A Separate Peace And The Count Of Monte Cristo

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Recommended: Revenge in literature

Annie Dorsey
Mrs. Voigt
English 1H- 4
16 October 2014
Honorbound
The Truth Behind Revenge “While seeking revenge, dig two graves- one for yourself.” – Douglas Horton Betrayal, revenge and regret are common themes in literature because it is an experience shared by many individuals. Specifically these themes are found in the novels A Separate Peace and The Count of Monte Cristo. A Separate Peace, tells the story of Gene and Finny, best friends at The Devon School in the summer of 1942. Through establishing the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session, they become best friends. Another example of this theme is found in The Count of Monte Cristo. Edmond Dantès, a character from The Count of Monte Cristo, is the first mate of the …show more content…

They make a sporadic, rash decision: Gene causes Finny to fall off the tree and Dantès threatens to kill Fernand’s son. Up in a tree, in a blind rage, Gene “took a step toward [Finny], and then [his] knees bent and [he] jounced the limb. Finny, his balance gone, swung his head around to look at [him] for an instant with extreme interest, and then tumbled sideways, broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening, unnatural thud.” Gene does not really know what happens. He acts so quickly and without thinking of the repercussions of his actions. Edmond also comes close to doing something he would regret. Throughout the fourteen years he is in prison, “[Dantès] renewed the vow of vengeance [he] had taken the first day,” (Dumas 471). Dantès plans to fulfill this promise, but his plans change. He swears this revenge on Fernand because he married Dantès’ fiancée and refused to help Dantès’ father pay for his food, so his father died of hunger. Fernand acts quickly and without thinking of the repercussions and he forever destroys Dantès family. Dantès almost makes the same mistake. After they look back on what they did, Gene and Edmond realize that the action they took to try to get revenge was …show more content…

Gene tries to find a way to make amends, “‘I’m sorry,’ [he] said blindly, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’” (Knowles 185). He feels awful about the accident and he tries to make it up to Finny. Gene does all that he can do at this point: he apologizes. He cannot rewrite history or fix Phineas’ leg, so he apologizes does a small act with great courage. In The Count of Monte Cristo, after Mercédès talks to Dantès, he begins to rethink his plan, and decides not to carry through with his plans. “Mercédès said these words with such infinite sadness and in such tones of despair that they wrung a sob from the Count’s throat. The lion was tamed, the avenger was overcome! ‘What do you ask of me?’ he said. ‘Your son’s life? Well then, he shall live!’” (Dumas 472). Dantès lets him live only because his mother, whom he once loved persuaded him to do so. She saves her son’s life by begging for mercy. Mercédès is a great mother who is not afraid to humble herself in front of others for those she cares about, because of this, Edmond lets her son

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