Love à la Michelet in Zola's La Faute de l'abbé Mouret

The reason for the radically opposing interpretations of Zola's La Faute de l'abbé Mouret, can perhaps be found in one particularly troublesome episode where the protagonists' reactions and an allusion to Genesis apparently conflict with Zola's other writings. Consideration of works by Michelet that Zola admired indicates that Albine's reaction is perfectly normal, thus, a realistic" portrayal. The allusion to the Garden of Eden, when studied in detail, highlights Serge's error in allowing a twisted conception of an inhuman god to repress his human need for love. From his own comments in the subsequent marriage ceremony, it seems clear that Father Mouret's sin was to abandon Albine and to deny human love. In short, this novel represents an outgrowth of the project Zola announced to Cézanne as early as 1859: "I plan to describe budding love. . . . A sort of poem . . . where everything works together towards one single goal: loving!" (AHP)