Germinal | Short Essay Answer Key

Short Essay Answer Key

1. Describe how Germinal starts out.

Germinal starts on a Monday of February 1865, in the middle of the night. A young man named Etienne Lantier arrives on foot at the Voreux mining pit from Marchiennes, a town located a few kilometers away.

2. Why has Etienne come to the mine?

He is a mechanic who has been fired from his job at the railroad for hitting his supervisor; he has been out of work for a while.

3. Describe a little of Bonnemort.

He keeps coughing and spitting coal-colored phlegm while he talks, Bonnemort says he started to work in the mine at age 8 and never stopped since. Having worked for 45 years underground, he is now sick and disabled; for this reason, he cannot work inside the Voreux anymore.

4. In what type of situation does Bonnemort live?

Bonnemort, who lives in house...
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