Bicentenary Of The Birth Of Alexandre Dumas Fils

Born July 27, 1824 in Paris, Alexandre Dumas fils is the illegitimate child of the famous writer Alexandre Dumas. Placed in a boarding school from his birth, he had to wait until he was seven years old for his father to finally agree to recognize him. He retained a deep resentment throughout his life which manifested itself in his works, characterized by the theme of the disintegration of the family and imbued with a certain moralism. He first encountered success with La Dame aux camélias, published in 1848. Adapted to the theater by the author himself in 1852, the work marks the birth of the comedy of manners. Alexandre Dumas takes advantage of his writings to discuss the social problems of his time. A precursor of feminism, he is committed to the cause of women by trying to participate in their emancipation. Rewarded both for his talents as a writer and his commitments, he was elected to the French Academy in 1874. He died on November 27, 1895.