Zola : des chevaux et des hommes

By placing humans and animals in the same “ark”, Zola indicates their similarity. Concentrating on horses in Les Rougon-Macquart lets us demonstrate the way in which the novel uses anthropomorphism to create a sense of the familiar. Yet by displaying the suffering inflicted on both humans and animals, the work also presents their common origins, and touches on the fundamental myth of humanity. We can thus interpret the cry and gaze of the animal as a sign of an awareness of death.