Sarah McAllister
The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas
1844
Romance, historical fiction
France/Christiantiy/Italian and French
Summary:
“The Count of Monte Cristo” is the story of a young man who is wrongly accused and imprisoned simply due to certain crew members of his ship’s utter dislike of him. This young man, Edmond Dantès is betrayed by fellow crew members of the Pharaon, and then is thrown into a secret dungeon in the Château d’If. He is then supposedly destined to spend the rest of eternity within this cell, while one of the men who betrayed him marries his fiancée. Dantès finds a way to escape from the secret dungeon after being in captivity for years, and begins crafting an intricate revenge plot for those who have wronged him. Dantès feels as though he had taken his revenge too far after Villefort threatens to take two people’s lives, but he feels accomplished and redeemed after two young lovers are able to wed on the island of Monte Cristo.
Reflection Questions:
The novel “The Count of Monte Cristo” indicates the lengths at which people are willing to go in order to protect their honor, their families, and what is important to them. Women are seen as objects, and are often glorified for their mysterious beauty. During this time, France was in a state of political turmoil during this time, which made these ideas more prominent and important within the daily lives of those involved in the government. The gender roles are more traditional, in the sense that women are won over and told to take care of the home, while men make important decisions. These are more prominent as the social class increases, as the men in higher social classes are given more important roles within the government, and often look down on those who are in lesser social classes, especially the poor. Within the novel, those in the higher social classes support the monarchy, whereas those in the lower classes support the return of Napoleon Bonaparte to the government.
One parallel that I found between the culture in “The Count of Monte Cristo” is the political and social divide that exists within the country. There is an extreme divide that exists between those who support the monarchy and those who support the exiled Bonaparte. They are intolerant of each other’s views, and are willing to go through extreme lengths to socially exile people, disprove their statements, and even to hide their own family heritage and connections. Within American culture today, there is a large divide between our two political parties that exist within the country. The political climate that exists today is one of extreme intolerance, and full of ideological theories that are somewhat controversial in today’s political climate. There is a reluctance to talk about politics and political issues when in a group of people, as there is an unwillingness to talk about the issues in fear of hearing the opposite position on the issue because we are so deeply rooted in our beliefs.
I did not really connect with any of the characters in the novel, as they are in such different positions than I am, and their characters were off putting. I found their speech patterns to be very direct, and the way that they spoke seemed quite pompous.
The central conflict of the novel is the revenge that Dantès wants to seek on those who have wronged him. He is able to resolve the fact that they have wronged him, and so in return he will wrong them back. He succeeds in doing so, but then finds himself in a state of internal turmoil at the pain that he caused them. Dantès is able to solve this conflict by helping a young couple. I found that Dantès’s way of handling the situation was an overreaction, as the revenge that he takes is drastic. It would have been easier for Dantès to speak to those who had wronged him, rather than the ways of revenge that he had taken. These are more culturally based, as there is an emphasis on Dantès being a Bonaparte conspirator attempting to bring him back into command of the government, as well as the idea of taking someone’s wife away due to their position and their actions.
This did not change my world view at all, but did give me a deeper insight into the social culture that was prevalent during the unstable political times between Napoleon Bonaparte and King Louis.
An instance of prejudice comes when Villefort throws Dantès in jail because he was instructed by his late captain to carry a message to Paris that was for Villefort’s estranged father, a Bonaparte and anti-monarchy activist. Villefort does not know what Dantès true intentions are, and really only cares about preserving his own standing within the government, and securing the potential of promotion within the monarchy. This sets the ball in motion for Dantès’s plans of revenge, and his eventual escape from the dungeon. This is not entirely unique to France during this time, as many people against governments in countries like China during the Communist Revolution, Nazi Germany during the time of the Third Reich and the holocaust, and in Russia during the many Russian Revolutions, just to name a few. This situation is often found in states where political turmoil and dictatorships are found.
The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas
1844
Romance, historical fiction
France/Christiantiy/Italian and French
Summary:
“The Count of Monte Cristo” is the story of a young man who is wrongly accused and imprisoned simply due to certain crew members of his ship’s utter dislike of him. This young man, Edmond Dantès is betrayed by fellow crew members of the Pharaon, and then is thrown into a secret dungeon in the Château d’If. He is then supposedly destined to spend the rest of eternity within this cell, while one of the men who betrayed him marries his fiancée. Dantès finds a way to escape from the secret dungeon after being in captivity for years, and begins crafting an intricate revenge plot for those who have wronged him. Dantès feels as though he had taken his revenge too far after Villefort threatens to take two people’s lives, but he feels accomplished and redeemed after two young lovers are able to wed on the island of Monte Cristo.
Reflection Questions:
The novel “The Count of Monte Cristo” indicates the lengths at which people are willing to go in order to protect their honor, their families, and what is important to them. Women are seen as objects, and are often glorified for their mysterious beauty. During this time, France was in a state of political turmoil during this time, which made these ideas more prominent and important within the daily lives of those involved in the government. The gender roles are more traditional, in the sense that women are won over and told to take care of the home, while men make important decisions. These are more prominent as the social class increases, as the men in higher social classes are given more important roles within the government, and often look down on those who are in lesser social classes, especially the poor. Within the novel, those in the higher social classes support the monarchy, whereas those in the lower classes support the return of Napoleon Bonaparte to the government.
One parallel that I found between the culture in “The Count of Monte Cristo” is the political and social divide that exists within the country. There is an extreme divide that exists between those who support the monarchy and those who support the exiled Bonaparte. They are intolerant of each other’s views, and are willing to go through extreme lengths to socially exile people, disprove their statements, and even to hide their own family heritage and connections. Within American culture today, there is a large divide between our two political parties that exist within the country. The political climate that exists today is one of extreme intolerance, and full of ideological theories that are somewhat controversial in today’s political climate. There is a reluctance to talk about politics and political issues when in a group of people, as there is an unwillingness to talk about the issues in fear of hearing the opposite position on the issue because we are so deeply rooted in our beliefs.
I did not really connect with any of the characters in the novel, as they are in such different positions than I am, and their characters were off putting. I found their speech patterns to be very direct, and the way that they spoke seemed quite pompous.
The central conflict of the novel is the revenge that Dantès wants to seek on those who have wronged him. He is able to resolve the fact that they have wronged him, and so in return he will wrong them back. He succeeds in doing so, but then finds himself in a state of internal turmoil at the pain that he caused them. Dantès is able to solve this conflict by helping a young couple. I found that Dantès’s way of handling the situation was an overreaction, as the revenge that he takes is drastic. It would have been easier for Dantès to speak to those who had wronged him, rather than the ways of revenge that he had taken. These are more culturally based, as there is an emphasis on Dantès being a Bonaparte conspirator attempting to bring him back into command of the government, as well as the idea of taking someone’s wife away due to their position and their actions.
This did not change my world view at all, but did give me a deeper insight into the social culture that was prevalent during the unstable political times between Napoleon Bonaparte and King Louis.
An instance of prejudice comes when Villefort throws Dantès in jail because he was instructed by his late captain to carry a message to Paris that was for Villefort’s estranged father, a Bonaparte and anti-monarchy activist. Villefort does not know what Dantès true intentions are, and really only cares about preserving his own standing within the government, and securing the potential of promotion within the monarchy. This sets the ball in motion for Dantès’s plans of revenge, and his eventual escape from the dungeon. This is not entirely unique to France during this time, as many people against governments in countries like China during the Communist Revolution, Nazi Germany during the time of the Third Reich and the holocaust, and in Russia during the many Russian Revolutions, just to name a few. This situation is often found in states where political turmoil and dictatorships are found.