One such author was Emile Zola. He used his talents to show how dark the years during the Second Empire, in France were. In "Germinal," Zola used his characters' lives to depict the pain and suffering that the majority of France's lower class went through.

The French society, during this time, could be compared to s feudal society. There was a hierarchy amongst the citizens. The lower class people would work in the mines. The upper class folks would own such mines.

The picture of society was miserable. The workers were underpaid; the living conditions were in humane. The only escape the workers had was when they would turn to drinking. Their children were malnutrition. The women were trapped by debt.

The workers had to mine for coal. They were given a particular amount of money, bread, and somewhat shelter.

Another way, in which society was different was in Brooklyn, religion was not as strictly enforced. Frank's grandmother and Aunt Angie always looked down up him, because he was not as familiar with his faith as they would have liked him to be. His grandmother was a very holy person. She, as well as the rest of the Irish society, strongly believed in Catholiscm.

It wasn't until the day Maxim meet up with three brothers, from the upper class, did he realizes a difference. "I liked seeing them play unfamiliar games, in such a friendly way, and I was impressed by their clothes and eager concern, for one another," (140). Over time, they became good friends. Their relationships were growing until they were seen playing with each other. The group was forbidden to stay together. Society segregates all.

"Black Boy," was Richard Wright's autobiography about a young black boy, trying to survive in the Jim Crow south. He was born in 1908, in Mississippi. He was a black boy, in a white south, without any shades of gray. Race, segregation, and prejudice, were all factors in his childhood.

Society also segregates against one another, due to their financial status. Employers would rather higher a person who comes to an interview with a "clean-cut" look, rather then those who show up looking ravaged. This has just become part of everyday life.

When he left Borstal, he went back to robbing. This was the life he led. It was the only life he was accustomed to. He believed he was forced by the upper class to live as he did. Smith felt that the "in-laws" segregated against the "out-laws". His defeat at the race was his victory over those who had always beat him.

When Frank's father took him to see about becoming an Altar Boy, the priest told him there were no positions available. His mother believed this was, because of "class distinction." She felt they wanted the boys with the nice shoe, clean hair, and the father's with the good jobs. She began to believe that God did was not good to those who lived in the Lanes of Lymrick.

Since he was such a good runner, he was given the freedom to run, every morning. The governor wanted him to become the winner of the Blue Ribbon Prize Cup. He was treated like a "prize horse." Although he was able to win, he intended on loosing. This was his way of getting back at the establishment.

When it comes time for the race, he looses the race on spite. He believed that, if it weren't for his running capabilities, he would have been treated like a punk. Since he lost, he was given six months of hard labor, but he did not care. Smith was over-joyed at the fact that he beat the system. The "in-laws" beat the "out-laws."

The book's characters were also segregated due to their social stature. Maxim's family was apart of the middle-class. Those who were from such a class usually only interacted with others, from the same class. The children played rough, but they had fun.

When the owners of the mine decided to cut wages, the workers began to revolt. They put up a strike, in order to get better wages and more food.

He was able to tell, from his own point of view, not just the poor working conditions in northern France, but tell of the injustice of the entire working class. To boot, the reader was able to see the conflicts between the labor and the capital. Due to his work, Zola helped pave the way for labor unions, not only in Europe, but also across the world.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Prize Cup, Gorky's Childhood, Germinal Zola, Jim Crow, God Other's, Parry I'm, God Carol's, Yes Olsen, Long-Distance Runner, Mc Court, black boy, upper class, class people, black boy richard, physical abuse, mc court, abuse women, white people, friend anymore, lower class, grandmother's god,
Approximate Word count = 2504
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)