Living in Paris in the Contexts of The Belly of Paris by mile Zola and A moveable feast by Ernest Hemingway - Essay Example

Living in Paris Introduction “The belly of Paris” is Émile Zola's third novel that was produced in the year 1873. The plot is set around and in Les Halles, an enormous and very busy central market of Paris in 19th century. The market was rebuilt in glass and cast iron during the Second Empire. It was a modernity landmark in the city of Paris. Both the retail and the wholesale markets of food industry were thriving in this market. “A moveable feast” on the other hand is an Ernest Hemingway’s memoir highlighting his years as an emigrant writer in Paris in 1920s (Hemingway 2). It consists of the stories, personal accounts and observations of Hemingway. He indicates specific addresses of bars, cafes, apartments and hotels, some of which are still in existence in Paris today. The document below analyzes how the two stories reveal Paris’ lifestyle as changed while Paris remains intact. Discussion “A moveable feast” offers the writer with an opportunity to perceive Paris which is newer than the time of Émile Zola's “the belly of Paris”. One can, therefore, pinpoint several transformations that Paris has gone through since 1873 to 1920s. The plots however, revolve around a common aspect although in different dimensions and hence Paris’ lifestyle could have changed but everything attributable to Paris city has remained intact. “A moveable feast” describes Paris in its initial pages as a town with bad weather with cafes. People usually escape the cold weather in these cafes. The author also makes use of these cafes in doing his writing (Hemingway 6). The book concentrates more on foods as well as eating aspect. It offers a number of vivid descriptions of Paris city and its inhabitants. He pinpoints people such as waiters as well fishermen along the river Seine. All these aspects in the contemporary Paris are food based. The “the belly of Paris” whose context was a century older than “a moveable feast” reveals Paris as food center. The context starts with the return of Florent to Paris. The place was unfamiliar to him and after casting his eyes all round, all he could see is food stuffs (Zola and Brian 5). This scenario has no much difference with the context in “A moveable feast”. “The belly of Paris” talks of food stuffs in a market while “A moveable feast” concentrates more on food in cafes. This indicates that the way people were living in the era of “the belly of Paris” could be slightly different from the way people were living in the era of “A moveable feast”. However, food is the key aspect in these two contexts. The means in which food was being acquired and where it was acquired brings the difference. In other words, what changed is the means but commodity in subject did not change. It is hence right to say that living in Paris changed but Paris changed not. In the two contexts, the Paris’ economic status seems all the same. Hemingway in his book indicates of visiting his friends who were fishermen in river Seine. The author also indicated that he had been struggling to make enough money to cater for himself as well as his family (Hemingway 14). The other context’s protagonist describes how after coming back to Paris he was struggling in making it life. He ended up being employed at Les Halles as a fish inspector a job that he is uncomfortable with (Zola and Brian 8). The two contexts show that in Paris raising funds is not very easy. Although these two protagonists seem to live in different lifestyles, the Paris’ condition is giving them a hard time to raise money. This shows that Paris is all the same but the lifestyle has changed in a number of ways. Hemingway revealed set his story on an account of an emigrant. Zola, on the other hand, shows a man who had been away for some time and has come back to his native land. These are two different groups of people living in a common geographical area. Paris city accommodates both groups together with their varying agendas. In these two contexts, however, the behaviors of the two protagonists lead to their rejection by the society. We find Hemingway involving himself in love unfaithfulness and he ends up hanging himself (Hemingway 23). Florent, on the other hand, develops an interest of opposing the authorities in the attempts of revenging. However, he was suppressed by the society or his closest people perceiving him as a troublemaker. The contexts reveal two different lifestyles in a similar society. Messing up with the society norms led to their hardships in coping up in the society. This reveals a similar town and its environment accommodating varying lifestyles in different timelines. It is hence evident that Paris did not change as living conditions were changing. In Zola’s era, Paris was involved in some political unrest. It is clear that Florent was from prison. In the latter chapters, it becomes evident that he was furious of the French empire and he even plotted to overthrow the government. In the era of Hemingway, life seems calm and from the political point of view nothing much is explained. This reveals that living in Paris in this period was peaceful unlike the Zola’s era. However, governance of the two eras was similar. The Zola’s revolves around a lifestyle with a hostility and political unrest while the Hemingway’s reign is characterized by love affairs (Zola and Brian 14). These are differing lifestyles in these eras. However, nothing is revealed to have changed related to Paris as a city in the two contexts. It is hence right to say that there was a change in the way people were living in Paris in these two eras but Paris itself remained unchanged. Conclusion It is possible for some aspects to change while others remain intact although the changes are taking place in the same area. The lifestyle in Paris underwent several changes while Paris itself remained unchanged in these two contexts. This could be caused by emigration of people into Paris and hence the emigrants bring about the changes. People may also decide to change the way they carry out their lives and hence their lifestyles changing without changing the area. This means that the changes were socially influenced. References Hemingway, Ernest. A Moveable Feast. New York: Scribner, 1964. Print. Zola, Émile, and Brian Nelson. The Belly of Paris: Le Ventre De Paris. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print. Read More