Part I: Chapter 1-6 Summary

Germinal is an important novel about work relationships and political movements. It was written at the end of the nineteenth century by Emile Zola, a prolific French writer of the era; it soon became a classic text everywhere around the world. The author spent nearly a year studying the world of the miners and the mechanics of social conflicts that were plaguing Europe in the middle of that century. Zola succeeded in presenting the many points of view that surface when social conflict erupts. Despite the novel being over 100 years old, many of the political situations that are described in Germinal are still at play in the contemporary world. Aside from being one of the best novels ever written, it is also an excellent example of what Zola christened the 'naturalist' movement in literature.

Germinal starts on...