a great student and excelled in literature.

        In fact, he first attended Bourbon College where he met one of his closest friends, Paul Cezanne, who became an impressionist painter later in life. Zola later moved back to Paris and attended Lycee Saint-Louis. Sadly, Zola failed twice in literature and left college without a degree. After he left college he continued to write poems and stories while he was looking for a job. In 1862, he found a job as a shipping clerk at a publishing house called Hachette. His job later forced him to stop writing poetry and be more devoted to his job instead. Even though he became more devoted he still liked to read the novels of his generation.

        In 1864, Zola published his first book, Contes a Ninon. This book was full of sketches, themes, and images. Even though his first published book was not of poems, he first intended to be a poet. Zola was influenced when he was in school by two poets named Alfred de Musset and Victor Hugo. When Zola was writing, Contes a Ninon, Paul introduced Zola to Gabrielle-Eleonore-Alexandrine Meley and she later became his mistress. In 1870 Gabrielle became his wife.

\        Zola’s wife hired Jeanne Rozerot to be a seamstress. Zola had an affair with Jeanne and had two children, Denise and Jacques, with her. He continued to be with Jeanne for his remaining fourteen years remaining and also stayed with his wife, Gabrielle, living with her without her knowing about the affair. However, when she finally discovered the affair she was infuriated and when he was dead she made his children bear his name. The affair with Jeanne changed his life in a positive way. It helped him be happy and rebuilt his inspiration for writing novels again.