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Similes
Chapter 52 – Toxicology
Explanation and Analysis:
The Count of Monte Cristo is all about adventure, and the writing style reflects Dumas's commitment to telling an incredible story without getting too distracted by decorous language and distracting turns of phrase. With that being said, Dumas makes ample use of literary devices and allusions to a whole host of artworks and pieces of literature in order to build out his world into the most dramatic, cataclysmic setting possible.
Allusions to classical poetry and contemporary painting serve to draw the reader into the story with the famous language and imagery of the art and culture of the time, drawing on the durable foundation of previous work to strengthen the case for The Count of Monte Cristo as a masterpiece unto itself.
Dumas employs an omniscient narrator to maximize the action and stoke the dramatic irony for the reader, even occasionally breaking the fourth wall to comment on the narrative structure itself:
Carried forward by the rapidity of the narrative, we have merely introduced Valentine to the reader without making her better known.
Dumas was also paid by the line for his work, so the sheer complexity of his story—the amount of historical background, backstory, and motivation he gives each character—may also reflect the financial reality of the author's life.
