A Stylistic Comparison of Two Versions of Zola's Short Story `Les Fraises'

The six years that separate the two versions of Zola's short story, "Les Fraises" are among the most crucial in the formative period of his career. A comparison of the two versions reveals that in addition to a desire for stylistic perfection – conciseness, precision, elegance – the young writer attempted to achieve greater objectivity by suppressing some of the most organic qualities of his literary talent. The final rendition (1874) lacks the exuberance, spontaneity, and sensuality evident in the original (1868). One of the implications of these stylistic changes bears on the relation of Zola's critical writings to his fiction. The discrepancies between his theories on literature and his novels are well known. "Les Fraises" may represent one of the rare moments when the critic and the artist brought their strivings into harmony. The format of the short story permitted Zola to put into practice some of the theoretical pronouncements that his novels contradicted. (HHW)