Tereza Raken

The aunt, essentially self-absorbed and selfish, gives the impression of benevolence. Teresa's husband, Kamil, is sick and self-centered. When given the chance, Tereza begins a turbulent and passionate affair with Camille's friend, Laurent.

In the introduction, Zola emphasized that the intention of this novel is a study of temperament, not character, comparing his work to sociological research. Thanks to its unbiased and scientific approach, Tereza Raken's novel is considered a true example of naturalism.