Le Paradis des Dames by Émile Zola Zola's depiction of men and their attitudes towards women may be the relationship between that of the controller and the controlled. It is made to believe that it is men who control women, and although this is the case in most cases of Ladies' Paradise, there are two people who manage to resist against all odds, to be crushed by the machine that captivated. and engulfed the bourgeois family unit of the late 19th century. They are the elegant Mademoiselle Boudu and the bushy-eyed Monsieur Bourras. One of the main characters, Monsieur Mouret ("governor" of Paradis des Dames), spectacularly uses the working classes as a tool to increase the perception of what is happening in his store. So as to entice the middle-class ladies of France not only to enter the lavish trap set for the 19th century consumer, but also to arouse their desire to acquire material goods greater than they might actually need. Another implication is that the insatiable consumer appetite created by Mouret results in the development of kleptomania, exemplified in the latter stages of the book by the bourgeois wife of a magistrate, Madame de Boves, as well as by longtime employees from the department store. Mouret is the quintessential French Renaissance man with his dashing way of charming women and subjugating them to his desires while making them believe that his actions are at all times in their favor and interest. Monsieur Mouret had the greatest respect for women and their habits; this is the case until his boredom with them in his private life overwhelms his desires for them, at which point he moves on to the next victim. In the public arena, he continually presents himself as a gentleman of gentlemen...... middle of paper ... to be filled in nonetheless, so it was only natural for Mouret to do so. It was necessary to demonstrate irreverence towards filial morality to achieve the contemporary model of business conduct. Denise saw this new functioning of the company, and even if she was hesitant to see the degeneration of the social order, she was no less a part of it. Furthermore, she implored others to follow her, for she was aware that her momentum would overwhelm them if they did not heed her advice. And this is exactly what happened to Monsieur Bourras, his uncle Boudu and his family, as well as to the other small shops of “old” Paris. And as for the unfortunate thefts which took place without distinction of class or position, they were only insignificant consequences of modern progress. They would be treated naturally, just like the organic evolution of the 19th century establishment..