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The Range of Satire in Candide Francois-Marie Arouet De Voltaire’s most classic work, Candide, is a satiric assault on most everything that was prevalent in society during the author’s lifetime. In Candide, Voltaire offers the reader characters that partake in extremely exaggerated and outlandish events. Portrayal of these melodramatic events act as a form of satire, which Voltaire epitomizes throughout his reflections in Candide. Satire is a means for ridiculing something or someone in order to discredit it. Satire allows Voltaire to criticize through humor. As a result, instead of normal comedies which analyze the faults or weaknesses of its characters, Voltaire tries to make them as ridiculous as possible. Through emphasizing the absurdity of a situation or one of the characters, satire almost adequately displays cruelty. Voltaire applies satire as a means of pointing out this cruelty and making it seem intolerable to the reader. Although many of Voltaire’s ideas are exaggerated, he still provides some conceptual ones, which together provide a distinct outlook on life. Voltaire satirizes many points in Candide such as philosophy, war, and religion. Furthermore, he offers real historical events that reveal this style. The satirical style Voltaire chooses to implicate is used frequently in many literary works, especially of those in Voltaire’s time. Although Voltaire’s use of satire may seem excessive at times, he still manages to accomplish a credible story which rationalizes order and ultimately, self-gratification. Perhaps the most significant reflection Voltaire satirizes is the philosophical optimism of Baron Gottfried Wilhelm Von Leibniz, a very popular and sought-after German philosopher. Candide mocks Leibniz’s beliefs in the form of Dr. Pangloss’s visitation and optimistic belief that “everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds”. In the story, irrational ideas are taught to the main character, Candide, about optimism versus the reality of the rest of the world. Pangloss is a devoted teacher to Candide and an optimist who claims that there is no effect without a cause, and that everything has a purpose. Pangloss was not meant to be a direct attack on Leibnitz. Furthermore, Voltaire wanted people to realize how distorted Leibnitz’s idea was. The naïve character of Candide listens to Pangloss as he expresses his concept that, “Things cannot be otherwise than they are, for since everything is made to serve an end, everything necessarily serves the best end” (Voltaire 1546). The name Candide originates from the Latin word candidus, which means white, symbolizing innocence. Perhaps Candide was meant to pursue the belief in optimism due to his innocence. However, by the end of the novel, the reader discovers how Candide reacts to the philosophy he depended on, which ultimately allows Voltaire to implicate the message he wants to get across to the reader. Candide allows the reader to literally laugh out loud at the absurdity of some of the characters, especially Pangloss. Throughout the story, satirical references to Voltaire’s optimistic theme contrast with natural catastrophes and human wrongdoing. For instance, when reunited with the diseased and dying Pangloss, who had contracted syphilis, Candide asks if the devil is at fault. Pangloss simply responds, “Not at all,” (Voltaire 1552) then continuing to state that if there were no diseases, “We should have neither chocolate nor cochineal” (Voltaire 1552). The fact that Pangloss encounters all of the mishaps and misfortunes that come along his path and still maintains his philosophical optimistic views is humorous in itself.
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