Monte Cristo Notes- Honor

Rossi, 1
Michael Rossi
September 10, 2009
Advanced Placement English Language
Prep (2/3rds of a page of ) notes on the role of honor in the Count of Monte Cristo. Focus on Morrel

Notes

The theme of honor arises throughout the novel and has a heavy impact upon many of the characters and their behavior. An excellent example of an honorable character that lives by his word and exhibits incredible generosity is Monsieur. Morrel. Morrel was being assailed by debt due his cargo ships sinking. A group of surviving sailors from the Pharaon confronted the Morrel and spoke of the tragedy that had befallen them at sea and reported that they desired no such payment from their financially crippled employer “If you have no money, you surely shall not pay us; like the Pharaon, we can go under bare poles” (177). Not allowing himself to wallow in his sadness Morrel responded, “’Enough, enough, my friends!’ said Morrel, choking with emotion. ‘Leave me, I beg you’(177). Monsieur Morrel remained true to his word and showed the sailors out of his home so that he would not be tempted to stray from his code of honor.
The remarkable aspect about Morrel is that his desire to stand by his honor is so strict that it can only be the result of Christian purity , not the result of him simply trying to look like society’s perfect man in order to impress his peers. Morrel holds dear to his virtue of honor even in the face of death: “’you will be paid or else I shall be dead’ (178). Morrel was extremely close to taking his life when Edmond Dantes’ stepped in and alleviated Morrel’s debt much like God had sparred the child of Abraham.