Literary Analysis of Candide by Voltaire
Candide: Ou, L'Optimisme (1759) is one of the renown works and later functions by Voltaire. The literary piece is acknowledged as one of the author's most insightful spoofs on the world's state. The composition of the novel occurred after two earth quakes which hit Lisbon and Lima in the 1940s and 1950s, and it is in ways a reply to the optimistic and compassionate philosophy championed by such scholars of the age of Shaftesbury, Leibniz and the likes. The novel is basically a tale of a young naive man who travels the planet and along the way runs into a number of characters holding different philosophies concerning life. One of the most prominent character in the novel is Professor Pangloss who holds supreme faith in God's plan and believes that there is "the best of all possible worlds" The novel is literary rich and it is packed with literary elements such as tones, plot, style, symbolism, motifs, characterization, themes and much more. For the intended purpose of this paper, the literary analysis will explore the many themes and motifs in the novel. Themes such as the theme of human suffering, love and happiness, optimism, hypocrisy of religion, and money and its corrupting power of greed will be discussed alongside the motifs of rape and sexual exploitation and religious and political oppression.
THEMES
One of the major themes in the novel is the theme of human suffering or human condition. Apart from being one of the themes in the novel, this theme materializes as the grand theme of the storyplot. Candide marvels on what's the best way to approach life. Through the story a reader can identify that Candide has been educated in something that encourages optimism and it would appear that this is all he knows. However, he doubts the philosophy of optimism and ultimately rejects it. His quest focuses on if the dogma of optimism as taught by the Dr. Pangloss holds any truth. If it is true, Candide encounters must then be reconciled with optimism. However this is not possible without some illogical suppositions. For instance, Dr. Pangloss argues that syphilis "can be an indispensable elements in the best of worlds-a necessary ingredient" (Moliere).
The theme of human condition and optimism cannot be separated in the storyplot as they go together. The very first lesson that Candide learns is that it is impossible to get effect without having a cause, and that everything on the globe is made to serve a particular end. This summarizes the dogma of optimistic determinism. If an invincible, omniscient God created the world in accordance to his design, then evil's existence means malevolence to the creatures he created. The believers in this story holding to the Christian faith react to this religious predicament by applying a cogent understanding to the occurrence of evil utilizing the examination of cause and effect to rationalize every particular incident of evil in expression of the greater good to come out of the predicament. For example, Dr. Panglass concludes, "private misfortunes lead to public welfare" (Moliere). In addition both Candide and Pangloss hold true that things are for the best in every possible worlds. This thought is a reductively shortened version of the philosophies held by quite a number of Enlightenment thinkers.
Another theme lucid in the novel is the theme of love and happiness. Through the novel, Candide is in pursuance of the love of his life: Cunegonde. However, he is turned away by this woman at least twice by being denied his love's submit marriage. Even though, Cunegonde, has herself accepted to marry Candide since they both have a mutual love between themselves, the objections seem to be to come from Cunegonde's relatives: Cunegonde's father and brother. Cunegonde's father, the King "chased Cunegonde from the Castle with great kicks" (Voltaire 2) when he sees the two kissing. Down the road, Cunegonde's brother states that he will "never be reproached by this scandalous marriage" (82). Instead of the two being happy for both and appreciating the mutual love both share, they opt to see her married to a baron.
Hypocrisy of religion is also clear in the novel. This is witnessed in the onset of the novel when Candide is kicked from his Castle and escapes from the armies attacking to where Candide meets an orator. The orator was giving a speech on charity and addresses Candide as "My pal. " However, after realizing that Candide does not share his believe that the Pope is the Antichrist, his attitude towards Candide changes. Accordingly, he departs from his teachings and insults Candide calling him a "wretch" and "rogue. " The orator also says that Candide "does not deserve to consume" (6). The orator's wife also empties her Chamber-pot onto Candide-"from what excess does religious zeal carry the ladies!" (6). Candide was searching for compassion and generosity from the believers but instead, he's turned away by this orator who was preaching charity just because of his differing religious beliefs. This continues on showing the intolerance and hypocrisy of religion.
Finally, among other themes, the theme of money and its own corrupting power of greed is also prevalent in this novel. When Candide, obtains a lot of money in Eldorado, it seems that a few of his worst problems could be over. Physical injuries and arrest do not pose as threats any more owing to the actual fact that he is able to corrupt and bribe his way to avoid it of several situations. Nonetheless, he is more discontented as a wealthy man. Experiencing his money seep away into the devious merchants' hands and the officials, tests his belief of optimism to a larger extent. As a matter of fact, his optimism appears to be at the cheapest after he's cheated by a Vanderdendur; it is following this incident that he chooses to make Martin, a pessimist, his travelling companion. His wealth and money seems to attract false friends. Greed and jealousy seems to be the only real resultants of money. In one occasion, the King warns Candide and his friend that they are very "foolish to leave" (46) the castle where the are well protected and provided for. Through the story, the theme of money and the associated problems of power, greed, and corruption is brought out which is clear that money and the energy that is included with it creates as much problems as it strives to resolve.
MOTIFS
One of the prevalent motif in the story is the motif of rape and sexual exploitation. The novel is packed with exceptionally detailed accounts of how women are sexually exploited. Cunegonde, Paquette, and the old woman who are the primary female characters in the story are all forced to sexual slavery, raped, or both. The views of the narrator and characters' stances to these incidents are indifferent. Voltaire employs these characters in the novel to demonstrate the dangers that ladies face and their vulnerability to such issues. That is also hypocritical since the men in this Voltaire's Europe seem to be to value women's chastity, however they make it impossible for the ladies to keep up the same.
The other prevalent motif is the motif of religious and political oppression. Inside the novel, a reader can see the repulsion of oppression the authorities uphold in both the churches and the states. Catholics authorities are portrayed burning heretics alive and governors and priests are depicted as individuals who extort sexual favors from the women. Furthermore, businessmen mistreat their servants and slaves. Candide himself is abused by the army of the Bulgar King after he's drafted. From your story, it is clear that powerful institutions and people use their power to harm the helpless individuals in the society.
In review, the storyline aims at offering through its themes the various social ills which exist in the society. The themes of human suffering, love and happiness, optimism, hypocrisy of religion, and money and its corrupting power of greed and the motifs of rape and sexual exploitation and religious and political oppression serve this purpose perfectly. At the end, Candide, chooses to ignore all the philosophies and mores held by the society given that they only serve to oppress and decides to "cultivate" his own philosophies starting from scratch. That is demonstrated when he says to his companions, "all of that is perfectly, but let us cultivate our garden" (87) after they admire the efforts of a guy who lives off his own parcel.
