La Conquête de Plassans

The conquest of Plassans (French La conquête de Plassans ) is a novel by Émile Zola in 1874 and the fourth part of the twenty -volume Rougon - Macquart cycle. As in the first novel, The Luck of the Rougon family plays the act in the fictional small town Plassans. The focus is a clergyman whose intrigues have tragic consequences for several of the participants.

Action

Initially, the pleasant and relaxed everyday life of Francois Mouret and his wife Marthe Mouret, born Rougon, portrayed. Francois is a weak character, which lacks assertiveness. Marthe is suffering from a mental illness. They have three children. Their eldest son Octave, an attractive but inept young man who is very attractive to women, is a fine house and The Paradise of Women in focus in the later novels. In addition, the younger son Serge Mouret have and the mentally disabled daughter Desriée. Both play in Sin of Father Mouret important roles.

Family life is disrupted when the Abbé Ovide Faujas and his old housekeeper move in as a lodger with them. The priest is to prevent as an agent of Napoleon the election of Republican candidates at the prefect choice. He first appears as a mysterious stranger who gains influence over Marthe and various inhabitants of Plassans over time by intrigue, and slanders. The brother Ovides, Trouche, and his wife Olympe also a pull at the Mouret. Take in the house soon more and more space to complete, eat the food from the pantry and pushing Francois from the family addition. Marthe forfeit a religious delusion. The selection decision will be made on the Napoleonic candidates. Francois is insanely placed in a madhouse. Martha goes after she visited her husband in his cell, to her uncle. Francois breaks out and lights at night at his house. Together with the invaders, he comes to the fire.