The Count of Monte Cristo Chapter I 1. Whom would you visit first upon returning to your hometown? Why? Whom would you visit second? 2. What do you think of the way Dantes’ reply to his boss about a co‐worker? Chapter II 1. What does Dantes mean when he says, “We are never quits with those who oblige us,…when we no longer owe them money we owe them gratitude” (Dumas, 10). 2. Do you agree with Caderousse’s rationale in saying that Dantes shouldn’t have refused the dinner offer with his boss? Chapter III 1. “…the ascendancy which this girl exercised over him” (Dumas, 15). What does this mean? 2. “One is always in a hurry to be happy… (Dumas, 18). Do you agree with this? Consider the context as well. Chapter IV 1. “Joy has that peculiar effect that at times it oppresses us just as much as grief? (Dumas, 20). Consider the context. Has this ever happened to you? Give an example. 2. Do you agree with Dantes when he says, “I cannot help thinking it is not man’s lot to attain happiness so easily” (Dumas, 21). 3. Give an example of “…certain things the heart of a father or a mother will never understand” (Dumas, 22). Chapter V 1. Why do you think the Marquise holds so tightly to the past? 2. What are your thoughts on anonymous “tattling”? Chapter VI 1. 2. 3. 4.
Villefort loves his fiancé, but not passionately. What advice would you give him? What are your thoughts on first impressions or first impulses? What do you love, respect, and adore in life (Dumas, 32)? Should Dantes have obeyed his captain’s orders (“imprudence”) or disobeyed a request from a dying man (Dumas, 35)? 5. Sketch out the connections that are exposed in this chapter.