Inthesetimesofelectricalmovement，thesortofconstructioninthemoralworldforwhichageswereonceneeded，takesplacealmostsimultaneouslywiththeeventtobeadjustedinhistory，andastrueaperspectiveformsitselfasanyinthepast.Afewweeksafterthedeathofapoetofsuchgreatepicalimagination，suchgreatethicalforce，asEmileZola，wemayseehimasclearlyandjudgehimasfairlyasposterityalonewasformerlysupposedabletoseeandtojudgetheheroesthatantedatedit.
Thepresentisalwaysholdinginsolutiontheelementsofthefutureandthepast，infact;andwhilstZolastilllived，inthemomentsofhishighestactivity，theloveandhate，theintelligenceandignorance，ofhismotivesandhisworkwereasevident，andwereasaccuratelythemeasureofprogressiveandretrogressivecriticism，astheywillbehereafterinanyoftheliteraryperiodstocome.Therewillneverbecriticismtoappreciatehimmorejustly，todepreciatehimmoreunjustly，thanthatofhisimmediatecontemporaries.Therewillneverbeadaywhencriticismwillbeofonemindabouthim，whenhewillnolongerbeaquestion，andwillhavebecomeaconclusion.
Aconclusionisanaccomplishedfact，somethingfinallyended，somethingdead;andtheextraordinaryvitalityofZola，whenhewasdoingthethingsmostcharacteristicofhim，forbidsthenotionofthisinhiscase.Likeeverymanwhoembodiesanideal，hisindividualitypartookofwhatwasimperishableinthatideal.Becausehebelievedwithhiswholesoulthatfictionshouldbetherepresentation，andinnomeasurethemisrepresentation，oflife，hewillliveaslongasanyhistoryofliteraturesurvives.Hewillliveasaquestion，adispute，anaffairofinextinguishabledebate;forthetwoprinciplesofthehumanmind，theloveofthenaturalandtheloveoftheunnatural，therealandtheunreal，thetruthfulandthefanciful，areinalienableandindestructible.
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Zolaembodiedhisidealinadequately，aseverymanwhoembodiesanidealmust.Hisrealismwashiscreed，whichhetriedtomakehisdeed;but，beforehisfightwasended，andalmostbeforehebegantoforebodeitalosingfight，hebegantofeelandtosay（fortofeel，withthatmostvirtuousandvoraciousspirit，impliedsaying）thathewastoomucharomanticistbybirthandtradition，toexemplifyrealisminhiswork.Hecouldnotbealltothecausehehonoredthatothermenwere——menlikeFlaubertandMaupassant，andTourguenieffandTolstoy，andGaldosandValdes——becausehisintellectualyouthhadbeennurturedonthemilkofromanticismatthebreastofhismother—time.Hegrewupinthedaywhenthegreatnovelistsandpoetswereromanticists，andwhathecametoabhorhehadfirstadored.Hewasthatpatheticparadox，aprophetwhocannotpractisewhathepreaches，whocannotbuildhisdoctrineintotheedificeofalivingfaith.
Zolawasnonetheless，butallthemore，apoetinthis.Heconceivedofrealitypoeticallyandalwayssawhishumandocuments，ashebeganearlytocallthem，rangedintheformofanepicpoem.HefellbelowthegreatestoftheRussians，towhomalonehewasinferior，inimaginingthattheaffairsofmengroupthemselvesstronglyaboutacentralinteresttowhichtheyconstantlyrefer，andafterwhateverexcursionsdefinitelyordefinitivelyreturn.Hewasnotwillinglyanepicpoet，perhaps，buthewasanepicpoet，nevertheless;andtheimperfectionofhisrealismbeganwiththeperfectionofhisform.Natureissometimesdramatic，thoughneveronthehardandfasttermsofthetheatre，butsheisalmostneverepic;andZolawasalwaysepic.Oneneedonlythinkoverhisbooksandhissubjectstobeconvincedofthis：\"L\'Assommoir\"anddrunkenness;\"Nana\"andharlotry;\"Germinale\"andstrikes;\"L\'Argent\"andmoneygettingandlosinginallitsbranches;\"Pot—Bouille\"andthecruelsqualorofpoverty;\"LaTerre\"andthelifeofthepeasant;\"LeDebacle\"andthedecayofimperialism.Thelargestoftheseschemesdoesnotextendbeyondtheperipherydescribedbythecentrifugalwhirlofitscentralmotive，andtheleastoftheRougon—Macquartseriesisofthesameepicalityasthegrandest.
Eachisboundtoathesis，butrealityisboundtonothesis.
Youcannotsaywhereitbeginsorwhereitleavesoff;anditwillnotallowyoutosaypreciselywhatitsmeaningorargumentis.Forthisreason，therearenosuchperfectpiecesofrealismastheplaysofIbsen，whichhavealloreachathesis，butdonotholdthemselvesboundtoproveit，orevenfullytostateit;
afterthese，forreality，comethenovelsofTolstoy，whichareofadirectionsoprofoundbecausesopatientofaberrationandexception.
Wethinkofbeautyasimplicatedinsymmetry，buttherearedistinctlytwokindsofbeauty：thesymmetricalandtheunsymmetrical，thebeautyofthetempleandthebeautyofthetree.Lifeisnotmoresymmetricalthanatree，andtheeffortofarttogiveitbalanceandproportionistomakeitasfalseineffectasatreeclippedandtrainedtoacertainshape.TheRussiansandtheScandinaviansaloneseemtohaverisentoaconsciousnessofthisintheirimaginativeliterature，thoughtheEnglishhavealwaysunconsciouslyobeyedthelawofourbeingintheirgenerallycrudeandinvoluntaryformulationsofit.InthenorthernmastersthereisnoappearanceofwhatM.ErnestDupuycallsthejoiner—workoftheFrenchfictionalists;andthereis，intheprocess，nojoiner—workinZola，butthefinaleffectisjoiner—work.Itisatemplehebuilds，andnotatreeheplantsandletsgrowafterhehasplantedtheseed，andherehebetraysnotonlyhisFrenchschoolbuthisItalianinstinct.