On July 24, 1802, Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, more commonly known by his pseudonym Alaxander Dumas, was born in Villes-Cotter, France, into a family with an interesting lineage. His grandfather, Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie, was a French nobleman and his grandmother, Marie Cessete Dumas, was a Haitian slave. (Biography of Alexandre Dumas) The couple married despite the racial customs of the time and had a son named Thomas-Alexandre. Thomas-Alexandre then joined Napoleon's army, his father disapproving and so he had to take his mother's name Dumas. Despite this, Thomas-Alexandre quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a high-ranking general and shortly after marrying Marie Louise Labouret, he had his own son, Alaxander Dumas. However, four years after the birth of their son, Thomas-Alexandre died, leaving his family destitute as he had fallen out of favor with Napoleon following a disagreement shortly before his death. Dumas' mother did what she could to provide him with an education but often relied on the charity of others. Time soon proved that Dumas was not the most brilliant student, even if he had impeccable handwriting. He therefore abandoned his studies and accepted a job as a notary. He then served as secretary to the Duke of Orléans who later became King Louis-Philippe. Inspired by the theater and by William Shakespeare, Dumas wrote several plays at this time which earned him the recognition of the French people before the Revolution of 1830 put an end to his work. Taking the side of the Marquis de Lafayette, Dumas was exiled by the king. During his exile, Dumas continued to write more books, such as The Count of Monte Cristo. (The Folio Society)Drawing inspiration from historical events in France from 1815 to 1836, Ale...... in the middle of the article ......es it effectively demonstrates the evolution of the character from Dantes to through the use of name changes as it moves from one state to another. With this motif, the reader can easily follow the slow degradation of Dantes as the goal of revenge begins to transform him into something no one expected such a noble man to become. Another cleaver tactic Dumas used to ensure he made a lasting impression on his audience was incorporating historical aspects that were considered "hot topics" at the time. As literary critic Erik Spanberg said: “Dumas sheds a heartbreaking light on the machinations and political intrigues of the era of Napoleon's Hundred Days” (Spanberg). Drawing on aspects and inspirations from his own life with anecdotes scattered throughout the story also added an interesting element that allowed him to take his aim further and prove his point..