Germinal by Emile Zola

Children do not attend school and instead must work to support their families. Lunch is eaten underground, giving the miners no time to wash their hands after having handled coal and sweat for most of the day. Sometimes the temperature becomes so unbearable, that the miners, often including the women are forced to remove their shirts. If somebody is injured in a mining accident, the mining company insures their medical care but not their wage. This is the case of Jeanlin, one of Maheu's sons. While he is in the hospital, the family loses a wage, making their struggle even more rigorous. .
             The life of the veteran miners is also difficult. Though he no longer has to work underground, Gonner, Maheu's father-in-law suffers greatly from his 50 years of mining labor. While he is only fifty eight, many of his motor skills have failed him and he often coughs up black phlegm. He is also forced by the company to retire early because of minor pains. This makes it easy for the company to chip away at his pension. .
             After Lantier has established himself in the community, there are several obstacles leading up to the strike. While trying to convince many of the miners in his favor, Lantier comes into disagreement with two other men. One man, Rasseneur, believes that Lantier should seek the help of workers all over Europe and form a large union. Another man, Souvarine, believes in anarchy and thinks violence is the only way to succeed against the bosses. Though Lantier's ideas of a simple strike eventually prevail, the miners do not have everybody's support as some miners did not know whose plan to follow. Some of the miners lack the confidence to truly stand up to the bosses and are skeptical about the ability of the strike to triumph. This is another reason the strike did not meet its expectations. The bosses and owners try to target influential miners to dispose of the strike such as Maheu, who is unconvinced after a discussion with a foreman.