Morcerf's Honor

712 Words3 Pages
Often, the border between when a person should fight to save their honor and when they should sacrifice their honor to save their life is blurred. Usually, this border is defined by a person’s upbringing, religious beliefs, and/or other personal traits of the sort. People need to evaluate a situation and figure out whether it is important enough for them to risk their life. Otherwise, they may end up sacrificing their life over an event that is not worth it. In Alexandre Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo, Albert de Morcerf’s naive and rash tendencies lead him to some dicey situations. However, a trait that proved more dangerous, whether combined with the traits above or alone, is his high opinion of honor, which was the main reason why he almost…show more content…
The first trait that can be evaluated here is Albert’s naivety. Albert had “mistook for this contadina a young bandit of fifteen or sixteen with a beardless chin and slim figure.” (240) He was blinded by “love” and it almost cost him his life. The second trait that can be viewed is Albert’s high opinion of honor. Here, he is shown to have conducted himself in a way that preserved his honor. Albert explains “‘that though duels are fought in nearly every country of the world, it is only the French who fight with a smile on their lips’”(227). Not only did he completely keep his cool to do so, he also had the audacity to yell at the very bandits who kept him captive, daring to shout, “‘Half-past one only!’ said he. ‘Why the devil do you rouse me at this hour?’” (225). Though this situation was deadly, especially with Albert’s nerve to act as he did, another event in the story brings Albert closer to death than this…show more content…
Albert now is driven to be humble rather than proud because of honor. He has realized that his father has sullied the family’s honor, so he sets out with a new name to bring honor to.“Then, Mother, I shall either be an officer within six months or else dead. If I am an officer, your future is assured, for I shall have money for you and for me, and in addition a name of which we shall both be proud, for it will be your own name” (551). This change in his honor is a nice contrast because it shows how Albert is finally maturing, rather than how he is being

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