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Giovanni Perri

Mr. Price

AP English

20 May 2019

Where art thou, Dantès?

Being in such a conflicting and confusing environment would drive most mad, but those

who have ambitions will always thrive. Setting is a core part of a novel, and it allows readers to

connect and understand scenes throughout a book. In this book, the author writes vivid

descriptions of locations to allow a clear picture to form in the reader's’ mind. There’s several

locations in this novel that are important, and we are reminded throughout the story of what time

period we’re in through details. ​The Count of Monte Cristo​ by Alexandre Dumas takes place in

the 1800s, during the time of a very conflicted France in a tense environment.

The 1800’s were a relatively hectic time, especially in the European region. The main

reason being Napoleon Bonaparte, who was a French dictator. He was locked in a prison far

away from civilization, and French citizens that considered themselves aligned with him would

be executed or imprisoned immediately. This shows us that the time frame of this book has a lot

of tension due to a constant fear for Bonapartists (Napoleon Supporters). This time frame is also

important to the story because it represents the characters greed. Danglars and Fernand in the

story are driven by money and power, and it was a bit of a trend to become a politician at the

time. Without knowing the time period this novel was in, there would be less reasons for
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Danglars and Fernand to want to become rich and powerful at the cost of their friend. Another

important factor of setting is not only when, but where the story takes place.

In the novel, there are a few noteworthy locations the author brings us to, and they’re all

within France. The Chateau d'if is an important location for the story in regards to Dantés’

development especially. This was a high profile prison, and it was almost impossible to escape as

described by the author. Though because of this place, Dantés met a very important character

and he was able to escape. This place was high security, high profile, and didn’t have the greatest

environment for prisoners, especially in the dungeon. Another important location in the story is

Marseilles due to the character’s attachment to this place. Dantés’ father, as well as Mercédés,

his first love, resided here originally. This location is important to the Dantés and it helps him

remember the importance of family, and love. When Louis Dantés (Edmond’s father) passed

away, it was in this very city, which gives it even more meaning.

The environment of France is one that’s pretty well known, but not specifically talked

about in the story. There is mention of a storm that occurs when Danté originally escapes his

prison, which shows the readers that the location of the novel isn’t set somewhere similar to a

Los Angeles beach. It’s typically pretty gloomy in the areas of the novel, with rain being

plentiful for a majority of the months except summer. This contributes to the reader’s

comprehension when visualizing the setting, and advancing their knowledge. The environment

around them was also one of competition, and it was cutthroat. There were multiple people

trying to obtain political power and it was affecting the main story, it's another reason why

Danglars and Fernand were so high up the food chain. The environment of a story gives readers a

more clear and concise feeling on how characters would feel, and act in certain situations.
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The Count of Monte Cristo​ by Alexandre Dumas takes place in the 1800s, during the time

of a very conflicted France in a tense environment. Setting is often something reader’s know

more than they think they do. It’s our nature to observe surroundings even through words,

especially in the case of novels like this one. It allows them to picture scenes and characters, and

understand why someone might act a certain way, it allows them to answer questions on their

own. The setting of ​The Count of Monte Cristo​ helps shape Dantés’ character, and answer

questions that were not explicitly answered in the novel.