Character Analysis of Mercedes in the Count of Monte Cristo, a Novel by Alexandre Dumas Essay

In The Count of Monte Cristo, we are introduced to Mercedes a youngCatalan beauty, who is engaged to Dantes. After Dantes' imprisonment andsupposed death, Mercedes marries her cousin and friend, Fernand. When shediscovers Dantes is still alive she continues to love him, but is faithfulin her marriage, unlike some other characters. Mercedes is a wonderfulmother to Albert, but is soon left with nothing when Fernand kills himselfleaving her and Albert little to live on. Mercedes displays three distinctcharacter traits in The Count of Monte Cristo. The first is resiliency, thesecond, loyalty and attachment, and the third, accomplishment. Mercedes displays her resiliency when she believes that Dantes isdead, she does not resort to despair, but plods on in her life, and marriesher cousin and friend Fernand, knowing that he will take care of her. Yearslater, when her husband dies and she is left with next to nothing, shestill does not complain. She displays absolute happiness and is not swayedby the unfavorable circumstances all around her. She says on page 1140, "Iam not unhappy while I have my son, I never shall be as long as I havehim." Later, page 1141 says, " The saintly woman realized that it was wrongto let her son bear all the weight of their sacrifice." Debray realizesthat Mercedes, "unjustly struck down, sublime in her misfortune, consideredherself rich with a few pence." Mercedes does not crumple into despair, butcontinues onward and allows her son to join the army because she knows thatthis is an appropriate course of action for a young man in his position. Mercedes is a character that is loyal, and truly attached to others.Mercedes cares for her son and stops Dantes from attempting to kill Albertin a duel, and then seems to accept the sacrifice Dantes said he wouldmake. What she really did was probably talk to her son, and remind him thathumbling...

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