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Thereisnoreasonwhycriticismshouldaffectanequalhesitation.Criticismnolongerassumestoascertainanauthor\'splaceinliterature.Itisverywellsatisfiedifitcansaysomethingsuggestiveconcerningthenatureandqualityofhiswork，andittriestosaythiswithaslittleoftheoldairoffinalityasitcanmanagetohideitspovertyin.
AfterthewordsofM.Chaumieatthefuneral，\"Zola\'slifeworkwasdominatedbyanxietyforsincerityandtruth，ananxietyinspiredbyhisgreatfeelingsofpityandjustice，\"thereseemsnothinglefttodobuttoapplythemtotheexaminationofhisliterarywork.Theyunlockthesecretofhisperformance，ifitisanylongerasecret，andtheyafforditsjustificationinallthoserespectswherewithoutthemitcouldnotbejustified.Thequestionofimmoralityhasbeensetaside，andtheindecencyhasbeenadmitted，butitremainsforustorealizethatanxietyforsincerityandtruth，springingfromthesenseofpityandjustice，makesindecencyaconditionofportrayinghumannaturesothatitmaylookuponitsimageandbeashamed.
Themoralistworkingimaginativelyhasalwayshadtoaskhimselfhowfarhemightgoinillustrationofhisthesis，andhehasnothesitated，orifhehashesitated，hehasnotfailedtogofarveryfar.Defoewentfar，Richardsonwentfar，Ibsenhasgonefar，Tolstoyhasgonefar，andifZolawentfartherthananyofthese，stillhedidnotgosofarastheimmoralistshavegoneintheportrayalofviciousthingstoallurewherehewishedtorepel.Thereisreallysuchathingashighmotiveandsuchathingaslowmotive，thoughtheprocessesareoftensobewilderinglyalikeinbothcases.Theprocessesmayconfoundus，butthereisnoreasonwhyweshouldbemistakenastomotive，andastoZola\'smotiveIdonotthinkM.Chaumiewasmistaken.Astohismethods，theybynomeansalwaysreflectedhisintentions.Hefanciedhimselfworkinglikeascientistwhohascollectedavastnumberofspecimens，andisdeducingprinciplesfromthem.Butthefactis，hewasalwaysworkinglikeanartist，seizingeverysuggestionofexperienceandobservation，turningittotheutmostaccount，piecingitoutbyhisinvention，buildingitupintoastructureoffictionwhereitsoriginwaslosttoallbuthimself，andofteneventohimself.Hesupposedthathewasrecordingandclassifying，buthewascreatingandvivifying.Withintheboundsofhisepicalscheme，whichwasalwaysfactitious，everypersonwassonaturalthathischaractersseemedlikethecharactersofbiographyratherthanoffiction.Onedoesnotrememberthemasoneremembersthecharactersofmostnovelists.Theyhadtheirbeinginadesignwhichwasmeanttorepresentastateofthings，toenforceanopinionofcertainconditions;buttheythemselveswerefreeagencies，boundbynoallegiancetothegeneralframe，andnotapparentlyactinginbehalfoftheauthor，butonlyfromtheirownindividuality.Atthemomentofreading，theymaketheimpressionofanintensereality，andtheyremainreal，butonerecallsthemasonerecallsthepeoplereadofinlastweeks\'sorlastyear\'snewspaper.WhatZoladidwaslesstoimportscienceanditsmethodsintotheregionoffiction，thanjournalismanditsmethods;butinthishehadhiswillonlysofarashisnatureofartistwouldallow.Hewasnomoreajournalistthanhewasascientistbynature;and，inspiteofhisintentionsandinspiteofhismethods，hewasessentiallyimaginativeandinvoluntarilycreative.
VI
Tomehisliteraryhistoryisverypathetic.Hewasbredifnotbornintheworshipoftheromantic，buthisnativefaithwasnotproofagainsthisreason，asagainhisreasonwasnotproofagainsthisnativefaith.Hepreachedacrusadeagainstromanticism，andfoughtalongfightwithit，onlytorealizeatlastthathewashimselftooromanticistictosucceedagainstit，andheroicallytoownhisdefeat.Thehostsofromanticismswarmedbackoverhimandhisfollowers，andprevailed，asweseethemstillprevailing.ItwastheerroroftherealistswhomZolaled，tosupposethatpeopleliketruthinfictionbetterthanfalsehood;theydonot;theylikefalsehoodbest;andifZolahadnotbeenatheartaromanticist，heneverwouldhavecherishedhislongdelusion，henevercouldhavedeceivedwithhisvainhopesthosewhomhepersuadedtoberealistic，ashehimselfdidnotsucceedinbeing.
Hewishedtobeasortofhistoriographerwritingtheannalsofafamily，andpaintingaperiod;buthewasapoet，doingfarmorethanthis，andcontributingtocreativeliteratureasgreatworksoffictionashavebeenwrittenintheepicform.Hewasaparadoxoneverysidebutone，andthatwasthehumanside，whichhewouldhimselfhaveheldfarworthierthantheliteraryside.
Onthehumanside，thecivicside，hewaswhathewishedtobe，andnotwhatanyperversityofhiselementsmadehim.Heheardoneofthosecallstosupremeduty，whichfromtimetotimeselectonemanandnotanotherfortheresponsewhichtheyrequire;andherosetothatdutywithagrandeurwhichhadallthesimplicitypossibletoamanofFrenchcivilization.Wemaythinkthattherewassomethingalittletoodramaticinthemannerofhisheroism，hismartyry，andwemaysmileatcertainturnsofrhetoricintheimmortalletteraccusingtheFrenchnationofintolerablewrong，justas，inoursmugAnglo—Saxonconceit，welaughedattheprocedureoftheemotionalcourtswhichhecompelledtotakecognizanceoftheimmensemisdeedothercourtshadasemotionallycommitted.Buttheevent，howeverindirectlyandinvoluntarily，wasjusticewhichnootherpeopleinEuropewouldhavedone，andperhapsnotanypeopleofthismoreenlightenedcontinent.
ThesuccessofZolaasaliterarymanhasitsimperfections，itsphasesofdefeat，buthissuccessasahumanistiswithoutflaw.
Hetriumphedaswhollyandasfinallyasithaseverbeengivenamantotriumph，andhemadeFrancetriumphwithhim.Byhishand，sheaddedtothelaurelsshehadwoninthewarofAmericanIndependence，inthewarsoftheRevolutionforlibertyandequality，inthecampaignsforItalianUnity，theimperishableleafofanationalacknowledgementofnationalerror.