Alexandre Dumas, Fils Article Index for
Alexandre
Website Links For
Alexandre
 

Information About

Alexandre Dumas, Fils




Alexandre Dumas, fils ( July 27 , 1824November 27 , 1895 ) was the son of Alexandre Dumas, Père , who followed in his father's footsteps becoming a celebrated Author and Playwright .

Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' was born in Paris , France , the Illegitimate child of Marie-Catherine Labay, a dressmaker, and novelist Alexandre Dumas . In 1831 his father legally recognized him and ensured the young Dumas received the best education possible at the Institution Goubaux and the Collège Bourbon. Laws at that time allowed Dumas Sr. to take the child away from his mother and her agony inspired Dumas ''fils'' to write about tragic female characters. In almost all of his writings, he emphasized the moral purpose of literature and in his 1858 play, ''Le fils naturel'' (''The Illegitimate Son''), he espoused the theory that if someone brings an illegitimate child into the world, then they have an obligation to legitimize the child and marry the woman.

In addition to bearing the stigma of illegitimacy, Dumas ''fils'' was part black: his father's paternal grandparents were a white French nobleman and a black Haiti an girl. In the boarding schools, Dumas ''fils'' was constantly taunted by his classmates. These issues all profoundly influenced his thoughts, behaviour, and writing.

In 1844 Dumas ''fils'' moved to Saint-Germain-en-Laye to live with his father. There, he met Marie Duplessis, a young courtesan who would be the inspiration for his romantic novel, '' La Dame Aux Camélias '' (''The Lady of the Camellia s''). Adapted into a play, it was titled in English as ''Camille'' and is the basis for Verdi's 1853 opera, '' La Traviata ''.

In 1864 , Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' married Nadeja Naryschkine, with whom he had a daughter. After her passing he married Henriette Régnier.

During his lifetime, Dumas ''fils'' wrote twelve other novels and several plays. In 1867 he published his semi-autobiographical novel, ''L’affaire Clemenceau'', considered by many to be one of his best works. In 1874 , he was admitted to the Académie Française and in 1894 he was awarded the '' Légion D'Honneur ''.

Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' died at Marly-le-Roi, Yvelines , on November 27 , 1895 and was interred in the Cimetière De Montmartre in Paris .


BOOKS

  • ''La dame aux camélias'' (''Camille'' or '' The Lady Of The Camellias ,'' 1848)

  • ''L'affaire Clemenceau'' (''The Clemenceau Case,'' 1867)



OPERA

  • Verdi's '' La Traviata '' was based on the novel ''The Lady of the Camellias''



PLAYS

  • ''Le fils naturel'' (''The Illegitimate Son'' or ''The Natural Son,'' 1858)



EXTERNAL LINKS



  Title Seat 2 <br> Académie Française years=1874&ndash1895
  Before Pierre-Antoine Lebrun