Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Freshmen Honors Blog Prompt 4/15
Hi. What I would like you to do is pose a question to the group about The Count of Monte Cristo. This can be a close-ended question (one that has one right answer and is fairly straight-forward) or one that is open-ended (one that doesn't have only one right answer and will generate some discussion). My only stipulation is that it is one that you genuinely want answered. Post it on the blog before 4/17. Between 4/18 and 4/21, check the blog and pick someone's question to answer (or you can respond to someone else's answer).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
Reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, I have come to learn a lesson about life: nothing lasts forever. Take the case of Edmond Dantès, the main character of the book, he is accused of being involved with Bonapartists, people wanting to cause a revolution. Although this isn't true, Edmond Dantès, who was once a happy man, is put into prison because of the accusations. Right before his imprisonment, he was attending his own betrothal feast and was about to become captain of a ship. His happiness in these things didn't last forever because it was taken away by his imprisonment.
Dantès is in a very vulnerable position as these things are happening to him. I have question to the group about Dantès and his situation: In what ways can Dantès help himself fight through his imprisonment and the accusations being held against without falling into depression?
-Aluwet Deng
Period 5
In the second paragraph before the word "question" there is supposed to be an "a."
-Aluwet
As Dantes works toward some type of revenge against his enemies, he seems to be making lots of friends along the way, like Baron Franz. He has his money, he has his plan, and he has people to help him accomplish it, but what next? I am wondering what Dantes is going to do after he has gotten his revenge? His clean, happy spirit has been dissolved, and is there any way he will change back into the man he was before imprisonment, or will his hard, cold personality continue for the rest of his life?
In reading The Count of Monte Cristo, Dantès wants to take revenge against the people who forced him to be imprisoned. in the beginning of the book, he was able to see the good side of anyone, even his enemies. Obviously this quality in him has changed because now he is filled with anger and a form of hate. I was wondering if anyone disagrees with the fact that he wants to get back at these people or if you think it is fair that they get punished for the pain they have caused him?
In the Count Of Monte Crisco there seems to be a feeling of role reversal. Dantes starts out fairly powerless not because he is actually powerless but he allows his rose colored glasses blind him to how bad or dangerous his enemies are.But then he becomes powerful armed with knowledge and money.
I wonder if his enemies will ever truly appreciate the irony of them trying to destroy him and it backfiring on them, doing the opposite?
In the Count of Monte Cristo, Dantes is wrongly accused of being a Bonapartist, and is thrown in jail. Before this happened, he was a kind man who treated everyone with respect and kindness. When he finds out he was betrayed by three men, and they are the reason he is in jail, he gets upset. Then when he gets of jail his plan is too ruin all of their lives. Although it is normal to want revenge, it seems very out of character for a man like Dantes. My question is, why does being in jail completely change Dantes's personality and views, enough for him to want to ruin three men's life?
Mae Rodgers
Period 5
In response to Savannah's question, I think it is fair for the men to experience Dantes's pain. These men ruined his life just when it was at its best. He was going to get married, and get a promotion. Because of them, he lost all of this and Mercedes and his father were left alone. Then when Dantes finally escapes jail, he has nothing to go home too, no money, and is still a wanted criminal. These men obviously had no problem destroying his life, so I think Dantes has a right to hurt them as well.
Responding to Lula, I think that Dantes is surviving purely by occupying his time in prison. His happiness that was taken away by his imprisonment, and he regains it as he learns from the priest in the cell across from him. His education throughout the years of his jailing keeps his mind occupied, and as he sleeps at night he feeds off of images of revenge on his enemies. Dantes's time is also occupied by meticulously constructing his escape plan. He runs through the process over and over in his head as Dantes digs his tunnel, and this leaves no time to dwell on the dimness of his situation.
-Will Ryan
Responding to you,Katelyn, I think that Dantès's enemies will never appreciate the irony of what happened with Dantès and how their plans in a way backfired on them. If anything Dantès's enemies envy for him will be escalated by Dantès's power. I think Dantès's imprisonment really opened his eyes to see his enemies.
-Aluwet Deng
Also in response to Savannah's question, I think that Dantès wanting to get back at his enemies is natural for any human. Although I personally think that Dantès shouldn't get back at his enemies, I can see where he is coming from because I know people like getting revenge on people who have done them wrong. To me, I think the best thing he should do in his situation is to try and be powerful without paying any attention to his enemies.
-Aluwet Deng
While reading The Count of Monte Cristo, I wondered why Edmond Dantès took on so many pseudonyms and false identities. I understand why he made a false identity, to exact revenge on his wrongdoers, but I don't understand why he needed so many. Dantès goes by five different identities: Endmond Dantès, his own true self, The Count of Monte Cristo, he adopts this title after finding Abbé Faria's treasure, Lord Wilmore, an English nobleman, Abbé Busoni, "Abbé" meaning priest or leader of a monastery, and Sinbad the Sailor, a name he uses to give the anonymous gift to Monsieur Morrel. Many of these identities I feel are useless when you could simply use the same one again instead of making another. My parents told me it was to assume the many sides or mindsets of Dantès. For example, the Count of Monte Cristo exacts the revenge (bad things), Lord Wilmore does very generous acts (good things), and Abbé Busoni gains trust because he has high religious power. This sounded pretty accurate to me but I was not sure if this was the real reason or not. If someones does know, please tell me.
-Jack Boomer
Per. 5
In response to Will Ryan:
I do not know if you have finished the book or not so reading this might spoil it for you. In the end, Dantès realizes his love for Haydée, the daughter of Ali Pacha who he had freed from slavery and raised into adulthood to testify against the Count de Morcef (Fernand Mondego), accusing him of treachery leading to his suicide. Dantès comes out of his cold hearted ways when he realizes he and Haydée can finally be together. The book ends when he gives a letter to Monsieur Maximilian Morrel telling of his running away with Haydée and that he has left half his fortune to Morrel and Valentine Villefort.
In response to Lula
I don't think that anyone can be betrayed and go to a horrible prison and not get depressed especially considering he had some much to like forward to. He was going to be married and be in charge of his own ship two things he was so excited about. I think he use his revenge not only for revenge but also as something to look forward to and to keep his mind of the circumstances he was in.
In response to Savannah, I think that Dantès was fairly justified in his idea of revenge. seeing as the people he revenged upon practically ruined his life, I think some form of getting back at them was alright, however,I do not agree whit the lengths he went to to get his revenge. He indirectly kills Morcerf, sends Villafort into insanity, and leaves Denglars completely poor. The idea of them being punished for the harm they all caused to Dantès is fair, in a sense, but I don't really think the punishments themselves were completely fair.
Post a Comment