Entiene spreads ideas of a strike believing to be treated unfair by working long hours and being unpaid and what was more, further reductions in pay to give more benefit for the bourgeoisie. The new and free minded idea is supported by fellow miners at first, however after being hit by a cold wave of harsh reality of starvation, workers start to loose their belief in succeeding.They stop fighting for the right purpose, furthermore, things get out of control and strikers decide not to follow Entienne’s plans and decide to demolish the mine, machinery and attack aristocracy’s houses. As a result, the army is being sent against the strikers. They open the fire and Maheu, Moquette dye in the fight.
Tragic deaths stop workers and eventually, they decide to ask for their jobs back, having no other choice. The only person that sees that choice as an act of betrayal is Suwarin, who decides to sabotage and damages the entrance shaft of the mine. When the whole place gets trapped down the mine the whole place gets flooded and workers get trapped.Following another argument, Entiene kills Chaval, Catherine’s lover, with a brick of stone.Finally, Catherine and Entienne uncover their feelings but the lovers don’t get to live in happiness for long as Catherine dies from starvation.
The rescue action effects in only one survival, Entienne, who eventually quits the job at mine and leaves with a new hope in his heart, despite the tragic past, he was waiting for another social revolution to come, that this time would begin a new revolutionary era for the lower classes and change the future.
Emile Zola, Germinal
Winchester University Journalism Course History and Context of Journalism Part III
