When literature invades social life

controversies and tribute to Émile Zola in Brazil during the Dreyfus Affair

Abstract

Émile Zola stood out nationally and internationally through his naturalist work and the battles waged in the French press and literary field. His trajectory, at the end of 1897, contributed to intervening politically as an intellectual (BOURDIEU, 1996) in the Dreyfus Affair. His performance had repercussions in Brazilian society in different ways. Tributes and demonstrations of support were held in different states, through meetings, acts, and even the writing of poems. The actions of the Brazilians reveal that support for the writer’s intervention was based on the recognition of the values of his work. Therefore, not infrequently, these demonstrations were accompanied by controversy in the press (VAILLANT, 2011 in KALIFA et al., 2011), generated by antinaturalist groups. This article aims to analyze the tributes paid by Brazilians to Émile Zola, shedding light on the recognition of the values of truth and justice.