This thesis deals with stage adaptation of Emile Zola's novel L'Assommoir. Adapted for the stage in 1879 by William Busnach, L'Assommoir was a hit, especially with the working class. Despite this, because of its supposed weak aesthetic value, the theatrical adaptation has not been recognized by literary history. Notwithstanding, the analysis of the characters and staging of this adaptation bring some interesting points to light. The representation of people at work, daily life, the clever transposition to stage of some of the novel's more daring passages, the use of slang and the choice of realist costumes and decor are novelties that signal a change in the established dramatic code and announce the realism of Andre Antoine.

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