Black and white The writing of the Other in Alexandre Dumas’ work

Alexandre Dumas engaged in political and artistic battles with much ardor. However, as the grandson of a Haitian slave and the victim of racist prejudices during his literary career, he chose to abstain from the abolitionist cause. While Dumas preferred to assert himself as a Frenchman rather than a mixed-race man, he peopled his novels and travel tales with colored characters. Some aroused admiration but others perpetuated the worst stereotypes. Dumas’s work was thus seen as the recipient of a skin complex, a self-whitening effort, and a denial of his origins. This essay takes into account the manner in which Dumas tells the story of his ancestors and writes about himself along with his use of scientific concepts and racist prejudices to then examine the author’s strategy, his attempt to give humanity to his characters, and to educate his readers.