Candide+3-11

1. What are the three biggest targets of Voltaire's satire in these pages? Discuss, and give evidence by quoting exact passages.

Optimism. Page 4, all the 3rd paragraph (for example, "everything is made to serve an end, everything is necessarily for the best of ends". Not yet sure if Voltaire attacks this philosophy, but most likely because right after this event, a very miserable thing happens to Candide.

Inquisition. Page 9, midway, "Out of my sight, you miserable creature!" Candide was disrespected for not answering to a woman's religious question "correctly". The woman's attitude toward Candide abruptly changes after the "bad: response.

Leibniz's philosophy?? Tons of times in these pages appear the phrases "cause and effect" and "sufficient reason". Whenever Candide feels miserable abot his situation, he recalls the cause that created the situation.

2. Does Swift, in //Gulliver's Travels,// attack any of the targets you identified in question 1? Find passages from Swift's book as evidence. Then write a paragraph for each one, and discuss the similarities and/or differences.

Inquisition (religious issues)

Gulliver's Travel package pg. 2046, 2nd paragraph, Gulliver explains how the Liliputians hired people with the "right" religion rather than better abilities for jobs.

Swift satirizes the way of thinking in England at the time. People basically only focused on "religion", and thought that people who have different religion from them were "wrong". Swift shows us in here how weird this thinking is. Logically, it is obviously better to choose somebody with better skill than to choose someone with the so-called "right" religion.

Voltaire shows on pg. 9, how a lady changes her attitude capriciously when she hears that Candide does not believe in what she believes in. This is similar to what the Swift is satirizing. It is basically about a way of thinking about what is right or wrong religion.

3. Write from each of the starred roles in our literature circles, and discuss your section from each point of view.

New Critic - "Valderberghoff-trarbk-dikdorff" pg. 5, 7th line from the bottom. It's a name of a town that Candide goes after getting kicked out of the castle. According to the footnote, the word mocks the German language. This book was translated from the German. So the story mocks its own language?

Character Analysis - Pangloss keeps on talking about his philosophy that all is for the best. Is Voltaire trying to satirize this philosophy? Candide believes in his philosophy deeply, but he starts doubting it when some conflicts happen to him.

Psychology - .......???????

Historian - Page 9, first passage, it talks about the "Inquisition". The secret police asked each citizens if he or she believed in what the country believes in, and if he or she answers "no", then he or she is killed. In this passage, Candide is disrespected by a woman after answering to her religious question in a way that did not satisfy the woman.

Anthropologist - Each person having his or her class. Rich people are living happily, but on the other side, the poor people are living like beggars.

Philosopher King - Many miserable events are going to happen to Candide in this book, and WE think that Voltaire is trying to satirize the Pangloss's philosophy (optimism) by showing how the things are not for the best.

Lit. Circle Roles!

New Critic - Quote the key passages, explain how they work

Character analyst - Author's P.O.V. How and Why Changes (or nonchanges), Dinamic or Static

Psychology - Male/Female, Old/Young, Eastern/Western, Rich/Poor

Historian - how the book mirrors its time

Anthropologist - culture, dark side, unmasking

Philosopher King - Big ideas