Germinal's Influence

Zola's masterpiece is set in the French society of the 1860's; the action happens during the early stages of the rise of the working class against the aristocratic middle class establishment (called the "bourgeoisie"). The title of the novel itself points to the idea of germination in plants. In Zola's analogy, social and political ideas behave much like wild seeds in the natural world: sowed in a fertile soil and given the right conditions and, ideas will grow and develop into something much bigger and stronger than their initial state might suggest. Ideas will also spread around them and contaminate their surrounding, and eventually take a life of their own. 

Germinal, although by no means a new concept in theme, is very much a virgin stylistically. Throughout history working class revolutions have occurred e.g. French Revolution or Communism's rise of Tsarist Russia, but for a descriptive work of fiction Zola's Germinal is a the first and best of its kind. 

Germinal's lengthily descriptions has seen numerous television and film adaptations adding a huge degree of poignancy to the novel's resume. On top of this he has influenced many of the arts including fellow authors and artists a like. 

The artist Van Gogh was particularly influenced by Germinal with sociological criticism being implicit within much of his paintings (most notably The Potato eaters). Van Gogh produced painting which conveyed naturalism in some of its bleakest and most pessimistic forms. Furthermore, he influenced a legacy of naturalist authors, the likes of which include August Strindberg, Frank Norris, and Theodore Dreiser.