Theresa Raquin

"Thérèse Raquin" by Émile Zola is a 19th-century novel that looks at strong emotions, feeling bad about things you've done, and the not-so-good parts of being human. The story is about Thérèse Raquin, a young woman who feels stuck with her unhealthy husband, Camille, and her bossy aunt, Madame Raquin. She struggles with what she wants and makes some risky decisions as she tries to deal with what society expects and what she really desires. The story starts in a dark place, the Arcade of the Pont Neuf in Paris, where Thérèse runs a small shop with her husband and aunt. Thérèse is shown as a calm and well-behaved young woman who lives a boring life, but beneath the surface, she has a lot of strength. Things change when Laurent, an old friend of Camille, comes back into their lives, and Thérèse and Laurent start a secret love affair. This creates stress as they try to handle their wrong relationship, suggesting they will face moral problems and bad results because of what they do. The start of the story feels dark and serious, hinting at the trouble that will come from what Thérèse wants.