Journal #1

 In what sense is Abbé Faria Dantès's second father? Do you think that by calling him a “second father” Dumas is referring to the poisonous knowledge that Faria gives Dantès in deducing the events behind his imprisonment?

Abbe Faria is like  Dante's second father because he teaches him many thing about History, Science, Art and a few languages along with all of the helpful information he has acquired while staying at the prison for so many years. At first Dantes is just Abbe Faria's student learning all the vast knowledge that faria had to share but then the two of them got to know each other closer and began to relate more on a level of a father and a son. I beleive that when Faria tells Dantes about the events behind his imprisonment that that is the true start to Dantes metamorphisis. Abbe Faria is very smart and can figue many things out but it would have been better for him not to say anything at all to Dantes since from the moment Dantes realized it wasn't an accident that he was in prison, he became more and more bitter and still wanted to seek revenge over 20 years later.  "he formed a terrible resolution and swore a fearful oath" (Dumas 48). When Dantes returns to the Abbe's cell, he says to Dantes "I regret having helped you clarify  

Journal #2

I can't believe what a change in fortune Monsieur Morrel has just had. I personally disagree with Monsieur Morrel that killing himself would  eliminate the dishonor of not paying his debts that would fall on him. I realize that he was miserable and owed a very large sum of money to the representative of Thomas and French, which he could not even pay half of. Just when everything seemed to be getting bad they got worse, when Morrell's crew came in and told of their misfortune of having to abandon the Pharaon, Morrel's last ship and only means of making any profit just before it was destroyed. I personally believe that Morrel's son, Maximilien should have tried to convince his father to reconsider his decision to kill himself. I'm not saying Maximillien should have acted cowardly or sad due to his father's death but he should have protest that there is always hope and a way to get out of the problem and that he would be making him and his daughter fatherless and his wife spouseless. It was very dramatic and clever the way that Dantes was able to save Monsieur Morrel just in time. It would have been better if Dantes could have sent the letter to Julie to retrieve the his old red purse a month before he did, as to not cut it to close. So far Dantes has just helped the ones that have been good to him back when he used to live in Marseilles. I was glad that the priest ended up giving Caderousse the whole Diamond. At the start of the  story I thought that he was just as evil as Danglars and Fernand for the plot they created against Dantes. However after the talk that he had with the priest, I realize that he was simply foolish and got caught up in the whole thing. Caderousse seemed to be very sad when he heard that Edmond Dantes had died. It was great how faithful Caderousse reamined to Edmond's father before his final breath. I am looking forward to when Dantes gets back at his Danglars, Fernand and Monsieur Villefort that should be even more interesting that how he helped, Morrel and Caderousse.  

Discuss the metamorphosis of Edmond Dantès from a handsome, naive, and idealistic young man into the sophisticated and aristocratic Count of Monte Cristo.

Dumas often writes of Edmond Dantes's time in prison as if it were a death. What do you think is the signifigance of this choice of language?

Monte Cristo's last words to Maximillien are "Wait and hope" What is the signifigance of this statement? How does it relate to the larger narative of the novel?

This novel is often considered one of the greatest adventure stories in Western literature, yet in reality, it is a novel of intrigue and mystery. Discuss the discrepency.

Consider the four enimies of Edmond Dantes and discuss how the punishment that the Count of Monte Cristo inflicts upon them is related to their deepest ambitions.

Using Albert, Valentine, and Edouard, how does Monte Cristo's theory of "the sins of the fathers must be visited upon in subsequent generations" undergo a dramatic reversal?

Using Monte Cristo's concept that great suffering requires prolonged punishment rather than instantaneous death, discuss the justice of the punishment that he inflicts on each of them.