Cervantes' “Don Quixote” and Alexandre Dumas' “The Count of Monte Cristo”: Multiple Personality Plots

A man named Alonso Quixano switches to his alternate personality, Don Quixote, has adventures, but, in the end, switches back to his regular personality, Alonso Quixano.

A man named Edmond Dantès switches to his alternate personality, Monte Cristo, has adventures, but, in the end, switches back to his regular personality, Edmond Dantès.

For elaboration, see past posts.

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Added next day: The multiple personality plot of the fiction writing process is that the writer’s regular personalities cede overt control to the person’s writing personalities (narrators, characters, editors, etc.); then, when the writing session is over, they all switch back, to allow regular life to resume.

However, even when the regular personalities are in overt control, the writing personalities are usually conscious, simultaneously, and still writing, but covertly, behind the scenes, usually out of the regular personalities’ awareness, so as not to interfere with regular life.

Both the multiple personality and simultaneity are depicted by Henry James in his 1892 short story, “The Private Life” (1).

Of course, the details of how all this works are unique to each writer.

1. Henry James. Ghost Stories. Introduction and Notes by Martin Scofield, University of Kent at Canterbury. UK, Wordsworth Editions, 2001.