In most of his works he delved into the ethical objective of literature and, in his novel The natural child (1858), showed that whoever brings an illegitimate child into the world has a moral obligation to marry the woman.
Dumas Jr. was an illegitimate son, being the descendant of a black Haitian woman. For this reason, he was always the source of insults from his colleagues. And all this was reason for fix those experiences and bring them to your works.
He wrote his first book of poems called Sins of youth (1847). In 1844 he traveled to Saint-German-en-Lave to live there with his father. However, that same year, in Paris, he met Marie Duplessis, who was young that would inspire him to string together a romance novel called The Lady of the Camellias (1848).
This play, which when taken to the theater achieved great success that encouraged Dumas (son) to continue his activity as a playwright. It also served as inspiration for the opera by Giuseppe Verdi, La Traviata (1853). Among his plays, he emphasized a lot on moral teachings, in which he dealt with the social prejudices of that time and was a champion of the rights of women and children.
He married the princess Nadeja Naryschkine, in 1864. Having a daughter from her. However, when his wife died he married Henriette Régnier.
Throughout his life he wrote twelve other novels and plays. However, in 1867 he released a semi-autobiographical novel called “The Clemenceau case”, Being recognized as one of his best works.
He was appointed a member of the French Academy, in 1874, despite criticism of Victor Hugo. Later he was awarded the Legion of Honor, in 1894.
He died on November 27, 1895, at his house in Marly-le-Roi (Yvelines), being buried in the Mantmartre cemetery, in Paris.