Revolt in Erckmann-Chatrian’s Maître Daniel Rock: A Losing Battle against Progress
Abstract
Erckmann-Chatrian tells us a story of the revolt of a blacksmith, Daniel Rock, against the arrival of the railway in the village of Felsenbourg in Vosges. Having bought an old castle which is to be destroyed to make way for the railway, the protagonist battles to preserve his heritage and that of the village. This fight against progress provokes a conflict with the entire village since the inhabitants are selling their land to the railroad company. His struggle against progress will destroy his family and lead the blacksmith to his death. This story is an opportunity for Erckmann-Chatrian to give an epic and tragic feeling to an event – the arrival of the railway in the Lorraine countryside – which upsets the natural order. Modernity has a dark side to it and Rock will experience it painfully. The 1861 novel appears to be a parable imbued with Saint-Simonianism.
Keywords:
Erckmann-Chatrian, Maître Daniel Rock, revolt, progress, Saint- SimonianismReferences
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