ALEXANDRE DUMAS' COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO

JANINE TABUZO 10-3

MR. GABRIEL

MAY 9 2016
 In this paper, every OPINION from someone else has been indicated by a reference number placed at

the end of that information. I realize that the mere presence of a reference number does not avoid

plagiarism. If I have used exact words, phrases, clauses, or sentences of someone else, I have enclosed

that information in quotation marks. If I have paraphrased the opinions of someone else, I have not

enclosed the paraphrased portions in quotation marks; but I have stated those opinions in my own

words and placed a reference number at the end of the paraphrased portion.

ALL FACTUAL INFORMATION (common knowledge or uncontested knowledge), though not credited with

a reference number, has been stated in my sentence structure. I have not used anyone else’s

organization of the facts.

Signed:___________________
I. Author's Background: Alexandre Dumas

A. Family

1. Alexandre Dumas was born on July 24, 1802

2. Alexandre Dumas was born on the village of Villers- Cotterets, in France

3. Alexandre Dumas' father is Thomas Alexandre

4. Alexandre Dumas' father dies due to a long imprisonment which led him to

poor health

B. Education

1. Alexandre Dumas likes to read books

C. Career

1. Alexandre Dumas became a scibe for Ducd'Orleans

D. Achievements

1. Alexandre Dumas wrote the Count of Monte Cristo.

II. Author's Work: The Count of Monte Criso

A. Plot Summary

1. This book talks about a young sailor, Edmond Dantes who became a figure of

jealouisy by a couple of men. He was betrayed by his very own friends and was
 fasley accused. He then was send to prison, but after bring free, Dantes provides

justice for the traitors.

B. Themes

1. Revenge

2. Human Justice

3. Love

C. Setting

1. France

D. Characters

1. Edmond Dantes

2. Fernand Mondego

3. Danglars

4. Caderousse

5. Villefort

6. Monsieur Morrel

C . Symbols

1. The Sea

2. The red silk purse

 This paper aims to discuss Alexandre Dumas' life and his book, The Count of Monte

Cristo.

Alexandre Dumas, author of The Count of Monte Cristo and other great novels, was born

on July 24, 1802 on the village of Villers- Cotterets, in France. His father was a military general

under Napoleon's army and died while Alexandre Dumas was still at the age of four due to a

long imprisonment which led him to poor health.

After the death of his father, Alexandre Dumas and his family was left to a financial

crisis. His mother took the opportunity to find as many books as she can in order to educate her

son. Dumas, still at a young age, was enthusiastic about reading books.

Alexandre Dumas moved into Paris on 1822 and worked as a scribe for Ducd'Orleans. He

surround himself with literary works and he loves to write essays, short stories, novels and plays.

Using the money that he earned from writing many great novels, he bought the Château de

Monte Cristo in Port Marly, Yvelines, France. Later to be chased down by debtors. Alexandre

Dumas throughout his lifetime, wrote many great books and stories, and his legacy will be

continued by his son. On December 5, 1870 Dumas died. The cause of Dumas' death was

uncertain, for back in the 1800's the medical field is not yet that modernized. He was buried in

the cemetery of Villers-Cotterêts and to be transferred to the Panthéon in Paris in 2002.

Until today, we can see his novels, such as the Count of Monte Cristo to be remembered

and considered one of the greatest novel of all time. His novel appeal not only the people way

back in the 1800's, but until this generation. We can see that a great author will never be

forgotten for in his writing we will remember him always.

 This book talks about a young sailor, Edmond Dantes who became a figure of jealouisy

by a couple of men. He was betrayed by his very own friends and was fasley accused. He then

was send to prison, but after bring free, Dantes provides justice for the traitors and reward those

people who has been good to him.

One of the main theme in this book is revenge. The main ongoing theme that drives

almost the whole story. As the story tells, After Dantes escaped from prison, he ruined his enemy

completely. One such example is Danglars who has became a rich man during Dantes'

disappearance. He loves money more than his neighbors. His greed grow larger as his money

grow, too. One problem of Danglas, besides his greed is his love for money even sacrificing his

own well being to keep his money intact. Dantes, disguised as the Count of Monte Cristo, ruined

Danglars financially. He was an easy target because Dantes became rich. Danglars is one of the

main cause of all of Dantes' problem. Why he was sent to prison and why he has to suffer all of

these. Danglars was jealous of Dantes' new rank as the captain of the ship and decides to ruin

him by writing a illegitimate letter. Dantes, while on prison almost lose himself, to the point of

thinking about suicide, with the method of starving himself. This is how much suffering

Danglars caused Dantes, which made Dantes seek revenge continuously, not stopping until his

revenge was a success.

Another theme is Human Justice. How Villefort send Dantes in prison because he was

afraid of the letter Dantes was holding back then. He knows that the letter will ruin his father's

name so he send Dantes in prison forever, in order to preserve his father's name. We can see that

human justice in this story was not enough. Where Dantes was imprisoned as an innocent man,

Danglars, a person of greed became a very wealthy person, Fernand, became, a wealthy person,

too and he got to marry Dantes' fiancee, Mercedes. Monsieur Morrel, however a very honest and
noble man, was drowning in debts with all of his ships broken. He was in a financial crisis and

decides to shoot himself with a pistol not only until the red silk purse was given back to him. We

can see in this story that the evil ones were the one who was on top, and the good ones, vice

versa. Dantes could not accept this because it was unfair, it truly was unfair. So Dantes took

matters in his own hands and decides to do justice himself, where he ruined the evil ones and

reward those people good to him. Even if Dantes leave these people to the politicians, he does

not believe that it would be enough to pay back the sufferings that they made to him. Dantes has

his own type of justice where he thinks it should be equal to the suffering they made to him.

Even if Dantes do this, it is still not justice. For he quickly let them suffer and die. Dantes is not

as powerful as God, and only God can judge us. Revenge has clouded Dantes' heart that he no

longer feel anything. Dantes forgot that only God can judge justly, wherein he takes place of God

himself and took judgment in his own hands.

The third theme would be love. Dantes was once that young sailor full of joy and have a

good heart. But after being betrayed his heart was clouded by revenge and a continuous seeking

for justice in his own definition. One can see that people can change if they are mistreated. Such

as Dantes, where he forgot to forgive and let his enemies go. He could feel nothing but revenge.

And his happiness is in vengeance. Vengeance is the Lord's, not ours. That is where he got

wrong. Dantes' father was dead, his fiancee married to another man, and Abbe Faria died,

everything was lost to him, everything that he loves. Even his love was lost. He secluded himself

from the world and cut off all of his feelings. This end when he met Haydee, where he learn to

love again by using another human being to teach him to love once more. Dantes said to Haydee,

“through you I again connect myself with life, through you I shall suffer, through you rejoice.”
 The character are as follows: Edmond Dantes, the protragonist of the story, a man once

full of vigor is now full of hatred towards society to an endless search for vengeance. Secondly,

Fernand Mondego, The man who was in love with Mercedes but Mercedes loves Dantes. When

Dantes was sent to prison , she waited for long years until she finally decided to give up and

marry Fernand. Fernand, became a rich man but still tasted Dantes' revenge. He was the one who

mailed the letter to Villefort. The third character would be Danglars, jealous of Dantes new

captainship, he wrote a letter, an illegitimate letter to be mailed by Fernand. He became a very

wealthy person, but also very greedy and lusts for money. He was too, was a victim of Dantes'

quest for vengeance. Fourthly, Caderousse a man that is always drunk. He heard of the crime

about Dantes but did not do anything. He, unlike the two wealthy man, Danglars and Fernand,

did not gain a fortune. Fiftly, Villefort the man who was afraid to bring shame to his father's

name, the same man that brought Dantes into the prison. And lastly, Monsieur Morrel the honest

shipowner and Dantes' captain back when he was till nineteen. He was one of the good friend of

Dantes. he did everything to get Dantes out of prison but nothing worked. When Dantes came

back to society, he learned that Monsieur Morrel was ruined financially and was drowning in

debts. He then, found out that Monsieur Morrel became a good friend of his, rewarded him

accordingly, saving him from the financial crisis, and even death.

The symbols in this book is, number one, is the sea. The sea that the guards threw Dantes

off from prison, the sea that gave him his second life. The sea was his liberty and also, a chance

for new life. When he was thrown there, he found his fortune, on the sea, and also found the ship

that saved him, on the sea. Another symbolism is the red silk purse Monsieur Morrel gave to

Dantes' father in order to save him. The same purse was returned to Monsieur Morrel in order to
save him from the financial crisis. It shows that what goes around comes around, and one can

learn the simple rule here in this book, which is do unto others what others want to do unto you.

This book teaches us all many lessons. To treat each other justly as the Lord wants us to

do so. We must be careful in our actions because we may harm the good ones that do not have

any fault. We must also learn that vengeance is the Lord, He has His own timing in his hands and

not ours. For we, in our humanly nature, tend to sin and commit mistakes. We are not perfect and

our actions may do more harm than good. We also must not talk evil about our neighbors for the

Lord instructed us to Love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Be careful about what we, and

our friends say, for tongue brings death or reincarnation.

 WORKS CITED

Dumas, Alexandre, The Count of Monte Cristo , 1844

SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Count of Monte Cristo.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes

LLC. 2002. Web. 16 May 2017.

SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Count of Monte Cristo.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes

LLC. 2002. Web. 16 May 2017.

Biography.com Editors. "Alexandre Dumas Biography.com."

http://www.biography.com/people/alexandre-dumas-9280725. September 23, 2016. 16 May

2017

Alexandre Dumas. http://www.biblio.com/alexandre-dumas/author/398. 9 May 2017

Alexandre Dumas. http://www.foliosociety.com/author/alexandre-dumas. 9 May 2017

Alexandre Dumas, père. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexandre-Dumas-pere. 9 May

2017