As opposed to just giving a definitive perspective of things, the works of literature of Zola and Huysmans offered a discussion on different forces in conflict. This meant that artists had to remain between a movement’s own official belief system and the opposing side that “fragilized” it. Comparing the ideas of Huysmans and Zola, the main focus should be made on Naturalism and Catholic mysticism not just as a field of two diametrically opposing perspectives, but mainly as caught in the “crosswinds” and put in simpler terms. In this regard, there is a close relationship between religious and secular texts that emanated during the same period of “cross-pressures” and “fragilization” that look at both systems of thought. To bring forth these two ideas, it will be imperative to focus on Emile Zola and Joris-Karl Huysmans’ ideas on Lourdes. Here is where the natural scientist and Catholic spiritual conflicted in their fictitious investigation on religion and science.
A deeper understanding of Zola’s Lourdes and Huysmans’ Les foules de Lourdes provides quite different ideologies on the place of pilgrimage. This can be explored through Bernadette’s revelations, pilgrimages, and believers’ cure. On the contrary, if consideration is given to their works of art as emanating from the same historical time of “cross-pressure”, a range of clear similarities is significant. The two artists indicate in their novels an elevated level of anxiety towards and attraction to the conflicting ideology. Zola and Huysmans’ writings emerge from a feeling of compulsion to defend what they believe in or their unbelief. In most cases, both authors knowingly or unknowingly deviate from their personal interpretation of the world so that they can open their works to the probability of “the other”. With regard to Huysmans, this involves embracing the idea of a godless world void of mystery, which can result in feelings of depression towards what seems a meaningless existence. On the other hand, according to Zola, this involves the probable existence of a supernatural being.
The idea that there is a spiritual realm supporting the material universe is proved quite enchantingly even to a strongly inclined secular artist like Zola. This, however, has implications in the feeling of anxiety. Essentially, the writings of these two authors show the need to protect their system of beliefs. This arises succinctly due to the fact that the opposing system of thought has compelling proof. It is noticeable to re-establish themselves in their official stand on science and the divine, both authors engage in the debate on theodicy. This means for them to make a decision on whether or not they should believe in God amid human suffering.
Zola’s Lourdes
The author’s focus on Lourdes inclines mainly from two challenges that the shrine posed to his perception of things. In the first place, as Zola looked at history as the inevitable comparison of progress away from “superstition” and towards scientific reality, it was crucial for him to exemplify the surge in religious fervor at the shrine and all over France at the period dominated by reason and scientific research. However, his interest in the shrine as well as emanates from an individualized fantasy with the religion as shown in his connection and journal entries during the time. Zola says that during his prior visit to Lourdes, he had experienced the “cité mystique” just like the believer. His depiction of his first perceptions of the shrine as a genuine religious practice shows that the writer had become enraptured with the surrounding of Lourdes. His additional comments on the shrine are crit