Emile Zola’s “Germinal” is not just a story of a coal miners’ strike; it is an exploration of the human condition under the weight of industrial oppression. The narrative delves deep into the lives of Montsou coal miners, their plight, and their uprising led by the socialist-minded Etienne. It questions the efficacy of their strike against the oppressive wage policies of the Montsou Coal Enterprise, probing the depths of human resilience and the pursuit of equitable rights in a callous industrial landscape.
If you haven’t read Germinal by Emile Zola yet, I strongly recommend that you do so. You can find Emile Zola’s Germinal on Amazon.
This article dissects the book‘s central theme—workers’ struggle for rights against economic exploitation—and analyzes the effectiveness of their uprising. We delve into the business environment of the time, the stark class distinctions, and the nascent union movements. By examining Zola’s portrayal of labor relations, the narrative’s relevance to modern industry, particularly in the Turkish and global mining sectors, is brought to light.
What is the Main Theme of Germinal and What is Questioned?
The main theme of Germinal is that the workers, who could not get the return of their efforts in the economic system at that time, went on strike under the leadership of Etienne, who was fed with socialist thoughts.
Germinal is seeking an answer of the question of how useful way the strike against Montsou Coal Enterprise, which reduced the cost of the company by deducting workers’ salaries, to get rights and get better living conditions for Montsou coal workers, who live in difficult conditions. Also, Zola explain us this answer via a Montsou coal workers. Zola tells us this answer through the difficulties faced by Montsou workers during the strike, from the environment of Maheu and his family, who were most affected by the strike, and Etienne’s feelings for Catharine, the daughter of this family.
The Business Environment at the Time Narrated by Germinal
At the time described in Germinal, there is a work environment in which the economic crisis suffered has more severe consequences for workers such as hunger, unemployment, illness and death.
Thanks to slavery, which was adapted to the rule by large enterprises, workers were employed as slaves and consumed their lives just to add wealth to the wealth of the people called the bourgeois. For example, when we look at Bonnemort, we see a worker who has spent his life in a mine and a character who has to live with severe illnesses caused by working in the mine in an unhealthy environment. And, he says this destiny is legacy which comes from his grandfathers and it will go to his grandchildren.
At another point, in order to meet the needs of the house, the workers had to employ their children under the age of 18 at the mine, whereas the adult children of the bourgeois class spent their lives in abundance without working at all.
In addition, although the company tells them to give importance to buttress, the workers who received money per wagon and who were not sufficient to live the money they received, were always at risk of dent and death because they did not give required importance to the work of buttress. It means there was a business environment lack of work safety at that time.
From a firm’s perspective, there is a business environment where large enterprises are more resistant to difficult economic conditions and the economic crisis, and small businesses are either closed or bought by large enterprises. For example, as a result of the strike that started in Montsou, leaping to Jean-Bart, Deneulin was unable to deal with the strike conditions and had to sell their quarry to the Montsou Coal Enterprise.
A Comparison of Human-Human, Human-Machine, and Organization-Union Relations in Today’s industries in Turkey and the World
When we look at today’s businesses, we can say that human-human relations are more developed than when Germinal is told, human rights come to the fore and are improved morally. In particular, we observe that women’s rights have improved a lot compared to that time. For example, today, families cannot force their children to work at a young age. However, there is one thing that does not change, it is the gossip does the same harm to human-human relations today. In addition, Zola talks about the times when the distinction between the rich and the poor is very high, that the workers are employed as slaves and that the workers’ rights are less than the managers.
We live on the days when the workers had better rights, the workers had better live conditions and when the difference between the rich and the poor was slightly closed thanks to the seeds –Germinal– planted at that time like name of the book.
However, we can say that these developments are generally in developed countries. Unfortunately, there are still countries, especially in African countries, where people still live under the same conditions, where the wealthy or businesses use people as slaves, where there are no women’s rights, where no workers’ rights, and where executives crush workers. As an example of this, we can show the Soma mining disaster that occurred in 2014 in Turkey and resulted in the death of 301 workers. Unfortunately, there are still workers who cannot get their compensation and, according to these workers, there is no improvement in terms of work safety.
When we look at the relationship between human and machine, it can be said that machines in almost every field make people more comfortable than when the book is told. I can say that the development of technology had increase manpower and work safety.
In the organization-union relationship, we are living at a time when the workers are more organized, the worker unions have a more developed structure, and the organizations have to allow these unions. In Germinal, Zola talks about a beginning period in which international organization, called ‘Eternasyonel’ ended due to internal conflicts and leadership quarrels. Today, we can say that such unions and organizations are better organized and that these organizations better defend workers’ rights and provide more opportunities to workers in case of injustice by business organizations.
Which Theoretical Perspective of Organizations Seems to Have More Explanatory Potential in the Story, Argue?
In Germinal, we see that the Montsou Coal Enterprise focuses on production and is not concerned with the behavior of its workers. The company has planned to reduce the cost with deducting wages of workers, it has never thought of, even under difficult economic conditions. Such as, Montsou Coal Enterprise’s wage policy per coal-filled wagon and make a hidden cut in these wages during the economic crisis.
In addition, we see that a division of labor is made among workers in the mine and in management, and that the authority is in Mr. Hennebeau, the director of the enterprise.
We can say that all these features comply with the Scientific Management Theory. Also, Classical perspective was adopted by the Montsou Coal Enterprises. Because, in Germinal, Coal Enterprise focuses on production and is not concerned with the behavior of its workers. Zola, on the other hand, explains the damages of this system through Etienne and predicted that one day this system would collapse.
