The Count of Monte Cristo 2: Ch VIII - XV p 72 - 148

[Andrea]

Post your thought here!

[Ellen]

I haven't finished this section yet but I'm finding the politics a bit confusing as I'm not that up on my French history. But am I correct in my understanding that Villefort starts out as a royalist then becomes a Bonapartist and then a royalist again after Louis' restoration? (Maybe another switch again?) What confuses me is his relationship with his father.

[Nina]

Yes, you are right that Villefort changes allegiance depending on who is in power. When King Louis (not the one from the Jungle Book!) was on the throne, Villefort was a Royalist. When Napoleon regained power, he was a Bonapartist.

His father is a Bonapartist with a capital B. Villefort doesn't want their relationship to be generally known, fearing it might compromise him in his career. He would rather be a Royalist without any bonapartist connections as Napoleon was...shall we say less than popular among the Royalists? :) Even when Napoleon regained power, Villefort kept the relationship a secret because he suspected that Napoleon wouldn't be in charge for long (and he was right)

So Villefort doesn't want people to know that his father is Noirtier the Bonapartist, but on the other hand, he is his father and Villefort is worried about his safety. So when he fears Noirtier's life is threatened, he warns him.

So at least there is some filial goodness in Villefort:)

[Ellen]

Thanks, Nina. That explains it nicely.

[JoLene]

That maybe Villefort's only redeeming quality -- that he warned his father. I still don't understand why he allowed Dante's to be thrown in prison after he burned the letter. Dante's did not know that the person he was intended to deliver the letter to was his father.
Also, do you think it was premeditated on his part to take M. Morrels's statement during the 100 days and not act on it with the suspects ion that the monarchy would be back in power soon.

I must say that it was fun seeing the references to Grenoble as I lived there for 2.5 years. When you drive from Grenoble down to Nice the "back way" (not on the freeways), the route that Napolean took is maked (he went from Nice to Grenoble --- but I usually drove the other way.)

[Nina]

I think he sent Dante to prison "just in case". It was known that his father was a Bonapartist called Noirtier (de Villefort says it openly at the engagement party) so I think he is afraid that Dantes might happen to mention that he was arrested on suspicion of being a Bonapartist, and that he was carrying a letter to a Mssr Noirtier, but luckily de Villefort let him go. de Villefort doesn't want people to think that he let a Bonapartist with connections to Noirtier go free. He can't risk that, despite knowing Dantes is innocent. He probably knows that it is highly unlikely that Dantes will ever mention the letter or the name on it, but his ambitions require him to be absolutely sure.

Lucky you to have lived in France. It's a lovely country, I usually spent my summer holidays there when I was a child. I have been to Grenoble, but I was 2 and don't remember it:) I didn't know Napoleon's route was marked, that's quite interesting:)

[Shea]

Sadly, I have already fallen behind schedule but I am thoroughly enjoying the book. I wish I had better background knowledge of France and the struggles between the royalists and the bonapartists. I am currently glossing over that information without trying to commit too much of it to memory. If I focus on it I will be horribly bogged down. I am keeping my attention on the characters and their motivation. So many of them are despicable but, for me, Villafort is the biggest villian. He knew what the right thing to do was, could have done it and didn't only because there was a slight chance it would hurt him politically and therefore personally. He was not motivted by jealousy or hatred as the other plotters were. He had no personal score to settle with Dantes so his actions are harder to understand. It seems if he had any honor he would have done the right thing.

I feel bad for Dantes and the ordeal he has gone through in prison. It is understandable that many inmates would go out of their minds under those conditions. I can only imagine his grief when he learns his father is dead.

[Nina]

I agree. That Villefort could sacrifice a young boy he knew to be innocent for the sake of his own ambition - which might not have been compromised at all had he let Dantes go - is beyond despicable.

Also, I imagine that the only thing worse than being kept in isolation for years is being kept in isolation for years without knowing why. Dantes hasn't the slightest clue as to why he is there, he doesn't know what happened to his father, Mercedes etc. Are they okay? Do they know where he is? Do they believe he is innocent? Are they waiting for him? His life was taken away from him from one day to the next, and all he can look forward to is dying alone in a rotten prison cell. I can't believe Villefort could knowingly give him up to such a fate.

[Sherrie]

Shea wrote: "Sadly, I have already fallen behind schedule but I am thoroughly enjoying the book. I wish I had better background knowledge of France and the struggles between the royalists and the bonapartists...."

I disagree about Villefort's motivations, it seems to me that jealousy is his prime motivator in that he wants to have power and is jealous of those who do. Having grown up during the rise of Napoleon, a single life, or maybe a few of them, may not seem like a high price. It is somewhat ironic that while he is a royalist, he seems to have Napoleonic attitudes where his own degree of power is concerned.