Money

Zola's Money (L'Argent, 1891) shows the corrupting effect of untrammelled stock-market speculation. While some seek redemption through philanthropic and evangelical ventures, others—such as the main protagonist, Saccard—embrace their own avarice. Speculators illegally push up share prices so that ordinary citizens are feverishly swept up in an epidemic of small-scale investment. After unsustainable growth, there follows the inevitable crash, unleashing widespread misery and playing out against a backdrop of looming European conflict, colonialism, economic instability and political revolution. As Saccard tries to keep ahead of the financial authorities, he finds himself increasingly haunted by a serious crime from his past.