Join Us in France · Sunday, June 28, 2026
Despite his father's military achievements, Alexandre Dumas Père faced racism in his youth due to his mixed heritage. With a formal education ending at 13, he developed a passion for fables and historical stories, inspired by works like Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe," which fueled his dream of becoming a writer.
“Because even though he was, let's say the second generation, he still had some of the same features that his father had, and he was in a tiny little village in Normandy, and apparently the children made fun of him.”
“So, with the help of some family friends, they got him his first job at the age of 14 as a clerk.”
“It's interesting, because of course politically he was really a republican in the sense of French notion of no kings and queens. But he loved the stories, and one of the stories that inspired him that they say is really one of the reasons he wanted to become a writer, is that he read Ivanhoe.”