The Ladies' Paradise

Set in the 1860s, this book tells the story of a young woman Denis baudu, who moves to Paris from her hometown of Valone's with her younger brother and begins working as a salesman in a departmental store which is owned by Octave Mouret. Octave is a charming businessman who employs intoxicating and seductive ways to lure women into buying goods from his store as well as threaten the existence of other stores in the neighbourhood. Octave soon finds himself falling in love with Denis and tries to seduce her into his love but she resists his passion and charm and rejects his advances. This makes Octave more desperate for his love, although Denis in the end agrees to marry him. The entire story is a depiction of the effects of heredity and environment and how it affects the members of one family during the second French empire. It is a flare of all the Rougon-Macquart novels written by Zola. In this case, the environment is the departmental store which tells of the regular scenario that occurs inside the departmental store which involves seduction, in-fighting, bare living, and other challenges that the protagonist Denis faces. The store environment becomes the escape pod for female clients and a means for financial independence for the female employees, depicting the women as modern. Can the love for Denis change Octave? Would Denis be able to help Octave’s intoxicating behaviour towards others? What problems would she face?