The Count of Monte Cristo Background information

Literary Significance This story has captured readers all over the world since it was published in 1844 Weekly installments in a French newspaper Lines and crowds gathered to get each new issue People who were illiterate gathered to hear it read aloud Now translated into 26 languages and there are THOUSANDS of editions

Disguise and Justice “Disguise and justice” novels have taken many forms since the 1800s Superman The Lone Ranger Others? Common Elements (must be presented effectively to become a classic) Hero in disguise Pursuit of justice Revenge for a wrong Use of secret signals Daring escapes Physical combat

A Novel for Daydreamers Good adventure stories become like daydreams Have you ever felt “unjustly imprisoned”? Did you dream of a “daring escape”? Where The Wild Things Are… Have you ever dreamed of finding lost treasure? Punishing enemies? Acquiring great knowledge?

Defining Justice Can a country guarantee justice for its citizens? America prides itself on a democratic form of justice where an unbiased group listens to both sides of the story and then makes a decision. Does this always work? Does true justice lie in the hands of the government? In the hands of the wronged? Is true justice possible? Is it ever a good idea to take justice into one’s own hands?

Literary Merit At times critics have been quick to dismiss this novel as a frivolous adventure story In reality, it has many literary merits. We will examine: The depth of certain characters The intricacies of plot development Dumas’ use of literary techniques such as allusions, irony, symbolism, and figurative language

Romantic Novel This book is a wonderful example of a Romantic novel. Such novels: Are filled with high adventure Have heroes with noble characteristics Have heroes who are tested severely and survive superbly Emphasize narrative plot development Have a wide sweep across time and distance

Historical Novel Actual historical events serve as a backdrop over which the story can develop Dumas uses history to craft his romantic adventure French Revolution Napoleon Bonaparte’s imprisonment on the isle of Elba gets the action of the novel started

Dates To Know 1799 – Napoleon seized power in France in the aftermath of the French Revolution 1804 – Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of France, warred against other European nations 1814 – A popular revolution against Napoleon led to his abdication to King Louis XVIII. Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba 1815 – Napoleon returned to France for 100 days, but was ultimately defeated at Waterloo