Justice and Prejudice in Émile Zola’s Truth

Abstract

This article focuses on the legal aspects of the novel Truth (Vérité) by the French author Émile Zola. It addresses the wrongful conviction of Simon in the rape and murder of his nephew, which was motivated by prejudice, the retrial, and the final rehabilitation. In addition, it deals with Zola’s intent to promote through the novel public-secular education and to illuminate the injustice that Alfred Dreyfus has faced. Finally, the article focuses on two essential legal mechanisms for rectifying miscarriages of justice that appear in the novel: the retrial and the right of exonerated individuals to compensation.