Which subject did naturalist author émile zola focus on in his novel l’assommoir? a. exploration of unknown foreign lands b. new technology and its effect on society c. hardship and suffering in the slums of paris d. irrational thought in the unconscious mind

C. hardship and suffering in the slums of Paris.

The novel, L'Assommoir, is set in the slums of Paris and deals with the hardships of living there. It deals with alcoholism, as well as with poverty in Paris. Zola actually spent a large part of his time learning Parisian street colloquialisms  in order to properly write the story.

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