Count of Monte Cristo

1192 Words5 Pages
Women in The Count of Monte Cristo “Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, "She doesn't have what it takes." They will say, "Women don't have what it takes”. This quote strongly reflects how when were thought of in the 1800s. Women in the 1800s were considered weak links; they were supposed to depend fully on their husbands for survival. Many women are exceptions for this “belief”. In the Count of Monte Cristo a novel written by Alexandre Dumas, the characters Valentine, Mercedes, and Haydee are portrayed as strong women. Each of these women are portrayed as strong individuals in their own way, in a matter that some are consistent and some ahead of their time. To begin with, Valentine demonstrates being a strong woman in a positive manner. Valentine comes from a wealthy family. Money is something very important for many people, but Valentine demonstrates with her actions that there is something bigger for her, love. Valentine is being set up to marry a man whom she does not love. Valentine’s heart desires someone else, Max. Valentine manifests her love towards Max when she is planning on giving up everything and running away with him. Valentine states “I have given you my word, Maximilien, and my heart belongs to you. Then I’ll join you and we’ll flee together.”(Dumas290) This spectacle demonstrates that Valentine is a strong and loyal woman, by agreeing to give everything up in order to save her love. This portrays Valentine as a woman ahead of her time period, willing to disobey her family for a chance at love. Valentine is a loving and naïve young lady. Her innocence blinds her from things that are clear to see, like the fact that someone is trying to kill her. Someone in Valentine’s house is trying to murder the loving and kind girl. When she is compelled to conceive who is trying to
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