Germinal is a novel written by French author Émile Zola, published in 1885. It is the thirteenth novel in Zola's twenty-volume Les Rougon-Macquart series. The novel is set in a fictional town in northern France called Montsou, and follows the journey of Étienne Lantier, a young coal miner leading his "comrades/" in a strike against the oppressive "Compagnie/" whose shareholders have a luxurious lifestyle. is made possible thanks to the backbreaking work of the poor.
The novel is considered one of Zola's best works and takes its name from a spring month in the French Republican calendar. Written in the naturalist tradition, the book studies how people are the product of both inner forces and their environments. Throughout Germinal, Zola uses the metaphor of spring and growth to represent the growing awareness of the people. By offering examples of greed and selflessness, courage and ambition, the price of love and justice, and the tragedy of human suffering, the novel creates a picture of the indomitable human spirit .
The novel is divided into seven parts, each divided into chapters. Here is a brief summary of each part:
1. The Coal Basin: Étienne Lantier, a young mechanic recently fired from his railway job after hitting his boss, walks one evening on the highway in search of work. He discovers the Voreux coal mine and meets Bonnemort, a driver who has worked there for 50 years, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Étienne receives a job on a team led by Maheu, Bonnemort's son, and is dismayed by the working conditions at the mine. Catherine, Maheu's teenage daughter, helps him navigate the roads and shares his meager lunch with him. Étienne and Chaval, another young man on Maheu's team, instantly hate each other.
2. The colony: Étienne moves into the Maheu house and becomes a tenant. He shares a room with Catherine's brother, Zacharie, who has returned from the army. Étienne becomes friends with Souvarine, a Russian anarchist who came to France to work in the mines. The miners go on strike and the Company hires soldiers to break it. The miners are defeated and Étienne is arrested.
3. The strike: The miners go on strike again and Étienne becomes a leader of the movement. The Company hires more soldiers and the miners are defeated again. Étienne and Catherine fall in love.
4. Disaster: Miners are forced to work longer hours and are paid less. They are also forced to work in dangerous conditions. A disaster occurs in the mine and many miners are killed. Étienne and Catherine are stuck in the mine but are eventually rescued.
5. The Descent: Miners are forced to work even harder and their living conditions deteriorate. The relationship between Étienne and Catherine becomes strained. The miners prepare a violent uprising.
6. The Torrent: The miners' uprising is brutally suppressed by the Company. Étienne and Catherine flee to Paris.
7. The Harvest: Étienne and Catherine return to Montsou, and the miners go on strike again. The Company hires more soldiers and the miners are defeated again. Étienne and Catherine leave Montsou together.
I hope this summary will help you understand the book better!.
More: Germinal, Émile Zola, Les Rougon-Macquart
Coal miners' strike, northern France, 1860s
socialist principles, labor movement literature, anarchist
political émigré, pub owner, Étienne Lantier
The Assommoir, The Human Beast, genetic theories
00:00:00 Introduction by Havelock Ellis
00:05:42 Part one. Chapter I
00:27:23 Chapter II
00:47:53 Chapter III
01:17:01 Chapter IV
01:41:57 Chapter V
02:04:48 Chapter VI
02:25:39 Part two. Chapter I
02:48:36 Chapter II
03:12:59 Chapter III
03:40:46 Chapter IV
04:00:30 Chapter V
04:29:05 Part three. Chapter I
04:55:39 Chapter II
05:26:46 Chapter III
05:49:49 Chapter IV
06:13:15 Chapter V
06:37:25 Part four. Chapter I
07:09:10 Chapter II
07:29:19 Chapter III
07:53:06 Chapter IV
08:27:35 Chapter V
08:55:52 Chapter VI
09:27:02 Chapter VII
09:53:23 Part five. Chapter I
10:14:34 Chapter II
10:41:25 Chapter III
11:02:30 Chapter IV
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