J.-K. Huysmans's Spiritual Naturalism and the Alchemy of Redemption

Confounded by the impasse into which literature had been driven by the success of Émile Zola's 'materialist art', J.-K. Huysmans's protagonist, Durtal, is shown, in the opening of Là-bas, imagining the possibility of a nobler form of fiction, one examining both the body and soul...

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Published inRomance studies : a journal of the University of Wales Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 113 - 122
Main Author Ziegler, Robert
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 01.04.2013
Subjects
alchemy
Dolorism
redemption
Satanism
spiritual naturalism
tears
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Summary:Confounded by the impasse into which literature had been driven by the success of Émile Zola's 'materialist art', J.-K. Huysmans's protagonist, Durtal, is shown, in the opening of Là-bas, imagining the possibility of a nobler form of fiction, one examining both the body and soul of man, and considering 'leurs réactifs', 'leurs conflits'. This essay discusses how - after finding in occultism 'une compensation aux dégoûts de la vie quotidienne' - Huysmans was drawn to alchemy for exemplifying the twin aims of spiritual naturalism, since on the material plane, it transmutes base metal into gold, while on the spiritual plane, it purifies the soul of the artifex through suffering.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0263-9904
1745-8153
DOI:10.1179/0263990413Z.00000000039