2025/12/25 by Shoshana-Rose Marzel, Marzel, Shoshana-Rose
Arts and Humanities · #Literature and Culture Studies #French Literature and Criticism #French Literature and Critical Theory
paper · doi:10.34616/ajmp.2025.25.4
This article examines the pervasive theme of rivalry in L’Œuvre (1886) by Émile Zola, focusing on three distinct forms. First, it explores the personal rivalry within the sphere of intimate relationships. Second, the article addresses the rivalry among Claude’s circle of artist friends as well as in the artistic community at large. Lastly, it considers the rivalry between the emerging realist / naturalist art movement and the established neo-classicism of the 19th century, a broader conflict in which Claude’s struggle symbolizes a clash of artistic visions. In this novel, rivalry shapes the characters’ lives and their artistic journeys. Zola highlights both the destructive and creative potential of rivalry while reflecting his view of rivalry as intrinsic to artistic evolution and transformation.ri