12 Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture ISSN 1923-1555[Print] ISSN 1923-1563[Online] www.cscanada.net www.cscanada.org Studies in Literature and Language Vol. 15, No. 5, 2017, pp. 12-20 DOI:10.3968/10073 The Conflict Between Human Enterprise and Nature in Emile Zola’s “The Flood” Fatima Muhaidat [a],* [a] Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan. *Corresponding author. Received 29August 2017; accepted 15 October 2017 Published online 26 November 2017 Abstract Emile Zola is considered as the father of naturalism, a literary movement that underscores the role of heredity and environment in shaping human experience. This study discusses his story “The Flood” (1880) which embodies man’s struggle against nature and illustrates different features of naturalism. The only surviving member of a family hit by a flood retrospectively narrates the details of the calamity. Heart wrenching memories of the family’s unexpected change of fortunes arouse feelings of sympathy, horror, disappointment and anger. At the beginning, the narrator’s farmhouse appears as a safe haven for the whole family. A state of family bliss speaks of their happiness and satisfaction with their success, an outcome of long years of struggle and hard work. The prosperity the family experiences creates harmonious connections with nature as well as forces beyond it; God is seen as a generous friend, and the nearby river is perceived as a good neighbor. However, a stark shift of perceptive occurs as nature never remains a permanent good relation. Her arcane disrupting forces rather strike mercilessly and unexpectedly putting an end to the family’s story of success. Zola carefully articulates the psychological dimension of the jarring event including the anxiety and horror experienced by most characters as well as the defense mechanisms used to deal with them. Through stylistic features such as documentary style, literary contrasts and imagery, readers ruefully realize the high price paid by man as a result of this encounter. Key words: French literature; Naturalism; Emile Zola; “The Flood”; Natural disaster; Human enterprise; Defense mechanisms Muhaidat, F. (2017). The Conflict Between Human Enterprise and Nature in Emile Zola’s “The Flood” . Studies in Literature and Language, 15 (5), 12-20. Available from: http://www.cscanada.net/index.php/sll/article/view/10073 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/10073 INTRODUCTION Action in “The Flood” (1880) focuses on the tragedy of an extended family as narrated by Louis Roubien, its oldest member and the only survivor among them. This man represents human struggle and enterprise. As a farmer, he manages to grow crops and raise cattle in a village located a few miles from a river. After long years of hard work, Roubien and his family start to enjoy the fruit of his efforts. They all feel blessed for having rich green groves, pastures and lush fields of wheat and grapes. Their wealth enables them to live happily in a house of their own. Their house gets bigger as the family gets bigger. Their life seems to be encompassed by a sense of security as result of Roubien’s achievement. They all seem to have the impression that poverty has become a thing of the past. However, life does not turn out the way they hope, plan or expect. Different elements in the story make it a good illustration of naturalistic literature. The story deals with the life of a simple family living together in a farmhouse. Objective narration of details confirms Zola’s naturalistic mien. Neither extraordinary elements like magic nor imaginary creatures constitute action. Thus, characters, setting, point of view and plot show no mythical or legendary aspects. Excluding the imaginary and the supernatural from action, which can be attributed to naturalistic tendencies, does not keep Zola from putting his characters in an extremely thrilling setting and nerve racking conditions. According to the American novelist and critic Norris, “Terrible things must happen to the characters of the naturalistic tale. They must be twisted brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by CSCanada.net: E-Journals (Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture,...