MWDS Candide - 4817 Words

Major Work Data Sheet: Candide Title: Candide Author: Voltaire Date of Publication: 1759 Genre: Satire, ‘Conte Philosophique’ (Philosophical Fiction) Biographical information about the author: Francois-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, was born in 1694 in Paris, France. Though his father wanted him to become a lawyer, Voltaire long held a great passion for writing, and rather than going to law school, spent his time extensively composing poetry, essays, and historical studies. His widespread recognition as an author was established with the publication of the play â€Å"Oedipus†, a variation on the original Greek tragedy, in 1718. In 1726, after a fight with a French nobleman, Voltaire was exiled to England. There, he was exposed to a†¦show more content†¦Voltaire’s satire contains a strong sense of witful irony and parodies meant to elicit disgust at the topics he is criticizing. â€Å"Candide’s† sense of satire is largely derived from the Juvenalian satire which was created by the Roman satirist Juvenal. By using absurdist and ironic images of characters, satirists intend to invoke disg ust or laughter at a topic to the point where it is rejected a legitimate. Thi is the point with Voltaire’s mockery of optimism in â€Å"Candide†. Plot Summary: â€Å"Candide† is a tale told in a fast-paced series of episodic adventures. The opening chapter establishes the Edenic innocence of the background in which the protagonist, Candide, is raised. Leading a privileged, isolated existence in a Westphalian castle, Candide finds himself in love with Cunegonde, daughter of the Baron of the castle. He is also eagerly indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism by his tutor, Pangloss, who, in turn, is in love with Paquette, the chambermaid of the castle. After openly showing his affection for Cunegonde, Candide, not being of noble enough blood, is promptly expelled by the Baron, and involuntarily sets out upon his own into the world. Candide’s first major adventure is his unintentional recruitment into the Bulgar army, which exposes him to the terrors of physical and sexual abuse, as well as the shocking violence of warfare. After managing to escape the army, Candide comes across a kind Anabaptist, Jacques, as well as Pangloss, who has been rendered