Jessica+Y+pg.44-51

**1. What are the three biggest targets of Voltaire's satire in these pages? Discuss, and give evidence by quoting exact passages.**
//Voltaire attacked the following things://
 * //**Man's desire for material objects** (greed & materialism)--Voltaire humorously attacks man's obsession over 'jewels' and 'gold'. 'Jewels' and 'gold', which we often forget, are merely stones. When the children at the school dropped the gold and diamonds on the ground, Cacambo and Candide brought it back to the tutor. The Eldoradeans did not understand and couldn't comprehend why Cacambo and Candide treasured these// //"pebbles and sand, which we[Europeans] refer to as 'gold' or 'gems'"(pg. 48) Voltaire seems to be criticizing how men take simple natural things and make a big fuss over it. The King of Eldorado says, "I cannot begin to understand the passion you Europeans have for our yellow mud; but take all you want, and much good may it do you." It is a silly picture Voltaire paints. As they carried out their 'treasures' out of Eldorado, I laughed. Just imagine foreigners loading cartfuls of dust and leaving! The Eldoradeans would surely think these Europeans were crazy. Voltaire really shows how we are attached to objects that don't mean much.We desire and prize objects that are actually worthless.//
 * //**Man and God**--Voltaire seems to be attacking the usual Christian prayer. The Eldoradean says that prayer is unnecessary to Candide who inquires of their way of prayer. "////'We do not pray to him at all,' said the honourable sage. 'We have nothing to ask of him'" (pg. 47) He argues that people should rather thank God, instead of ask things from God. As a Christian, I've heard ridiculous prayers to God saying: "Give us love" or "Give us a good harvest" We should be grateful and content with what God has given us, than to be asking for more things--is Voltaire's message.//
 * //**Man and Church**--Voltaire says the Eldoradeans do not have priests and everyone participates in thanking God. On pg. 47, the Eldoradean elder says, "we are all priests. The King and the heads of each family sing solemn hymns of thanksgiving everymorning..." Cacambo responds, "What! You have no monks instructing and disputing, and governing and intriguing and having everyone burned alive who is not in their opinion?" (pg. 47) Voltaire wants the Church to eliminate monks, and let all the people worship God and participate in his praise. I think when he said 'everyone burned alive', he was referring to the Inquisition. He criticizes how the Church's formality, the Inquisition, and the corrupt church.//

===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.===

//Like Voltaire, Swift also attacks **humans' desire for material objects**. From Gulliver's Travels, "...in some fields of his country [Houyhnhnms' country], there are certain shining stones of several colors, whereof the Yahoos are violently fond; and when part of these stones are fixed in the earth, as it sometimes happeneth, they will dig with their claws for whole days to get them out, and carry them away, and hide them by heaps in their kennels..." (pg. 2149, part 4 chapter 7) This passage is very similar to Voltaire's passage of man's fondness for mere stones. These stones are only precious in the eyes of humans--to everyone else, they are mere stones. "My master said he could never discover the reason of this unnatural appetite, or how these stones could be of any use to a Yahoo" (pg. 2149, part 4 chap.7) In actuality, gold, jewels, are worthless. Both writers ridicule man's interest in diamonds and gold.

Swift also attacks **the church** and its many disputes. As Voltaire mentioned, the monks would always dispute. In Gulliver's Travels, two countries are at war over small things like whether to break the egg at the big end or the small end. "the books of the Big-Endians have been long forbidden." (pg. 2039, part 1 chap. 5)// //They go to war over small religious disputes.// //Swift is attacking the petty disputes of the Church, while Voltaire focused more on satirizing the corruption. However, both are related to the Church's unhealthy habits.//

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

 * New Critic: //The conversation between the old sage of Eldorado and Candide, pages 46-47 were a key part of this passage. It reveals Christianity and the church's ways. On page 47, Voltaire talks about ways of worship in Eldorado.//
 * **Character analyst**: //The character's minds change somewhat. Candide says on page 45, "It [Eldorado] is probably the land where all is well, for clearly such a place has to exist. And despite what Maitre Pangloss may have said, I often noticed that everything went fairly badly in Westphalia." Because the characters are exposed to a better, more peaceful, land they realize that where they come from is not that great. However, the characters' personality still remains the same by the end of the passage. Candid says on page 49 that he'd rather be rich than live in Eldorado, where gold means nothing.//


 * Psychological critic (How the human mind works)://Voltaire's writing in these pages reveal human thought. If people have enough desire, they will willingly leave happiness. On page 49 of __Candide__, Candide says, "If we remain here [Eldorado], we shall be just like everyone; but if we return to the old world with only a dozen sheep loaded with Eldoradean pebbles, we shall be richer than all the kings put together" I think Voltaire wants to show that although you are exposed to a far-better world, humans have too many materialistic needs. Sometimes money will appeal to man's mind more than happiness will.//


 * **Historian** (How the passage mirrors its time): //Candide says, "What! You have no monks instructing and disputing, and governing and intriguing, and having everyone **burned alive** who is not of their opinion?" "We would have to be foolish indeed.", replies the sage. This may be referring to the Roman Inquisition which lasted until the mid 18th century, during the time __Candide__ was written. During the Inquisition, burning heresies alive were a common sight.//


 * **Anthropologist**: (culture) //The Eldoradeans have a completely different culture, even Candide says, "what is this country...which is...where nature operates under laws so utterly different to ours...?", and this is all Voltaire's tactics. In Eldorado, **'gold and gems'** are as common as pebbles. In European culture, gold and gems are prized. I think he is trying to show how these pebbles are essentially worthless. Also, Cacambo did not have to pay for their meal. On page 45, the inn host says, "All the inns established to further the trade of this nation are paid for by the government."// //This means that **foreigners are treated well**. Voltaire talks about how the Eldoradeans worship. "'Do you **worship only one God**?' asked Cacambo...'Evidently so,' said the old man, 'since there are not two Gods, or three, or four." It is mentioned in the footnotes that Voltaire adds this detail because of the Christian belief of the Trinity. Also, in Eldorado they **do not have priests.** But in the rest of __Candide__, they are many in the European states and colonies, for example: the abbe, the Baron Jesuit, the Inquisition. Voltaire is saying that priests are unnecessary and cause more problems. Instead, everyone should be a priest, like in Eldorado.//


 * **Philosopher**: (Theme/big idea) //The themes presented were mentioned in the Utopia of Eldorado. Man shouldn't be greedy over simple things and beg God for more; instead, people need to give and be content what they have, and thank God for what they have already been given. On page 47 of __Candide,__ the old sage says, "We have nothing to ask of him[God]; he has given us everything we need; we thank him unceasingly." On page 45 of __Candide__, when Cacambo and Candide wanted to pay the bill, the host says "but you do not need money to dine here." On page 49, Candide says, "...we shall be richer than all the kings put together," Candide does not give what he has or thank anyone for what he's been given. People need to be content--is the big idea.//