Germinal | Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Part I: Chapter 1-6

1. Describe how Germinal starts out.

2. Why has Etienne come to the mine?

3. Describe a little of Bonnemort.

4. In what type of situation does Bonnemort live?

5. How did Etienne get a job and what will he be doing?

6. How do the miners get to their jobs?

7. Why do Chaval and Etienne not get along?

8. What does Etienne tell Catherine about himself on his first day of work?