Earth (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Émile Zola
- First Published: 1887
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Naturalism
- Time of Work: The 1860’s
- Setting: La Beauce, France
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism, Naturalistic literature
- Subjects: Family or family life, France or French people, Murder or homicide, Nineteenth century, Villages, Jealousy, envy, or resentment, Obsession, Farms, farmers, or farming, Greed, Property, Peasantry or peasants
- Locales: France
Characters Discussed
Fouan (fwahn), a proud, tough, suspicious old peasant whose waning powers lead him, like King Lear, to divide his land among his children. Without land he loses their fear and respect, and they strip him of the rest of his possessions until he is powerless. Humiliated everywhere, he moves from home to home. Finally his youngest son, fearing Fouan will report him for murder, smothers and burns him.
Rose, his simple, submissive wife, who dies after being hit by the youngest son, leaving Fouan in solitude.
Hyacinthe (yah-SAHNT), called...
[The entire page is 1006 words long]
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