Summary

The entirety of the seventh chapter is devoted to the party and feast thrown by Gervaise for her Saint’s Day, the 19th of June. These special days are staples in the Coupeaus household, and something they never let pass by without an excess of food and drink. Yet, Coupeau’s alcoholism has caused much resentment within the household, on behalf of both Gervaise and her friends, most notably Virginie. Zola explains at the start of the chapter that “The Coupeaus spent money like water on these occasions, celebrating with binges which left you round as a barrel, your belly stuffed full for the week. Everyone’s spare cash was scraped together. In that household, the minute they’d saved up a few sous, they blew them on food. They added imaginary saint’s days to the calendar just as an excuse for a...