Candide+84-91

frances scotts

1. What are the three biggest targets of Voltaire's satire in these pages? Discuss, and give evidence by quoting exact passages. --- In chapter 27, on page 84, Martin says "I can ony presume that there are millions of people on this earth who are many times more to be pitied than king Charles Edward, or Emperor Ivan, or Sultan Achmed." From this particular quote, we can see that Voltarie is trying to attack the aristocratic people who became poorer than before but still richer than most of the people, because each of them complained how they became miserable after luxurious lives. This quote from Martin precisely and clearly criticize them by saying that there are more to be pitied than these lazy, complaining aristocrats.

On chapter 28, Candide says to Pangloss, who always claims that the world is best of all possible good, "While you were being hanged, and dissected, and beaten, and made to row in a galley, did you continue to believe that all was for the best?' And Pangloss responded, "I hold firmly to my original views,' I am a philosopher after all: it would not do for me to recant, given that Leibniz is incapable of error, and that pre-estblished harmony is moreover the finest thing in the world--no to speak of the plenum and the materia subtilis." First of all, from Candide's question to Pangloss, that asks whether Pangloss still believes in his optimism, we can see that Voltaire is criticizing Pangloss or his unrealistically and impossibly optimistic view; Candide's tone is very sarcastic; 'after hanged, diseected, beaten, and row in a galley, you still believe in your theory??' After all his misfortunes happened in Pangloss''s life, Pangloss still believes that the world is the best out of all possible options and this Pangloss's firmly held belief seems very ridiculous.

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. -__//**1. They both attack autocratic people/monarchies directly.**//__ __Swift__: Gulliver's urination on Liiliputian Queen's palace. Gulliver's refusal to obey the king's rule b/c the king's excessive greediness. __Voltaire__: In chapter 27, on page __**84**__, Martin says "I can ony presume that there are millions of people on this earth who are many times more to be pitied than king Charles Edward, or Emperor Ivan, or Sultan Achmed. we can see that Voltarie is trying to attack the aristocratic people who became poorer than before but still richer than most of the people, because each of them complained how they became miserable after luxurious lives. This quote from Martin precisely and clearly criticize them by saying that there are more to be pitied than these lazy, complaining aristocrats.

__//**-2. They both criticize the absurdity of doctrinaire(strictly following a theory in all circumstances, even if there are practical problems) philosophers or scholars. (in other words) They both criticize academia in a parodic way.**//__


 * __Swift__**: He uses an academy in Legado, where each specialized scholars develop and study new technologies for example, turning wastes back into food, turning ice into gunpower (mostly ridiculous and not practical at all) to criticize his society(Britain) where there was a similar situation. In Britain, during Swift's time, there was a scientific academy or society, including members like Issac Newton and other eminent scientists, in which they also developed new technologies to improve the society but didn't help at all. Like the scholars in Legado, the famous British scientists only concentrated on developing theories rather than developing practical technologies when people outside were dying b/c of famines and diseases (information from sparknotes).

__**Voltaire**__: He does the same thing in his tale using 'Pangloss'. On chapter 28, in the last sentence(pg.88), Candide says to Pangloss, who always claims that the world is best of all possibilities, "While you were being hanged, and dissected, and beaten, and made to row in a galley, did you continue to believe that all was for the best?' And Pangloss responded, "I hold firmly to my original views,' I am a philosopher after all: it would not do for me to recant, given that Leibniz is incapable of error, and that pre-estblished harmony is moreover the finest thing in the world--not to speak of the plenum and the materia subtilis." This plenum and the materia subtilis phrase is explained in page 154. Plenum and the materia subtilis are ethereal fluid and a cosmos 'full' of matter, with no empty spaces(totally unrealistic). However, this theory is refuted by Issac Newton(his gravity theory), and is being mocked by Voltarie because he describes Pangloss as dogmatic, thus ridiculous, philosopher who would believe in those things. I think both Voltaire and Swfit firmly believed in practicalism or practicality since they both ridicule those unrealistic and ethereal, or spiritual theories in their stories.

3. Write from each of the starred roles in our literature circles, and discuss your section from each point of view. - New Critic: 1. chapter# 27 pg. 84 the line where Martin says :I can only presume......" is important b/c of the reason I illustrated above. His hatred or criticism toward the aristocratic people culminates when Cruegneos's brother resists to permit them to marry b/c they're from loyal family but Candide is not when Candide saved his and his sister, Cruegnoe's lives: "No, my sister shall never marry unless it be a baron of the Empire...." "You absolute ass, I rescued you from the galleys; I have paid for your freedom; I have paid for your sister's freedom...." "But you will never marry my sister while I am alive.' 2. pg. 91, "but when they were not arguing the boredom was so extreme that one day the old woman ventured to remark: I should like to knkow whic is worse: to be raped a hundred times by negro pirates, and have a buttock cut off, and run the gauntlet of the Bulgars, and be flogged and hanged in an auto-da-fe, and be dissected....?" "That is a hard question." said Candide. This speech gave rise to new speculations, and Martin in particular came to the conclusion that man was born to endure either the convulsions of anxiety of the lethargy of boredom."

This passage is also important b/c now, Candide and the other people have nothing to worry about or suffer, they feel extremely bored. so it implies that their sufferings wouldn't be over even if their real "challenges" were over but instead they suffer from their own nature like boredom.