- The week after the wedding, Camille announces that he wants to leave Vernon and move to Paris.
- Mme Raquin is initially against Camille's decision, but she's pretty stoked about the idea of reopening her haberdashery shop.
- Thérèse is not consulted about any of the plans. Surprise, surprise.
- But she accepts it all, with quiet resignation. Like a good 19th century woman. Ugh.
- And so, the whole family moves to a dingy shop in the Passage du Pont Neuf. You know, the one described at length in Chapter 1.
- When Thérèse sees the shop, she is horrified by how dark and ugly it is.
- So horrified that instead of helping Mme Raquin furnish and redecorate the shop, Thérèse just sits idly at the counter.
- While Mme Raquin and Thérèse run the haberdashery shop, Camille looks for work.
- Camille eventually finds a job at the Orléans Railway Company,
- The trio go through the same daily routine for three years. Thérèse feels increasingly suffocated by her depressing life.
- Wouldn't you?