Zola’s Novel ‘The Drinking Den’ Essay Example Essay Example

Zola’s Novel ‘The Drinking Den’ Essay Example Paper Zola’s Novel ‘The Drinking Den’ Essay Introduction Zola’s book ‘the drinking den’ is not just an artistic piece of literature but it is a creative piece of work that portrays its characters in a vivid way. The book’s title that is translated from French means the working class bar. This sends a beforehand meaning thus making the book easy to comprehend. The author sets his work in a place that is so well known to him, this thus makes his work to sound realistic and in touch with its immediate environment. The book is set in the taverns of Paris; it revolves around the working-class people who are living in the slums of a city. Zola’s work is mainly influenced by contemporary theories of heredity and experimental science and by the behavior of the two families. The two families in the context behave the way they do due to the influence of their environment and the inherent characteristics: mental instability and drunkenness. The book though first written in French its translation to English makes it m ore interesting to the non French speaking audience. Zola in his ‘The Drinking Den’ tells of Gerviase who is left by her lover and gets to accept a marriage proposal from Coupeau which she thinks is a safe haven at last, but this does not last for long due to the drunkenness of monsieur Coupeau. The book comes out as quite a sensational piece of work. The book addresses the issues of poverty, slums, and drunkenness of the under class. Zola artistically portrays his main character in a very sympathetic manner in her struggle to attain happiness. The translator gives Zola’s article more clarity. Zola comes out as a critic of his working class characters. It is so clear that Zola had done a research on his audience; this is portrayed by the language he uses which makes the book more realistic to the atmosphere. The language used clearly comes out in the use of slang words and layman phrases. Zola vividly describes the working class as a lot full of drunkards. Though the book has more in it than meets the eye as to the author, the audience has a different take on the point implied. The audience believes Zola was mainly intending to talk about the evils and dangers of alcoholism. The book receives variety of views on its content ranging from criticism from those who it talks about to appraisal from those who like what it talks about. Zola believes his novel is a true depiction of society and not mere fiction. Zola’s Novel ‘The Drinking Den’ Essay Body Paragraphs Though the book revolves around Zola’s heroine; Gervaise, it addresses many issues that are facing society through her. Zola uses this book to express the reality that lies in the society. It can be said that the book develops from the author’s heart, this is so because this is an environment that he grew up in hence he interacted, watched and heard this evils in society that he decides to talk about. This connection with the material that he has written about makes his work to have originality and be quite sensational. Zola comes out as aligned to the working class and the underclass alike he therefore criticizes both the working class and the underclass. Zola starts off his book by showing how desperate his main character is. Gervaise lives in uncertainty, she does not know where the husband slept and this keeps her waiting the whole night for him. The book starts from where it supposedly could have ended in that we get to know of what happens after the other and not what happens before what. Though Gervaise had thought marriage had brought her peace of mind and happiness it comes out that it brings her more heartache than the happiness she had thought. She gets to be threatened by the thought of unfaithfulness when her husband doesn’t come home that night. Zola‘s plot reflects the real happenings in the society. In Gervaise’s opinion problems in marriage are normal since everyone experiences trouble. Zola uses this story to show the sufferings and unkind treatment that women are put through by their husbands without complaining. Zola portrays Gervaise as troubled when he says that Gervaise had been waiting for her husband the whole night till she got a fever. It is also from this book that the author gives a picture of the differences in society; the working class and the underclass. Zola portrays the poverty in this society by use of very descriptive terms and a lot of symbolism. Zola expresses how poor Gerviase and her hu sband are by the reference to their possessions as: dingy furnished room with three wicker chairs and a little stained table. Zola goes on to insist on how poor Lantier and Gervaise are by describing the trunk in the corner of the house as being empty but having an old hat buried in dirty clothes and a moth-eaten shawl. All this description shows Zola’s attitude against the underclass. The author also shows the poverty of the society by expressing how women are poorly dressed in dirty dresses. The description of how the lantern of Gervaise has cracked panes is also an aspect of emphasizing the poverty they are in (Emile 2004, 5) The author also uses his characters to show how the underclass society is invaded with a high rate of crime. Gervaise hears of the cries of the people whom are being murdered, this shows the insecurity level that the people in the underclass face. Zola also describes the people and the animals as the uninterrupted stream of animals and men and carts. The author therefore shows the indecent means of transport that this people have, the means of transport can be supposedly be said to be by carts. From then description of the laborers as ‘the tramping of herd of animals’ also shows the attitude the author has towards them (Emile 2004, 6) The author brings out the drunkenness in this Parisian society; he describes the men drinking in the early morning hours before going to their places of work. All that these men are focused on is, their drinks and nothing more; nothing brings more meaning to their lives more than the alcohol. Zola describes how the laborers are lowly motivated hence are just dragging themselves to their working place. The author also expresses of the poor mannerisms in this society by the use of the conversation between the bareheaded woman and Gervaise. The conversation takes place from the pavement to window. It also comes out that women are just there for the purpose of serving and defending their h usbands. Even with the long wait we still see Gervaise goes on waiting for her husband. The long wait for her husband is all in vain since when he comes back he does not appreciate the sleepless night that Gervaise has spent waiting for him. It soon happens that Lantier abandons Gervaise who is left to vend for herself and her sons. Gervaise’s struggle becomes so hard on her that she decides to get married to Monsieur Coupeau a roofing engineer. This wedding seems to be a bright turn of events for Gervaise. Gervaise manages to raise capital to start her own laundry shop. The raising of this money is an implication of the effects of non alcoholism. Since Coupeau is not a drunkard this makes it easier for Gervaise to start the business due to the harmony that comes along with non-drunkenness. The getting married of the main character to Coupeau changes her life since she has nothing to worry about due to the stability that comes with the new marriage. The heroine gets to experi ence love and give love to a man who loves her. The getting of a baby is a sign of commitment from the husband and boosts the bond of the marriage. Unlike the former lover who was arrogant, uncaring and insensitive the reverse is true in this relationship. Zola uses this marriage to give a comparison of the various relationships in society. The book also reveals the effect of alcohol to marriages and relationships in general. It therefore clearly comes out that alcohol is one of the factors leading to broken marriages. Zola also shows how the society has succumbed to evils related to alcoholism. This is implicated by the book by the laborers’ conduct; some laborers miss going to work just to sit around and drink. The author vividly uses his artistic piece to show how alcoholism has led to a rise in moral decadence of this society. For instance there are cases of murder and everyone knows about them but little can be done to control the vice. Also the use of alcohol has led to the increase of mental instability and poverty. For instance the women are seen walking in the streets dressed in dirty old clothes; this can be contemplated to be as a result of the drunkenness by their husbands (Emile 2004, 7) Gervaise’s life takes a different turn when her husband; Coupeau gets an accident while doing a roof in a new hospital. This changes her life from better to worse, the husband gets to be bedridden for a long time thus making him to be unproductive financially. Gervaise thereby strives to keep her family together but this gets offhand due to the financial responsibility that she can not meet. This struggle finally leads to her loosing her laundry business. The marriage thus is at the verge of coming to an end. The struggles lead to social instability in the family hence mental instability on both of the parents. The painful suffering from the accident finally makes Coupeau to turn to alcohol hence becoming an addict. Things get to turn from worse to w orst when the former lover, Lantier makes a come back. This refreshes the memories from the past. The social chaos and the financial strain finally become too much for Gervaise to withstand, she therefore succumbs to alcoholism. This turn of things make Nana to run to Paris and never to return home. This finally marks the breaking of the family and the downhill of events. Both Coupeau and Gervaise becomes fully sucked into alcoholism. Lantier gets to be part of their lives too; now that Coupeau has lost all interest for Gervaise he is quite happy for Lantier’s return. The Lantier return is one of the major reasons why Gervaise takes into the heavy drinking. Zola clearly shows how alcohol is used to evade life’s realities. This clearly comes out from the way Coupeau turns to alcohol due to his long term painful illness that he feels he can not bear. The illness makes him to totally give up looking for a job, hence since he has lost meaning in life he decides to embrace alcoholism. On the other hand when Gervaise becomes overwhelmed by the turn of events; increasing debts she can not pay, the comeback of Lantier, the financial instability and the mental instability she also gives up and turns to alcohol. It therefore comes out clearly that this working class society has no better way of resolving problems other than escaping reality by the consumption of alcohol. The author shows his heroine succumb to the struggles in her life, thus portraying the climax of the plot. The picture is meant to show the dangers related to alcoholism and the way liquor tears down society. For instance, it is due to alcoholism that Lantier leaves Gervaise. The happenings in the lives of the characters of this novel clearly portray all the odds of alcoholism: poverty, underdevelopment, financial instability and crime. It can therefore be said that Zola’s novel is not only geared towards the alcoholism of the working class but he also addresses the general evils fa cing society as a result of alcoholism. It can therefore be concluded that though Zola sympathizes with the workers he sternly judges their behavior and actions. He is thus on no ones side. Reference Emile, Zola. 2004. The Drinking Den. New York: Penguin Group. We will write a custom essay sample on Zola’s Novel ‘The Drinking Den’ Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Zola’s Novel ‘The Drinking Den’ Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Zola’s Novel ‘The Drinking Den’ Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Should You Drop A Class Does It Look Bad Why

Should You Drop A Class Does It Look Bad Why SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you struggling in a class or simply not enjoying it and wondering if you should drop it?Are you worried about how this might look to colleges and future employers? Should you drop a class? Read this guide to learn about the benefits and drawbacks to dropping and how to decide whether or not you should drop a class. What Does It Mean to Drop a Class? Dropping a class means that you have chosen to unenroll in that course. In order toofficially drop a class, you often have to visit your academic counselor or the school office and fill out a form thatmay need to be signed by the teacher of that class. Many high schools only allow students to drop a class before a certain deadline. This deadline varies by high school and can sometimes be a month into the semester, halfway through the semester, or a different cutoff date.If you’re thinking about dropping a class, first make sure it’s still an available option. Ask your academic counselor or look at your school’s student handbook to find information on drop deadlines. Once you have dropped a class, you no longer have to attend it, and you will no longer receive a grade in that course. Instead, there will usually be a â€Å"W† (for â€Å"Withdrawn†) next to the course’s name, instead of a letter grade, on your transcript.This â€Å"W† will not affect your GPA.If you drop the class early enough, usually within the first few weeks, your transcript may not even show the dropped class. However, if you miss this deadline, your transcript will show that you withdrew from the course, even if you sign up for a new course in its place. If you drop a class and later decide to retake it, you will have to retake the entire course, no matter how far along the course was when you dropped it.Also, your transcript will usually show that this wasn’t your first time enrolling in the class and that you retook it (sometimes with an â€Å"R† next to the letter grade received). After you drop a class, you may need to enroll in a new course to take the place of the one you droppedin order to have enough credits to graduate on time, but this isn't always required. Your advisor will explain if this is something you need to do. Why Might You Want to Drop a Class? There are a number of reasons a student may want to drop a class, including: You signed up for too many honors or AP courses and don't have enough time to devote to all of them. The course you signed up for is not what you expected it to be, and you no longer find it interesting or useful. You signed up for too many classes above the normal high school course load and need to drop one. You don't like the way the class is being taught and feel you won't learn much from it. The class you signed up for is too challenging, and you don't think you'll be able to pass it or get a good grade in it. Your interests or future college major changed, and you decided to take classes in a different field. The class you're in is too easy, so you are dropping it and changing to a more advanced version of the class or the next course in the sequence. Why Might Dropping a Class Be Bad? Students often worry that dropping a class will hurt their chances of getting into their top colleges. They may think that colleges will see them as quitters or not intelligent if their transcript shows that they dropped a class or classes. Students may also worry that dropping a class will prevent them from graduating high school on time because they won't be taking enough credits that semester. Why Might Dropping a Class Be Good? Dropping a class is much better for your GPA than failing a class or getting a C or D in it isbecause a dropped class does not affect your grade point average. Dropping a class may also raise your GPA because itcan allow you to spend more time on other classes and raise your grades in them. If you are really struggling with a class, dropping it can also significantly reduce your stress and anxiety. Should You Drop a Class? Clearly thereare positives and negatives to dropping a class. So when does it look bad to drop a high school class?Read through the next section, asking yourself the seven questions listed below, to help you decide whether it would be best to drop a class or stick with it. Consideration 1: What Grade Are You Getting in the Class? If you believe you will fail the class or get a low grade no matter what you do, it is usually better to drop it, because getting a C, D or F can significantly hurt your GPA and usually looks worse to colleges than dropping a class does.If you just happened to get a low score on one test or project, you may want to talk to the teacher about the probability of improving your grade before dropping the class. It could have been just an exceptionally difficult assignment, and there will be chances to raise your grade in the future. If you are trying to get a perfect or close to perfect GPA and are worried that one somewhat low grade on your GPA will hurt your chances of getting into top colleges, it is generally OK to drop one class for that reason, but colleges would prefer to see a few B’s on your transcript rather than a lot of dropped classesbecause the latter may cause them to think you have difficulties completing things. Consideration 2:How Have You Tried to Raise Your Grade? If you are thinking about dropping a class because you are not getting a good grade, first ask yourself if you have tried to improve your grade.This can include studying more, setting aside more time to work on the class, and speaking to the teacher about ways to improve your grade.If you have already tried to raise your grade but are still close to failing, it is usually better to drop the class. If you think there are ways you can raise your grade, you may want to try those methods and see if they improve your grade before dropping the class.However, be aware of how much time is left in the semester. It’s much easier to raise your grade three weeks into a class than when the class is more than halfway over. Consideration 3:Is the Class Affecting Other Areas of Your Life? If the class you are considering dropping is so challenging or time-consuming that it is causing your grades in other classes to suffer, it’s better to drop the class.This will strengthen your transcript in the long run because, after dropping the class, you’ll have a better chance of getting good grades in the rest of your classes. The same is also true if you find a class so overwhelming that it causes you a lot of stress, anxiety, or worry. Feeling this way can cause other areas of your life to suffer, and that isn’t worth it just to stick with one class. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Consideration 4:Do You Need to Know the Material the Class Covers for Future Classes? Will the information you learn in this class be used for future high school or college classes?Not understanding the material well now, even if you pass the class, could hurt your future grades. If you are taking a class that is important to your academic and professional future but feel like you don'tunderstand the material, it may be better to drop the class and take it again in the future if you think things will be better the next time.This is a key consideration. Don’t expect to retake a class again and get a higher grade or understand the material better if the only change is the semester you took it. Potential changes that could justify retaking the class a different semester include: having the class taught by a different teacher, having more time to focus on the class because your other classes or extracurriculars will be less time-consumingthan they are now, or knowing thatyou’ll study the subject between now and the time you retake the classso that you start the class with an introductory knowledge of the material. Consideration 5:What Other Class Options Are There? Are there other similar options for the class, such as taking it at a regular level instead of honors or AP?If so, this may make it easier to drop the class and switch to a less demanding variation of it. This is an especially good option if you need the class in order to graduate because it allows you to complete the requirement, but usually with a higher grade than you would have received if you’d stayed in the original class.Colleges also prefer that you take a lower level course and get a good grade than take an advanced level with a very low grade. Consideration 6:Will Your Transcript Show That You Dropped a Class? Many high schools offer a period (often up to the first two weeks or month of class) when students can drop a class without it showing up on their transcript at all.This allows students to try out classes in a low-risk way. If this is the case for you, and you find yourself in a class you either don’t like or can’t manage during this add/drop period, you should feel free to drop the class.There will be no mark on your transcript, so colleges won’t ever see or know that you dropped the class.If you drop a class early on in the semester, try to add another class in its place so you still have a full schedule and can be sure of meeting the number of credits required for graduation. If this is a class you are required to take but found too challenging, be sure to be more prepared the next time you take it.Talk to the teacher about materials you can review before you retake the class so that the information is more familiar and you have a head start. Consideration 7:Have You Dropped Other Classes Before? Is this the first class you have dropped? If so, it is usually fine to drop the class if you find it overwhelming or not what you thought it would be, even if the dropped course shows up on your transcript.Having one dropped class on your transcript will almost never have an effect on your chances of getting accepted to colleges. College admissions officers are generally very understanding, and they know that if a student dropped one class in high school, they may have simply taken on too much or misjudged what a class would cover. However, if you have dropped more than two classes, this may be concerning to colleges because it may show a habit of giving up or not seeing things through.If you have dropped multiple classes before, try to figure out if there’s an underlying reason. Do you sign up for too many classes and find yourself overwhelmed? Do sign up for honors or AP classes but find them too challenging? Figure out why you have dropped multiple classes and work to end the cycle, whether it’s by taking fewer classes, taking more introductory classes before moving on to advanced levels, or another method. If you are worried about multiple dropped classes on your transcript affecting your college applications, you can attach a note to your application, explaining the situation and the work you’ve done to stop the pattern and improve since then.If you are an underclassman thinking about dropping a class, be aware that students often find the classes they take their junior and senior years to be more difficult, so if you drop a class or two as an underclassman, it may make deciding whether to drop an additional class later on a more challenging decision because your transcript will already show that you have dropped classes before. Summary: Should You Drop a Class? So, if you're struggling with a class or just really not enjoying it, is it OK to drop it? As mentioned above, in most cases it's OK to drop a class, especially if you haven't dropped a class before. Colleges understand that sometimes circumstances change, and having one dropped class on your transcript won't hurt your college applications. However, there are still some considerations to keep in mind. First, if you drop your class too late, you may get a low or failing grade for it, which could really hurt your GPA. Second, dropping a required class could mean you need to retake it during the summer or risk not graduating on time. And, finally, if you've dropped multiple classes already, that could negatively impact your college applications since schools may think you're not capable of following through with things you started. If you're still struggling to decide whether to drop a class, set up an appointment with your guidance counselor or academic advisor. They'll be able to look at your complete situation and help you make the best decision. What's Next? Wondering what colleges look for on high school transcripts and how strong yours is? Read our guide to learn what a transcript includes and why it’s often the most important part of your college application. Trying to decide how strong your GPA is? Learn what a good GPA is, what a bad GPA is, and where yours stands. Wondering which classes you should take in high school?We have a guide that lays out the high school classes you should take in every major subject area,as well as electives, in order to impress colleges. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: