La Terre by Emile Zola or the Impossible Jacquerie

This article analyses the fifteenth volume of Les Rougon-Macquart, La Terre ( The Earth), from a political perspective. Zola sets its plot against the backdrop of an agricultural crisis that affects the living conditions of the peasant class. He raises the question of the viability of a "Jacquerie", which would put an end to their misery, in the second half of the 19th century. The uprising, however, never materialised. In Zola's work, the peasants have no desire to act collectively. The novel is an in-depth analysis of the causes of disunity of forces. The introduction of land redistribution during the Revolution and the ineffectiveness of revolutionary discourse, which is derided, appear to be the main reasons for the wait-and-see attitude that characterises the peasants. Yet, this does not extinguish the spirit of revolt: the subversive characters resort to alternative means to ensure that the protest discourse continues to circulate.