Thérèse Raquin is the daughter of a French sea-captain and an Algerian mother. After her mother's death, her father takes her to live with her aunt, Madame Raquin, and Camille, her feeble son. Camille and Thérèse grow up side-by-side and Madame Raquin marries them to each other when Thérèse turns 21. Shortly thereafter, Camille decides that the family should move to Paris so he can pursue a career. In Paris Camille runs into a childhood friend, Laurent, who visits the Raquins and agrees to paint a portrait of Camille. Unhappy with her marriage Thérèse enters into a turbulent and sordidly passionate affair with Laurent and with Camille seemingly being the only obstacle to their love, they become infatuated with the idea of killing him.

Émile Zola (1840-1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism. He was a major figure in the political liberalization of France and in the exoneration of the falsely accused and convicted army officer Alfred Dreyfus, which is encapsulated in the renowned newspaper headline J'Accuse!