Month: March 2022

My Discovery of Zola

Realism to Naturalism, my search unearthed the master of Naturalism, Emile Zola!

Literary realism is a movement that depicts reality by portraying mundane everyday experiences as they are in real life. It primarily deals with the life course of middle and lower classes. The shift happened during the ninetieth century, which took an alternative narrative from the usual one, which was about exotic and poetic romanticism.

The roots of literary realism lie in France. The two prominent figures were Honore de Balzacand Gustave Flaubert, who adopted and gave wings to realist narration. The change occurred because then the works of Romanticism were thought to be exotic. Even though they celebrated the uniqueness and impermanence of every human life by living their lives through emotional experiences, it lost the connection with real world.

Once realism started gaining momentum, that was the exact time when George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) published ‘Middle March’, a study of provincial life in 1871.

There are about 6 types of Literary Realism,

  1. Magical Realism: One Hundred Year of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (1967)
  2. Social Realism: Les Miserables (1862)
  3. Kitchen Sink Realism: Room At The Top (1957)
  4. Socialist Realism: something created and adopted by the communists.
  5. Naturalism
  6. Psychological Realism: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyvesky (1866)

I have explored all other kinds of realism except Naturalism. So this new opportunity pushed my curiosity to widen the horizons to learn more about and get acquainted with Naturalism.

Naturalism is considered to be the extreme form of realism influenced by Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, was said to be founded by Emila Zola, the French writer. Naturalism explores and investigates all social and environmental phenomena in the belief that nothing exists beyond the natural world. Here super naturals and spiritual experiences are negated and the focus shifts on to that explanation that comes from the law of the nature.

Then I realized that I have already read some works that can be categorically called as Naturalism. Then I wasn’t aware of the literary branch I was exploring through my readings. Till then I was observed into English and Russian literature marvels, this discovery of Naturalism opened an avenue, a secret door to French Literature as well.

I decided to begin with the works of the father of Naturalism, Emila Zola. I was not at all disappointed. I bought The Entire collection of Emila Zola on my Kindle, and I was excited to explore the new world of literature with the fascination of a child. I began with his short stories and it gave me the satisfaction of a piping hot meal, or like indulging a perfectly baked cake, delicious!

Almost through the short story collection, now I am eager to read his novel, and it is kind of cool off period for me to make a decision on what am I going to pick? Should I begin with his early novels or should I jump into the literary series consisting of 20 books called ‘Rougon-Macquart.

I guess I will be picking the 20-book series after completing his novel called ‘Therese Raquin’, the novel which undoubtedly put him in the map of French Literature.

And here we come, my discovery of Emila Zola and the journey into the best of works on Naturalism. It all started with reading an article about Realism, through which I detected naturalism on my radar. It is an immense discovery of an author who pioneered this literary movement. Like I always believed, we don’t pick books, they pick us, that too only when we are ready to accept them. My moment with Naturalism and Emila Zola had just begun!

Three Books I Recommend to Educate Yourself on Feminism

Women’s Day Special

Every year come 8th March we celebrate International Women’s Day. Every year we celebrate womanhood and her power and how she is equal if not superior but we do it for one day. The next day we go back to the all common, all natural means of our unidentified, if not conscious systems of patriarchy. The mother wakes up two hours early to manage the house before going to work, the dad comes home to find his cup of warm tea ready for him, that girl over there keeps worrying about the size of her skirt that suddenly went short and what her teachers are going to say, the boys will obviously and willingly be obliged to look at her legs while she is already conscious and fidgety, the thirty-five year single woman will be looked down upon, and the man of the same age will be recommended for being too serious in his work, the pink infants will be given dolls and the blue ones cars, the list goes on. We know the drill. Not every house and every human is same, but there is this underlying upbringing that still needs correcting, irrespective of gender, caste, sex, nationality.

Obviously, I don’t have a solution that might work overnight. But I do have a few books that I strongly recommend for everyone to read (again, irrespective of every caste, creed, gender or nationality). If only you just read it, understood it and implemented it!

Book 1

Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language

By Amanda Montell

I won’t bore you with the blurb. If you are still reading this I have a feeling you won’t be lazy enough to look it up and actually read a bit about the book. Modern English is what evolved over time, just like humans. And the gist of it is, the language itself sometimes become casually sexistand not all-inclusive which is basically the problem. This book is the solution.



I cannot sum it up for you here, and neither will I try. But at the same time I will mention how essential it is to actually understand the problematic use of words like slut and bitch and pussy and dick because while in the past it didn’t mean what it means today, it does leave an insignificant impact in our mind. What happened? Over time, the language changed just like they stopped using ain’t and nought and thee and thou. But technically it is right to use all those words too. How? READ THE BOOK! The book isn’t just about how slangs work today, it includes the usage of pronouns and the LGBTQIA+ and how standards for men and women differ.



If you think about it, they are just small things but then why should they remain. Why? Why should someone who doesn’t identify as men go through different standards? Why should men tell that periods are or aren’t such a big problem? Why are they mansplaining? How can one assume sex is a key factor for only one gender? Why should language itself be masculine? How can someone get to dehumanize someone else? Who gave them the right to interrupt me while I am speaking? Who gave them the right to be sexist?

So while actions are problematic, language is too. And while words and grammar may change over time, something that is not acceptable today, maybe in the future. Being conscious of how it affects our society is the only way to it. With this book the writer deconstruct language.

Book 2

Dear Ijeawele, Or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions

By ChimamandaNgoziAdichie

Okay, I’ll admit I still have problems with pronouncing the name sometimes and yes I am not ashamed of it. But I never had problems understanding the book I am talking about. When I first read it a couple of years back I wanted to take a pencil and mark every single line in the book, that’s how significant I found it. Yes, she speaks about very basic things and the simplest of things that hint at patriarchy and yes she brings out how to overcome them. But what really helped me in marking this as too important a book to ever forget was that it talked about how to bring up a child into this world as someone who does not fall into the standards of patriarchy, who is a feminist irrespective of the gender. Telling the world what to do with a child and how to bring them up in not a gender-biased way was the best thing, I felt like that is an answer right there, make that a curriculum in every school and every child will have some sense in them before they know right from wrong. With this book you are not just changing yourself, you are changing the generations to come. What exactly more could I ask for?

Everyone should read it, even if you are not planning on children now, even if you don’t ever plan to raise another human being, you should read this, that’s that. I love it more than any other book because it changes you and it changes the future generations, it changes the root of how and what we think on so many issues, it changes the general norm, thus making an effort on changing something that we have miserably failed at doing for so many ages.Read it now. Set aside any book that you are reading currently (okay, I know that sounds harsh) just take a break then, but read it, please!

Book 3

Vagina: A Re-education

By Lynn Enright

If you cringed at the sound of the book then you should definitely read this one. If you have a vagina then you should be reading this. If you don’t have one you still need to be reading this, period!

The book is part memoir and part practical guide to the vagina, breaking myths and empowering women by finally explaining to them the truths of their own body. It is simply sad that today, in 2022 we still have no proper sex education in most schools. And the ones that do have are small session of uncomfortable, rushed, and partial truth, if not a misinformed class. And even then the stress is always on male genitalia, male pleasure. Women are either misinformed about their own anatomy or either scared to death about sex. If you ask a person to mention the parts of a man’s genitals, they are likely to go into heavy details, naming every part almost accurately, but if you do so with a woman’s organs, there is likely to be confusion and embarrassment, on everyone, irrespective of their gender. Why?

Studies show that talking about sex and educating teenagers about it, reduce the urgency and the teen pregnancy rate at the same time. It obviously reduces the threat to sex, threat to life and even educates the generation. Then why exactly is it so hushed? Obviously, it does not say much on our part that we need books to educate ourselves on women anatomy instead of open discussions with teachers and doctors and parents but this could be a start. Read! With this I come to the end. However it is just a start on how we can empower generations to come by being open to discussions, giving them the truth and not residing in our home old traditions. I say it again, it does not say much on our part that we need books to acknowledge feminism in general, but that people are speaking up and are willing to read says something, I guess. If you have read this far, don’t stop now, read the books and spread the word.

Note: Moushmi is also a published author, who got 3 books to her credit. They are 1. POSIES 2. 03:21 AM: An Ode to Rust & Restlessness 3. Resignation of an Angel, Available on Amazon.