Faria has been digging an escape tunnel, but upon seeing that he is in Edmond's cell, he realizes he dug in the wrong direction. Six years later, Edmond is startled in his cell by an eruption in the ground revealing another prisoner, Abbé Faria, who has been imprisoned for 11 years after refusing to tell Bonaparte the whereabouts of the treasure of the Spada family. In exchange for persuading Mercédès that Edmond has been executed for treason and that she should take comfort in Fernand, Villefort has Fernand assassinate his father. Edmond is consigned to the island prison and its sadistic warden, Armand Dorleac. Edmond escapes from Villefort and goes to Fernand for help, but Fernand instead turns him over to the pursuing gendarmes. He burns the letter and orders Edmond imprisoned in the Château d'If. Villefort, the city's chief magistrate, has Edmond arrested, but initially prepares to exonerate him until he learns the letter is addressed to his own father, Monsieur Clarion, a Bonapartist. Edmond thereafter states his intention to marry his girlfriend, Mercédès, whom Fernand lusts after.Įnvious of Edmond’s good fortune, Fernand and Danglars inform on Edmond regarding Bonaparte's letter, which reveals information that could be used to aid Bonaparte's escape from Elba. In Marseille, the company owner, Morrell, commends Edmond for his bravery, promoting him to captain over first mate Danglars, who had given Edmond explicit orders not to land at Elba. Edmond is sworn to secrecy, but Fernand witnesses the exchange. Having kept his guardians from killing the pair, Bonaparte privately requests that Edmond deliver a letter to the mainland in exchange for his physician's services. Napoleon Bonaparte is in exile on the island. In 1815, Edmond Dantès, second mate of a French merchant vessel, and his friend Fernand Mondego, a representative of the shipping company, seek medical help on Elba for their ailing captain. This works wells, for the most part, but sometimes dialogue becomes a monologue, and that can become tedious to read.The Azure Window of Gozo appears in the background of some scenes (picture from 2003). This keeps the scene active and in front of the reader instead of a narrative summary. Instead of using a literary device like flashbacks, Dumas insists on using dialogue to explain the backstory. His history as a playwright is also evident in his use of dialogue. To that end, Dumas frequently collaborated with others to create realistic characters throughout the social strata of 19th century France. In The Count of Monte Cristo, there are innkeepers, government officials, political leaders, sailors, smugglers, priests, and nobles. Even within France, he does a great job of evoking a sense of place-Paris is different from Marseilles in the south. He vividly paints the differences between Italy and France. His travel writing is clearly evident in The Count of Monte Cristo's frequent country hopping. Some of his most iconic characters-Dantes and D'Artagnan, are outsiders.Īs for his deliberate practice, Dumas was an accomplished playwright and travel writer before he turned to fiction. His status as an outsider might have influenced his writing. His father was a famous Haitian-born French general. Yes, Alexandre Dumas- creator of The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Man in the Iron Mask-was of Afro-Caribbean descent.
Some people may be surprised to see Alexandre Dumas on my list of books highlighting writers of color. How'd He Do That? Author Highlight: Alexandre Dumas He is also a hypocrite, nearly killing his illegitimate son to save face.
He is duty-bound to uphold justice, but he is entirely self-serving, sending Dantes to prison to avoid any connection with a political coup. One of the primary villains of the novel is the public prosecutor named Villefort (see what Dumas did there, the vill-ain is called Ville-fort). This irony adds humor to the dark narrative and a feeling of second-hand excitement as Edmond changes his various personas to suit his plans. He interacts with friends and foes in these disguises, with only his former fiancé ever recognizing him. During the events of the novels, Edmond Dantes disguises himself as several people: a priest, an Englishman, and a sailor/smuggler.
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