The Analysis of the Story "Monte Cristo" by Alexander Dumas

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CONTENT

PLOT

Exposition

Edmond Dantes and Fernand Mandego are asking for help their captain from constructive brain fever to England Soldiers.

• The beginning of the story is one night, Edmond Dantes and Fernand Mandego looking for someone for treatment of their captain from constructive brain fever. Then, they stopped at the side sea and saw a crowd of England soldier who ride the horses. Edmond dantes is asking for help to the soldiers but got rejected because his fault and Edmond Dantes and Fernand mandego have a fight with the soldiers until they meet Napoleon Bonaparte who provides to help them.

Rising Action: Napoleon Bonaparte gave a letter to Dantes and asks Dantes to keep the secret of the letter from other people including Mandego.

• After Napoleon Bonaparte takes Dantes and Mandego to some place, Dantes and Mandego take a rest for a while and suddenly Napoleon comes to them and to inform them that their captain was died. Then, Napoleon called Dantes to come out and gave him a letter for Monsieur Clarion and asks him to keep the secret of the letter from other people including Mandego but Mandego saw the conversation between Napoleon and Dantes.

Climax

Edmond Dantes was claimed as a traitor and then he sent to the Chateau d’lf by Monsieur Villefort.

• One night, there are some soldiers come to Dantes’s house and take him to meet Monsieur Villefort. Dantes was caught because Mandego and Danglars inform villefort that Dantes got a secret letter from Napoleon at Elba. Dantes tried to explaintoVillefort but Villefort decline it and sent him to the Chateau d’lf prison. At the prison, Dantes punished by Monseiur Dorleac and he got slashing in his back. Five years later, Dantes meet a pastor who looking for way out to escape. They are getting close and Pastor gives Dantes the knowledge about economic, math, philosophy and science. Dantes wants to be knowledgeable man and he learns and practice how to use the sword and how to protect himself from the rival. Someday, there is an accident where the Pastor died because he buried under the ground, but before the Pastor was died, he gives the information about treasure and also gives the map for the location of treasure. Unfortunately, Dantes wants to take the revenge by using the treasure even though the Pastor banned him but he still wants to do that. After Dantes escaped from the prison, His name changes already become Zatarra and he try to find out the treasure accompany by Jacopo and they succeed.

Falling Action

Dantes found the treasure in order to take the revenge to Danglars, Villefort, Fernand and Marcedes.

• After Dantes found the treasure, he directly takes the revenge to the people who already make him suffered. Jacapo helps Dantes to do his trick. Jacopo bought a big castle for Dantes and held a celebration in order to invite his rivals to the castle in Monte Cristo island and become he become Count Monte Cristo. Dantes did his plan to take the revenge to his rivals and defeat his rivals one by one and also he met Marcedes who already realize him as Edmond Dantes.

Resolution

Dantes Succeed to take his revenge and finally he gather with Marcedes and Albert (his son)

• After Dantes succeed to defeat his rivals one by one, he has a final fight with Mandego, they fight each other until Dantes is stabbing Mandego with sword at his heart and Mandego was died. Finally, he gathers with Marcedes and also Albert who actually is his son. They lived happily ever after.

CONFLICT

The conflict from this story is Edmond Dantes knows that FernandMandegois a traitor and Dantes is getting mad and wants to take revenge someday. Edmond Dantes was caught by Monsieur Villefort and Dantes was claimed as traitor. Then, Dantes sent to prison but on his way he try to escaped and come to Mandego’s house to inform that he claimed as traitor but Mandego tells the truth that he is the one who give the information about the letter that receives by Dantes to Monsieur Villefort.

• There are two kinds of conflict: internal conflict and external conflict

Internal conflict is the conflict of mind

• In this story, Edmond Dantes is getting mad to Fernand Mantego and wants to take revenge. This is about the doubt of feeling because at the end of the story, Dantes realizes that revenge is not the good idea.

External conflict is the conflict between man vs man

• In this story, Edmond Dantes take the revenge to some people who made him suffering. Dantes defeat his rivals one by one until he succeeds to against them.

CHARACTER

Edmond Dantes

At the first time, Dantes is a stupid man and not dangerous because he is naïve and can’t read but after he was in prison, he met with the old man and old man gave him knowledge about economic, Mathematics, Filsafat, Ilmualam and how to defend himself. After that he can escape from the jail and he want to take revenge to people who made him suffering.

Kind of character

• Based on the main part or roles in this story, Dantes belongs to main or major character. Because the story focuses on Dantes and most of the story is talking about him from the beginning until the end of the story. In the story tells about the man who was trapped by his friend whose name Mandego and he lived in prison for a long time about thirteen years. After that, he learned how to read and got knowledge about economic, mathematics, etc that given by Old man and also how to defend himself. Finally, he could escape and met with people who made him suffering, so that he take the revenge
• Based on the personal traits, Dantes belongs to Complex or Round Character. Because he showed her depth personality in this story and He possess both good and bad traits. He help his captain and bring him to cross the border of the sea to find out the cure. He believed with his friend Mandego until he was in prison and he realized that was trapped by Mandego but he want to take the revenge for everything that happened to him
• Based on the possibility to change, Dantes belongs to Dynamic character because at the beginning, he was a naive man but until in the jail he got knowledge, he realized that already trapped by Mandego, Villefort, Danglars and Mercedes who married with Mandego.After that, he became a bad person because he want to take the revenge by doing the same trick to trap them and at the end of story, he fought with Mandego.
• Based on the normative value, Dantes belongs to Protagonist. Because the story described about the good moral behavior of Dantes.

Fernand Mandego

He was Dantes’ friend. He betrayed Dante because he loved and wanted to take Mercedes from Dante. He was a bad person because on many cases such as corruption, killed people, etc

• Based on the main part or roles in this story, Mandego belongs to main or major character. Because the story focuses on Mandego and most of the story is talking about him from the beginning until the end of the story. In the story tells about the man who betrayed his friend Dante because of girl and he was a greedy man that wanted to rule the island
• Based on the personal traits, Mandego belongs to Complex or Round Character. Because he showed her depth personality in this story and He possess both good and bad traits. He also help his captain and bring him to cross the border of the sea to find out the cure him with Dantes and also protect Dantes from army bullet. Then, he saw Marcedes and he want to take Marcedes from Dantes. He trapped Dantes by report him to Monseour Clarion. And then, he married with Marcedes. Finally at the end of the story, he fought with Dantes.
• Based on the possibility to change, Mandego belongs to Dynamic character because at the beginning, he wasDantes’ friend but when they arrived at Marseilles he changed become a traitor. He informed to Danglars if Dantes that has a letter that given by Napoleon Bonaparte and they also informed monsieur Villefort.
• Based on the normative value, Mandego belongs to Antagonist. Because the story described about the bad moral behavior of Mandego. We can see that in the story, He betrayed his friend (Dantes) by trapping Dantes with informed him to Monsieur Villefort and took Mercedes to be married with him.

Luigi Vampa 

He was boss burglar and smuggler

• Based on the personal traits, Luigi Vampa belongs to Flat Character. Because he showed his simple character in this story. She just focused on money and his dirty job as burglar and smuggler. He always took advantages from that.
• Based on the normative value, Luigi Vampa belongs to Antagonist .Because the story described about the bad moral behavior of Luigi Vampa. He asked Jacopo and Dantes to fight each other and sometimes also he helped Dantes to steal treasure of Mandego.

Jacopo

He was servant of Dantes

• Based on the personal traits, Jacopo belongs to Flat Character. Because he showed his simple character in this story. He spent himself to served Dantes.
• Based on the possibility to change, Jacopo belongs to Static character because the character of Jacopo is still remaining the same. He always served and protected Dantes from danger.
• Based on the normative value, Jacopo belongs to Protagonist. Because the story described about the good moral behavior of Jacopo. We can see in the story Jacopo always saved Dantes from danger and Served Dantes as long as his life.

Albert

He was Marcedes and Mandego’s child, but actually he is Dantes’s child.

• Based on the main part or roles in this story, Albert belongs to minor character. Because the story do not focus on Albertand he appeared at the end of the story as a Dantes’ son
• Based on the personal traits, Albert belongs to Complex or Round Character. Because he showed his depth personality in this story and He possess both good and bad traits. At the first time, he believed to Dantes because he was helped by Dantes but when Mandego was attacked by Dantes. Albert tried to protect Mandego from Dantes but in the end of story, when he knew the truth of real father was Dantes and accepted.
• Based on the possibility to change, Albert belongs to Dynamic character because at the beginning,he believed to Dantes because he was helped by Dantes but when Mandego was attacked by Dantes. Albert tried to protect Mandego from Dantes but in the end of story, when he knew the truth of real father was Dantes and accepted.
• Based on the normative value, Albert belongs to Protagonist. Because the story described about the good moral behavior of Albert. We can see in the story Alberttried to protect his beloved people.

Mercedes: Mercedes is Maurel’s daughter. She was Dantes girlfriend who really loves Dantes, and married with Mandego but still loves with dantes.

Monsieur Morell: Judge who gave Pharoon to Edmond

Monsieur Clarion: The father of Villefort who always felt he was a leader. He doesn't want any change of position.

Napoleon Bonaparte: Judge who gave Edmond warning trough a

Monsieur Mondego: He was a fierce judge, envy and greedy even though he has a lot of money but he want to add his money.  He doesnt feel happy if someone is better than him. He was unfaithful person, and like to flirt with some girls.

  

Monsieur Villeffort:  he was a fierce judge also. He trap Dantes and send him to the prison on the grounds that he has made the country’s disgrace.

Armand Dorleach: he was a cruel chief prison which whipping Dantesevery year as long as he is in jail.

Pastor: The old man who very kind with Dantes, he help Dantes to escape the jail and give Dantes the knowledge in order to make Dantes knowledgeable. 

SETTING

Place

Chateau D’if, Mersielles, Monte Cristo, and Paris.

Time

Morning, afternoon and night.

Function

• The function of setting of this story as background because there’s no relation between the conflict and setting. The conflict of that story is about the backbiting and revenge so it means there’s nothing to do between the story and setting.

THEME

The theme of this story is retaliation will not solve the problem

POINT OF VIEW

The point of view from this story is Limited omniscient/selected point of view (third person omniscient point of view because the story is not told from the point of view of any of the characters but just through Edmond Dantes and also the author knows what the people are thinking but not all the time. The author not just telling us what happened but also telling about what Edmond Dantes is thinking but we don’t know what anyone else is thinking.

SYMBOL

The Chess

It means that everyone was born into a certain status.

• The kind of symbol is origin symbol because it is using based on the context of the work. Cheese is associated in the popular imagination that describe the status of society life.

Treasure

It means the precious thing.

• The kind of symbol is origin symbol because it it is using based on the context of the work and also in this story treasure means that the source of wealth which can change someone life.

CONCLUSION

I personally think that this story is very interesting. This story tells about friendship, betrayal, misery, and the struggles of life that occurs because of caste in society. Society is viewed according to their wealth, and those who have great wealth was given the title of "Count". Caste in social life is described in a chess point that became a symbol in this story.

There are some moral values also that we can in this story. The first, in social life should be no rank or caste was influenced by possessions. In fact, all men are equal but the fate of distinguishing. Second, do not be envious of the lives of people better than you. envy will ruin everything you have in your life or someone else.