The Count of Monte Cristo

1. What qualities make Dantès successful as first mate, and how does his crew respond to his leadership?

2. Why might Dantès be blind to potential threats from people like Danglars, despite noticing their hostility?

3. What specific actions does Edmond take in this chapter that show his competence as a sailor, and how does Morrel respond to these actions?

4. Why does Danglars feel threatened by Edmond's success, and what does this reveal about how workplace dynamics actually work?

5. What stages does Dantès go through during his imprisonment, and how does each one change him?

6. Why does Dantès consider suicide, and what keeps him from following through?

7. What changes Villefort's behavior toward Dantès when he learns about the letter?

8. Why does Villefort choose to destroy an innocent man rather than risk his own career?

9. What specific tactics does the prison system use to break Dantès' spirit beyond just locking him up?

10. Why is the lack of information about charges or timeline more psychologically damaging than the physical conditions of the cell?

11. What specific changes happen to Dantès between entering the prison and settling into his cell?

12. Why does the prison system treat Dantès as if his protests of innocence don't matter?

13. What specific realizations hit Dantès as he sits in his cell, and how do they differ from his initial reaction to being arrested?

14. Why does Dantès start to suspect his imprisonment isn't a mistake, and what evidence leads him to this conclusion?

15. What does Dantès discover about his situation in the Château d'If, and how does this differ from what he expected?