Voltaire Essay, Research Paper

Voltaire was a French writer and philosopher best known for his most famous work, Candide. He was a prominent and influential figure of the Enlightenment movement, especially in literature and philosophy. He was appointed as the official historiographer of France. He was also elected to the French Academy in 1746. His most important influences came from the study of the philosophy of John Locke and the science of Isaac Newton. Voltaire valued freedom of thought and his works reflected his philosophy.

Voltaire, the pseudonym of Francois-Marie Arouet, was born on November 21, 1694 in Paris. He was the son of a notary. Voltaire would experience tragedy as a young child. His mother died when he was seven, leaving his father and brother to raise him. Voltaire detested both his father and brother. This created a turbulent environment and made for a fairly difficult childhood. Voltaire was educated by the Jesuits at the College of Louis-le-Grand in Paris. At the College of Louise-le-Grand, he quickly choose literature as a career, despite his father s wishes that he study law. It is during this time period of the young writer s life that he first voices his opposition to the established church and government in France. He quickly gained the reputation of being a brilliant and sarcastic writer. Voltaire s voluminous works cover a wide variety of subjects ranging from the English civil wars to religious toleration. Voltaire wrote and created with wit and irony in a general protest against intolerance and complacency. He gave eloquent expression to both his anti-Christian views and rationalist, deist creed. Voltaire both admired and very much emulated the ancient Greek dramatist Sophocles, in some of his work. His satirical writing and critical speech were often sarcastically directed toward various nobility members. Voltaire was twice imprisoned in the Bastille. These incarcerations, along with a multitude of exiles, were often the direct result of his harsh criticism of government and ecclesiastical figures.

Voltaire’s Candide is a philosophical tale of one man’s search for true happiness and his ultimate acceptance of life’s disappointments. From the beginning, Voltaire places a somewhat bogus importance on the possession of money and class status. Candide is raised in the Castle of Westfalia and is taught by the learned philosopher Dr. Pangloss. Voltaire refers to Dr. Pangloss as being somewhat of a sycophantic, but Candide has the highest opinion of Dr. Pangloss and his philosophy of cause and affect and that everything happens for the best. Candide seems to be an honest and na ve character. He is abruptly exiled from the castle when found kissing the Baron’s daughter, Cun gonde.

Devastated by the separation from Cun gonde, his true love, Candide sets out to different places in the hope of finding her and achieving total and complete happiness. After being forced to exile, Candide is unable to see the logic between the reality of what has happened to him and the philosophy that every cause has an effect and that everything happens for the best. The initial theme of Candide is that one must strive to overcome adversity and not passively accept it. His misfortunes begin when he is kicked out of the castle. He subsequently experiences a series of horrible events. Candide is unable to see anything positive in his ordeals, contrary to Dr. Pangloss’ teachings that there is a cause for all effects and that, while we might not understand it, everything happens for the best.

Candide’s arduous trial begins when he is deceived into the Bulgarian army simply because he is the ideal height of five feet five inches. His Bulgarian comrades regard Candide as a prodigy. While taking a long walk, he inadvertently commits treason and as a result is sentenced to run through the gauntlet. Voltaire refers to Candide s ignorance as God s liberty. Candide is almost killed while attempting the gauntlet and is miraculously saved by the Bulgarian King, as he is passing by during this event. It is interesting to note that in light of Voltaire s obvious distaste for the monarchy, he enlists the Bulgarian King as Candide s savior. During a very bloody battle with the Abarians, Candide escapes from the army. Candide flees through a war-ravaged village. Voltaire clearly and sarcastically portrays the catastrophic effects of war. Voltaire describes the village as being very grimacing and apocalyptic. His opinion of soldiers and war heroes is often very mordant. Throughout the novel, Voltaire maintains a very disdained feeling toward the military. Candide, while gradually learning the ways of the world, remains very much oblivious to reality.

After escaping from the army, Candide flees to Holland. He is penniless and at the mercy of the world. He mistakenly proclaims his unmerited philosophy of Dr. Pangloss to a group of Christians. They treat Candide very cruel. After being persecuted by the Christians for being an anti-Christ, he is taken in by a kind Anabaptist named Jacques. Jacques provides Candide with food, clothing, and a bath. After he regains his strength, Candide takes a walk through the town and discovers a wretched, diseased beggar who turns out to be Dr. Pangloss. Candid takes Dr. Pangloss to the Anabaptist s stable and begins to feed him. Dr. Pangloss sadly informs Candide that Bulgarian soldiers have attacked the castle of Westfalia and killed Cunegonde, as well as her father, mother and brother. The teacher s appearance and poor condition seems to be a direct reflection of Voltaire s opinion regarding his cause and effect and that everything happens for the best philosophy. This adds to Candide s already despairing point of view. Dr. Pangloss is ill and has no money for medical attention. Candide begs the kind Anabaptist for monetary assistance in order to help his old teacher. The kind and charitable Anabaptist gives both Candide and Dr. Pangloss money for medical treatment and assistance. After receiving medical treatment, Dr. Pangloss is cured of his disease, subsequently losing the use of one eye and one ear. Dr. Pangloss volunteers to become the Anabaptist s personal bookkeeper in return for his generosity. He works for the Anabaptist for a number of months.

The Anabaptist decides to take Candide and Dr. Pangloss aboard his ship on his journey to Lisbon. While on the trip, Jacques shares his own personal philosophy with Candide. He believes that men must have corrupted nature because men weren t born as wolves and yet they somehow evolved into wolves. He goes on to say that God has not given man cannons nor bayonets. Man has made these devices in order to destroy each other. Candide realizes the truth in what Jacques has said, and discovers even more problems with his theoretical philosophy.

A great storm begins to besiege the ship, as well as the passengers. As many great waves crash onto the ship, the Anabaptist accidentally falls overboard and drowns in the process of rescuing a sailor. Following the scene of the Anabaptist s death, Voltaire caustically rationalizes his death using the Candide s cause and effect philosophy. The ship is practically destroyed and except for Candide and Dr. Pangloss, the only remaining survivor is a sailor. Candide finds it more and more difficult to accept Dr. Pangloss’ principle.

Before they reach the city, there is a great earthquake in Lisbon, which kills thousands of people, plunging the city into ruins. Voltaire describes the sailor, upon reaching the destroyed city, as he takes up drinking and later buys the favors of a female prostitute. Voltaire seems to be suggesting that, while a person can not have precise control over their life, they can, to a certain degree, dictate in what direction they want their life to go, whether it be good or bad. After they help the citizens with the aftermath of the earthquake, Dr. Pangloss is subsequently hung as part of an Auto-da-f . Candide is flogged during the cadence of the Auto-da-f . Voltaire s description of Dr. Pangloss death is very acerbic and mordant. Voltaire is obviously mocking Dr. Pangloss philosophy. After the beating, Candide begins to cry aloud and weep over the multitude of deaths that have recently affected him. He is utterly shattered over the deaths of Dr. Pangloss, the Anabaptist, and his one true love, Cun gonde.

Miraculously, Candide is taken in by an old woman. She leads him to a small hovel and provides him with food, drink, clean clothes, and a fairly clean bed. The next day the old woman returns with another person with a veil over her head. The old woman asks Candide to remove the veil. It is then that he realizes that the person in the veil is his long lost love, Cun gonde. She tells him of the torture and the rape she has suffered and how she barely survived. She explains how she was bought for the sole purpose of being used as a sex slave by a Jewish man named Don Issachar. Don Issachar later shares her services with the Grand Inquisitor. It seems apparent in his writings that Voltaire is Anti-Semitic.

After the vivid description of her treatment, Candide can hardly believe the horrible circumstances both he and Cun gonde find themselves in. Upon the arrival of the two men, Candide kills both men and escapes with Cungonde and the old woman. Candide gradually begins to struggle and fight to control his existence and make it worthwhile, in the hope that he and Cun gonde would marry and live happily ever after. Candide is now taking matters in his own hands. Instead of accepting what happens to him passively, he decides to take control of his fate when he kills Cun gonde’s masters. At this point, one begins to see his maturity evolve. From a naive young man, Candide begins to develop into a more practical realist. Upon escaping his crime, Candid, Cun gonde, and the old woman flee for Buenos Aires. Cun gonde begins to complain of her current disposition. The old woman, both irritated and goaded by Cun gonde s complaining, begins to tell her own personal tale of turmoil.

The old woman had at one time been royalty. She was the daughter of Pope Urban X and Princess of Palestrina. As a young woman, she was extremely beautiful and engaged to marry a prince. Unfortunately for her, the prince she is engaged to marry is apparently murdered and her mother s mansion is overrun and captured by Turkish soldiers. She, along with her mother, is raped numerously, beaten almost daily, and eventually sold into slavery. After she is sold into slavery, she is sent to Morocco where a plethora of civil wars are in progress. It is here that she witnesses her mother s murder and dismemberment. After witnessing this atrocity, the woman finally manages to escape and flees Morocco. This woman, who was at one time a nobility member, spends a large portion of her life serving as an Inn maid in various parts of Russia and Europe until she finally becomes Cun gonde s maid. The story told by the old woman silences her audience and truly makes them aware of how great things can be and how catastrophic they can become. Voltaire is persistent, throughout his novel, of instilling the idea that nothing lasts eternally, especially royalty.

Just after arriving in Buenos Aires, Candide loses Cun gonde to a man named Don Fernando. Don Fernando is the governor of Buenos Aires, and it is his intention to marry Cun gonde. Cun gonde, though not entirely taken by the proposition, figures the marriage to the governor might greatly benefit her in the long run. Voltaire seems to be suggesting a great error in Candide s unproven and yet committed philosophy. If his life had projected as planned, it seems that Candide and Cunegonde seemed destined to marry. The nobility of Buenos Aires now thwarts his plans. As a result of this, Candide is forced to exile Buenos Aires. Before leaving, he befriends a man named Cacambo. The two leave Buenos Aires and travel to Paraguay.

In Paraguay, Candide meets, by sheer coincidence, Cun gonde s brother. The Bulgarian Army had not killed him, as it was earlier reported. He had risen through the ranks of the Jesuit Army to the position of commander. After a breif visit, plans were made between the two to retrieve Cun gonde from Buenos Aires. Candide expresses his love for Cun gonde and makes known his intention of marrying her. The commander takes extreme offense to this and tells Candide he is unfit to wed his sister. In a flash of rage, the two men draw their swords to commence battle. Candide quickly

plunges his sword into the chest of the commander, killing him almost instantly. Candide stands over the commander s body in utter disbelief. He can hardly believe that he now has killed three men. He desperately ponders how his philosophy can possibly hold true through such dire circumstances.

Candide travels extensively around Europe and he wonders where Dr. Pangloss’ theory might be more applicable and justifiable. He visits such places as France, Spain, England, and Turkey. While visiting Turkey, Candide makes a most remarkable discovery. Aboard a ship, Candide sees two slaves who bear a remarkable resemblance to someone he might have known in the past. After further investigating the stranger s identities, he discovers that it is actually Dr. Pangloss and the commander. He immediately buys each man s freedom. The men later visit and talk philosophy. Voltaire seems, at times, to willingly install hope into Candide about his philosophy. The many miraculous resurrections of Candide are totally unbelievable and to the point of being absurd.

Candide later discovers Cun gonde living with the Prince of Transylvania. By this time, Cun gonde had grown rotund and very much repugnant. Her eyes are bloodshot and her cheeks are wrinkled. At the first sight of her, Candide recoils backward and is seized with horror. Almost having to remind himself of his love for her, Candide pays the ransom for both Cun gonde and old woman. Candide is gradually reunited with various people throughout the novel that he once thought to be dead.

At the end of the story, Candide realizes he no longer loves Con gonde. He no longer wishes to marry her. At the insistence of the commander, Candide decides to marry Cun gonde, despite his current feelings for her. Harmony disappears within the group. They grow more ill tempered towards each other. They spend the majority of their free time talking and arguing about philosophy. Because of the recent tragedies and misfortunes in his life, Candide has become very silent and almost indifferent of the conversation concerning philosophy. Candide’s doubts about Dr. Pangloss philosophical theory have overcome the optimism that he once possessed for it. He has now learned to make his own happiness, while battling hardships. His curiosity for the truth lead him, as well as the rest of the small group, to a nearby Turkish philosopher. The Turkish philosopher is considered by most of the locals to be a man of great wisdom. They wished to consult him to see if he attained a true and useful philosophy. The Turkish philosopher was not very insightful and appeared to have no interest in their search for the truth. On the way back, Candide strikes up a conversation with a Muslim panhandler, as he is lounging under an orange tree. The Muslim sold various fruits and vegetables for a living. Mesmerized by their conversation, Candide is amazed at the level of happiness and joy the simple and unsophisticated Muslim displays. The Muslim expresses the love he has for both his family and work. He explains that his family helps him cultivate and gather the fruits and vegetables of his garden. Candide inquires of the Muslim s philosophy of life. The Muslim explains that work will keep away the three greatest of evils: boredom, vice, and need. Candide is extremely grateful for the Muslim s simple and yet tremendous insight.

The group continues on their journey home. They begin to talk of their newly found idea. Greatness is a very dangerous thing Dr. Pangloss explains. With it, the good things of life may appear, but are not guaranteed. They talk of famous leaders such as Hannibal, Ariovistas, Caesar, Nero, Otho, Edward II and a multitude of others, both great and notorious. They agree that these rulers all possessed the opportunity for greatness and yet they all eventually came to a bad end: deposed, exiled, assassinated, or executed.

Upon their return, the whole little society enters into the praise-worthy plan with Candide. Each starts to exercise their own individual talent. Candide enjoys his newfound happiness, while still maintaining his marriage to Cun gonde. He reasons that if he had not endured and survived through his trials and tribulations of the recent past, he ultimately would not have found the happiness that is now in his life.

Throughout Voltaire’s Candide, the main theme that appears most obvious is how accepting a situation as it is and not trying to alter it as one sees fit can be extremely damaging. It is a common fact that in life there are many obstacles, which can and should be overcome. Voltaire believes that life has its struggles, but it would be a miserable existence if people passively accepted everything as it happened for the best, avoiding control and shrugging off responsibility. While it is apparent that complete and precise control over the direction of ones life is not attainable, it is approachable. In sharp contrast to Dr. Pangloss, Odysseus of Homer s The Odyssey is a man of great courage who masters all situations and even searches for new adventures and challenges. Voltaire believes that people should not allow themselves to be victims. He is of the opinion that people should take more of an initiative in their life. He sneers at naive, accepting types, informing us that people must work and stay active to make their happiness complete.

Bibliography

Haydn Mason, Voltaire: A Biography, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1981.

Mortimer J. Adler, Great Books of the New World, Dell Publishing Group, 1956.