L'Assommoir

Main Characters and Their Development

• Gervaise Coupeau – the main heroine of the novel, who begins as a hardworking and honest laundress dreaming of a better life for herself and her children. However, faced with hardship and poverty, she gradually deteriorates, losing her moral principles and becoming a victim of alcoholism and destitution.
• Auguste Lantier – Gervaise’s former lover, who returns to her life and becomes the cause of much of her misfortune. He is selfish and lazy, exploiting Gervaise for his own benefit, ultimately leading to her downfall.
• Coupeau – Gervaise’s husband, who at first appears kind and industrious, but after a workplace accident begins to drink and becomes cruel and irresponsible. His alcoholism and indifference to his family contribute to Gervaise’s ruin.
• Anna Coupeau (Nana) – the daughter of Gervaise and Coupeau, who grows up amid poverty and moral decay. As she matures, she becomes a symbol of decline and depravity, repeating the mistakes of her parents.