L'Argent
The money (French: L'Argent ) is a novel by the French writer Émile Zola. He is the eighteenth part of the Rougon - Macquart cycle. It was first published in installments from November 1890 to March 1891 in the journal Gil Blas. It was followed by the first edition in Charpentier. The novel portrays the financial world of the Second Empire in Paris by way of example with reference to the fictional character of Aristide Saccard, the son of Pierre and Félicité Rougon, who is known to the reader already from the novels The Luck of the Rougon family and the prey. Zola's intention was to depict the dire consequences of speculation, fraudulent financial transactions, the culpable negligence of company directors and the inability of contemporary business law.
Action
The action takes place in the years 1864-1869. You seats five months after the death of Aristide Saccard second wife Renee. Aristide is bankrupt and out of the stock market. In order to establish itself new, he developed a plan. His neighbor, the engineer Georges Hamelin, dreams of the restoration of Christianity in the Middle East. For railway lines and roads are to be built, repaired ports and ships are being built. In order to promote these projects Aristide founded a financial company. The real motive is his return to the Paris Stock Exchange. He can not count on the support of his brother, Eugène. The Minister, Eugène Rougon, the reader of The Luck of the Rougon family and His Excellency Eugene Rougon knows, strives to promote the influence of a liberal Roman Catholic Church in France. Aristide believes the company at the same time as a way to the Jewish bankers who dominate the stock market to strike a blow.
The novel follows the fate of more than 20 people. Zola shows the interdependence of money, power and love during the Second Empire and the impact of financial speculation on rich and poor protagonist. In the person of Sigismond Busch Zola is already including his literary critique of capitalism, which is clearly of Pierre -Joseph Proudhon's views on money, cooperation (Fr. la coopération ) and exchange dominated.
From the start, Aristides Universal Bank on shaky ground. Goodwill is manipulated to conceal dubious business practices I implement a straw man. Hamelin lives with his sister Caroline, who against better judgment in the Banque Universelle and later invested a relationship with Aristide begins. Caroline learns of the existence of Aristides son Victor. She saves him from poverty and bring him under in an auxiliary device. But Victor is greedy, lazy and thievish disposition. After an attack on a staff member of the organization he disappears and is never seen again.
While Hamelin travels to Istanbul, the value of the Universal Bank rises on the Paris Bourse. The value of the shares increases within three years from 500 francs to 3,000 francs. From the profits Aristide buys several newspapers to manipulate public opinion regarding the stability and legality of his bank. The Universal Bank can not finance its own power permanently. Aristides principal contractor on the stock exchange, the Jewish banker ivy has learned from the financial tricks and attacks his opponent. He thinks the stock is overvalued and separates from its shares, forcing Aristide in order to invest millions of dollars to keep the market price of Universal Bank high. Finally, the Bank has a quarter of its total value of 200 million francs itself That leads to the collapse of the bank. Because ivy has sold before the fall, he shall remove a sizeable profits. The consequences for large and small investors are catastrophic. They lead to financial ruin, suicide and exile. Aristide and Hamelin are sentenced to five years in prison. Eugène intervened to Aristide's favor because a brother in prison would be detrimental to the reputation of the minister. Aristide goes to Belgium. The novel ends with the travel arrangements Carolines, which follows her brother to Rome.