Émile Zola: “Vérité” and the Aftermath of the Affair

Abstract

The polarised reaction to the release of Frère Flamidien showed that the War of Two Frances remained as intense as ever. In his final novel, Vérité, Émile Zola brought together both the Dreyfus and Flamidien Affairs into one of his harshest attacks on the Catholic Church. He also offered a solution to the enduring mystery: who killed Gaston Foveaux? At the same time, the school wars were moving to a conclusion. When the government of Émile Combes set out to demolish congregational schooling, the memory of the scandal at Lille remained fresh in the minds of many of his supporters.