Candide Background

Victoria Jones1st period

11/05/2012

Events that lead to publication and influenced Candide

Voltaire started to notice the injustice and disasters that occurred around him (1750s)

Lisbon earthquake(1755) (strongly influenced Age of Enlightenment in Europe)

Seven Year's War (1756) Execution of English Admiral John Byng (1757) Optimism challenged Enlightenment(18th century) Candide published!!! (1759)

English Admiral John Byng

Found guilty of failure to do his utmost to destroy the enemy's ship Punishment? death March 14, 1757 On his own ship, he directed his own firing squad by

dropping his handkerchief on the ground Ch 23 Candide and Martin talk about what they saw on the

coast of England: “There is no doubt of it; but in this country it is found good, from time to time, to kill one Admiral to encourage the others.”

Does Candide Really Represent “The Enlightenment”??

NOT REALLY! Many examples of using satire against its philosophies

during that time, such as the Enlightenment's upholding of optimism and its belief that it can hide evils of mankind

Exception? Voltaire DID go against Christian power and arrogance of nobility

Optimism Challenged and Character Background

Candide meant to underscore flaws in the philosophy of optimism

“Cultivate one's own garden”? what??? symbolizes abandonment of optimistic idealism to show it in the light of a kind a suffering... hard labor in the garden Voltaire gives evidence throughout the book of evil human

nature in all the characters with incidents including rape, murder, theft, and lust.

Candide is profound in showing a change in people by his entire drive changes at the end from pure desires to not pure in being driven by beauty, money, and lust.

Sources

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/candide/context.html http://www.executedtoday.com/2010/03/14/1757-admiral-

john-byng/