Germinal is about the impact of the industrial revolution on the working class. Etienne Lantier is an out of work and homeless mechanic. The book starts with Etienne searching the mines in northern France for a job. He secures one in a coalmine called Le Voreux. The book then tells about what this experience was like for him and describes the people he met along the way. The next part of the book compared the rich families to the poor families. The book then talks about Etienne's popularity among the miners. Throughout the beginning of the book Etienne's influence and power over his fellow miners increases quickly. The main event of this book is when the mineworkers actually go on strike against the mines. This book ends with the germination of a new society. .
Zola's message to his readers focuses on the brutal working conditions in nineteenth century European factories and mines. Zola uses several mining disasters to demonstrate these conditions. One of the problems that existed in the mine was the temperature. Down in the bottom of the mine, 12,828 feet below ground, the temperature was very cool and the workers suffered. At the top of the mine, the workers did not have the same problem. The temperature was very hot there and the air did not circulate. Another problem exhibited in the mine was the water. As the workers plummeted deeper into the mine, they experienced a downpour just before plunging into darkness. Another common problem was exhaustion. Due to the temperature, working conditions, and amount of work, many workers experienced health problems such as coughing and fatigue. Working hours of the miners was a huge problem. They worked from before dawn until after dusk to avoid the alternative: starvation, which was a huge problem. The worker's wages were not enough to feed their families. They often had to borrow, beg, or steal just to feed their families.