Title- The Value of Altruism Cyrano De Bergerac by Edmond Rostand Prompt- Explain how Rostand uses three central characters in her novel to further her theme,

Erich Fromm, a famous American psychologist, once said, "Selfish persons are incapable of loving others, but they are not capable of loving themselves either." A century earlier Edmond Rostand, a brilliant writer who sought to look back to the romantic past, argued this same point in his play Cyrano De Bergerac. Through three of his central characters in the play, Cryano, Christian, and De Guiche, Rostand proves this theme that respect and honor are always …

…respect that selflessness brings. Even the play's antagonist, De Guiche, changes from his original, purely selfish nature to committing a noble, selfless deed at the end of play. It is through such changes that Rostand is able to illustrate the dramatic effect of selflessness and show the respect and peace that such a virtue can bring. Works Cited Rostand, Edmond. Cyrano De Bergerac. New York: Bantam Books, 1998. Fromm , Erich. Man for Himself. Columbia University Press, 1947.