Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Emile Zola’s “Au Bonheur des Dames” [“The Ladies’ Happiness”]. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
An 8 page paper which examines whether, in Zola’s view, the creation of the store called Au Bonheur des Dames is a good thing and considers whether its effects are chiefly good or bad. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Page Count:
8 pages (~225 words per page)
File: TG15_TGbondam.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
was an example of progress and also became an important contemporary form of socialization. Using his pen as a microscope, Emile Zola closely examined the effects of capitalism on
middle-class life in his epic, multi-volume series, Les Rougon-Macquart. His text, Au Bonheur des Dames (The Ladies Happiness or Paradise), which was added to the series in 1883, chronicled
the transformation of the small, family-owned retail store into an orderly and well-oiled byproduct of Industrial Revolution mechanization. Not only did the text consider whether or not the ladies
specialty store (which was named "Au Bonheur des Dames") was beneficial to society and its members but also explored how this department store affected the delicate gender balance that had
been firmly in place throughout French history. The ambitious Octave Mouret inherited a family operated Parisian drapery shop and decided to transform the business into a huge department store, which
soon dwarfs its considerably smaller specialty boutique competition. Zola emphasizes how womens increased participation in the consumer sphere has significantly changed buying and spending habits. Mouret, it seems,
is not only an astute businessman but also possesses great insights into what motivates his female clientele, a savvy which will serve him well. He understands that for women,
gazing at and purchasing beautiful items is a sensuous experience. After the initial novelty of his massive store began to wear off, Mouret would strategically launch a large summer
sale in early spring and change the stores layout so that it would be unfamiliar and female customers would have to look at everything in each aisle. By forcing
women "to go through departments where [they]d never have set foot, temptations present themselves as [they] pass, and succumb" (237). They would find themselves enticed into buying items they
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