The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo

• Genre: Fiction; classic adventure
• Originally Published: 1844
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1080L; college/adult
• Structure/Length: 73 chapters; approx. 544 pages; approx. 47 hours on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: In this long and twisting adventure, Edmond Dantès is unfairly imprisoned and yearns for revenge against the men who betrayed him. After escaping from prison, he uncovers a treasure on the island of Monte Cristo and assumes the identity of a wealthy count. His new fortune enables him to plan and execute an elaborate plan to reward his friends and punish his enemies.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Suicide and suicidal ideation; murder; ableist language and attitudes; drug use; racial tropes; enslavement

Alexandre Dumas, Author

• Bio: 1802-1870; was one of France’s most prolific 19th-century writers; wrote plays, histories, and travelogs, as well as romance and adventure novels; enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle and wrote quickly to earn money to pay his bills; published The Count of Monte Cristo first in serial form; his fantasy story The Nutcracker was later scored for ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
• Other Works: Captain Pamphile (1839); The Conspirators (1843); The Nutcracker (1844); The Three Musketeers (1844); The Prince of Thieves (published posthumously in 1872)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Vengeance
• The Byronic Hero
• Rebirth and Reinvention

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Explore background information on the Napoleonic era and Byron’s influence on literature to increase their engagement with and understanding of The Count of Monte Cristo.
• Read/study paired texts and other brief resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to Vengeance, The Byronic Hero, and Rebirth and Reinvention.
• Demonstrate their understanding of the symbolism of the red silk bag by creating a visual illustration of its symbolic progression throughout the novel.
• Analyze the significance of various elements of the novel, such as motifs, symbolism, allusion, characterization, and juxtaposition, and construct essay responses tying these to the novel’s meaning and context.