Social Criticism In Voltaire's Candide And Heart Of Darkness

1015 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The theme of imperialism in conrad the heart of darkness

Social Criticism in Candide and Heart of Darkness
In their respective novels Heart of Darkness and Candide, Joseph Conrad and Voltaire address various hypocrisies in society. While Voltaire criticizes topics stretching from church and religion to war and wealth, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is one of the most famous criticisms of imperialism. What measures do the authors use to criticize society, and how are their social critiques different?
The list of criticisms in Candide is long. The first chapter sets the tone, where the Enlightenment philosopher Leibniz’s optimism and focus on cause and effect is targeted: “[Lady Cunegonde] saw Dr. Pangloss in the bushes, giving a lesson in experimental physics to her mother’s chambermaid, a pretty and docile little brunette. Since Lady Cunegonde was deeply interested in the sciences, she breathlessly observed the repeated experiments that were performed before her eyes. She clearly saw the doctor’s sufficient reason, and the operation of cause and effect.” (Voltaire 16). This optimistic folly becomes a main target throughout the novel, represented by the very optimistic character Pangloss, who repeatedly claims that “all is for the best” whether it is earthquake, disease or robbery. Moreover this illustrates the novel’s use of humor and satire; it is through irony and naïve simplifications that most of Voltaire’s criticisms are made.
The light and humorous tone of Candide’s is greatly contrasted in Heart of Darkness. While both stories follow the journey a young man who discovers many horrors and evils in the world, the illustrations of the social criticisms are contrasting. In Candide horrors are trivialized to produce comical critiques. An example is when Candide and Martin...

... middle of paper ...

...earned Franciscan friar (…).” (Voltaire 23, 24).
While Voltaire ridicules many independent aspects of society, Conrad focuses on imperialism. As a result, Conrad’s social criticisms are more in-depth and multilayered, and throughout the book he builds a strong case against imperialism. When Voltaire uses satire and humor, Heart of Darkness relies on the young sailor Marlow’s opinions of his experiences in Congo. In general the novel has a dark undertone of evil and unrest and many references to darkness, which helps illustrate the hypocrisies of European imperialism in Africa. Candide’s social criticisms on the other hand are based on stereotypes and irony, resulting in comical critiques. Thus Voltaire and Conrad use very different methods to convey their social criticisms; nevertheless they are both very successful in highlighting the hypocrisies of their day.

Show More
Related

  • Movie Essay - A Comparison of Satire in Voltaire's Candide and the Film Lexx

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    The second, and perhaps most important difference between Candide and Lexx is the methods by which the two stories satirize things. As typical of most mode...

    Read More

  • Voltaire's Satire In Candide

    1383 Words  | 3 Pages

    Voltaire, more formally known as Francois-Marie Arouet, was a writer, philosopher and historian in the Age of Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment was the period of time from the late seventeenth century through early nineteenth century in which European thinkers and philosophers began to question and contradict typical styles of thinking. The belief behind this new Enlightenment thinking was that the human race could better themselves through simply creating reasonable change.

    Read More

  • A Series of Unfortunate Events in Voltaire's Candide

    619 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...reflected critically on the events of his life—even just the two examples used in this essay--, he would probably find that this is not the best of all possible worlds as it is rife with evil and suffering. With this novella, Voltaire made the point that some spend a lifetime justifying—not rationalizing—the events of the world because those same people are too busy attempting to prove one theory rather than develop others that may fit reality more. When Candide dismisses Pangloss at the end of the novella by saying, “Let us cultivate our garden,” he is rejecting Pangloss’ philosophy, turning over a new leaf, and taking charge of his own life and giving it its own meaning free of Pangloss’ influence.

    Read More

  • Candide Chapter 1 Summary

    1896 Words  | 4 Pages

    However, along the way Voltaire introduces characters with distinctive worldviews and philosophies. Unique to the story of Candide is the character Pangloss, a philosopher of metaphysico-theologico-cosmolo-boobology and Candide’s teacher. In chapter one, Pangloss abruptly shares his philosophy that, “for since everything is made for an end, everything is necessarily for the best end.” The tail goes on to say, “Candide listened attentively and believed innocently.” During their journey together certain situations cause Candide to question many of Pangloss’

    Read More

  • Optimism and Pessimism in Voltaire’s Candide

    1176 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Voltaire’s Candide, we are taken by the hand through an adventure which spanned two continents, several countries, and to a multitude of adverse characters. The protagonist, Candide, became the recipient of the horrors which would be faced by any person in the 18th century. But Candide was always accompanied with fellows sufferers, two of which our focus will lay, Pangloss and Martin. In equal respects, both are embodiments of different philosophies of the time: Pangloss the proponent of Optimism and Martin the proponent of Pessimism. Each of the two travelers is never together with Candide, until the end, but both entice him to picture the world in one of their two philosophies. Throughout the story there is an apparent ebb and flow from Candide on how to think of the world. By the end of his journey, Candide will be presented with evidence to lead to his agreement of either Optimism or Pessimism. But I submit, Candide does not become a firm believer in either philosophies but rather retains a philosophy in between Optimism and Pessimism, somewhat of a stoic mentality. Thus Voltaire’s opinion on philosophy will be predicated upon his character, Candide.

    Read More

  • Analysis On Candide: The Impossibility Of The Happy Life

    645 Words  | 2 Pages

    Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire lived from 1694-1778. He was an author and a philosopher whose philosophy stressed rationality, democracy and scientific inquiry. These interests can all be seen in Candide, for example, which has a philosopher for a main character and which satirizes the philosophy of Leibnitz throughout the text. The novel Candide was written in response to the earthquake of 1759 which hit Lisbon and resulted in the instantaneous and indiscriminate deaths of thousands. Appalled by the horrible deaths of so many innocent people, Voltaire was at this time also incensed by Leibnitz who wrote that given the worlds God might have created, by choosing to endow mankind with free will, "the world we live in is the best of all possible worlds." To Voltaire, this response to the earthquake amounted to an abominable moral complacency and indifference by philosophers such as Leibnitz, who Voltaire felt seemed to accept all the other normal suffering and injustice in the world. Hence in Candide, Voltaire relentlessly satirizes Leibnitz's formulation by shifting the stress to "this is the best of all possible worlds" and bringing up the line every time a character encounters a horrible calamity or atrocity. However, it should be added that Voltaire's hatred of injustices perpetrated by the aristocracy, the church and the state--all of which he satirizes in Candide--also grew out of his personal experiences.

    Read More

  • Women in Voltaire’s Candide

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Candide Voltaire discusses the exploitation of the female race in the eighteenth century through the women in the novel. Cunegonde, Paquette, and the Old Woman suffer through rape and sexual exploitation regardless of wealth or political connections. These characters possess very little complexity or importance in Candide. With his characterization of Cunegonde, Paquette, and the Old Woman Voltaire satirizes gender roles and highlights the impotence of women in the 1800s.

    Read More

  • The Effective Satire of Voltaire's Candide

    1191 Words  | 3 Pages

    To get his point across in Candide, Voltaire created the character Dr. Pangloss, an unconditional follower of Leibniz's philosophy. Voltaire shows this early in the novel by stating, "He proved admirably that there is no effect without a cause and that, in this best of all possible worlds....(16)" Pangloss goes on to say that everything had its purpose and things were made for the best. For example, the nose was created for the purpose of wearing spectacles (Voltaire 16). Because of his "great knowledge," Candide, at this point a very naive and impressionable youth, regards Pangloss as the greatest philosopher in the world, a reverence that will soon be contradicted by contact with reality (Frautschi 75).

    Read More

  • Social Criticism In Voltaire's Candide

    1641 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Candide” by Voltaire is a controversial satirical novella that tells the story of a man named Candide, a naïve man, who goes through a series of events resulting in an adventurous journey. Candide meets various people on his way while he visits several different areas on his journey. Voltaire uses additional characters and locations to emphasize the representation of topics like religion, class and the goodness of nature. He uses these aspects to portray his opinions which relate to his attack on these ideas. For instance, the baron is a character that epitomizes the idea of following the laws of a social hierarchy. As a character, he continues to look at social hierarchy as the only thing that matters in his life. Voltaire uses him to attack

    Read More

  • Candide: A Satire On The Enlightenment

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    Voltaire did not believe in the power of reason to overcome contemporary social conditions.In Candide, Voltaire uses Pangloss and his ramblings to represent an often humorous characterization of the "typical" optimist. Of Pangloss, Voltaire writes, "He proved admirably that there cannot possibly be an effect without a cause and that in the best of all possible worlds the Baron’s castle was the best of all castles and his wife the best of all possible Baronesses." (522) The attack on the claim that this is "the best of all possible worlds" permeates the entire novel. Throughout the story, satirical references to this theme contrast with natural catastrophes and human wrongdoing. When reunited with the diseased and dying Pangloss, who had contracted syphilis, Candide asks if the Devil is at fault.

    Read More

  • Essay on Voltaire's Candide - Optimism in Candide

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    Voltaire's Candide uses anti-heroism as an object of mockery against the philosophers of the Enlightenment. Candide, the hero of the novel travels around the world where he encounters many difficulties. During his travels, he sticks to the teaching of his tutor, Doctor Pangloss, believing that "everything is for the best" (3). Voltaire points out the illogicality of this doctrine, "if Columbus had not caught, on an American island, this sickness which attacks the source of generation [...] we should have neither chocolate or cochineal" (8). The sheer stupidity of these illogical conclusions points out Voltaire's problem with most optimists: the illogical degree to which they would carry their doctrine. Voltaire would argue that noses were not designed for spectacles, but rather spectacles were designed for preexisting noses. Pangloss's interpretation of cause and effect is so ignorant as to be comical. While Candide tells an interesting story, it is more important as a satire. However, this does not prove Voltaire is a pessimist.

    Read More

  • Candide

    1305 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the story of Candide, the author Voltaire uses many of the characters to portray important things in life. The two characters that Voltaire used the most were Candide and Pangloss. Voltaire used these two characters to represent a particular idea or folly that he had about the world. In the story Candide, Voltaire is always portraying his own ideas by using the characters to illustrate his own ideas. Candide and Pangloss represent the main idea of the story, which is Voltaire’s folly of optimism. Even though they both represent the main idea of the story Candide and Pangloss have many similarities and differences.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Candide, by Voltaire

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book Candide by Voltaire is a humorous satire constructed of many themes. Through his book, Voltaire expresses his views on life by criticizing many aspects of humanity at that time. He focused in war, religion, and love, but the main target of Voltaire's satire was a certain philosophy. All of the previous topics unite to ridicule the philosophy that, as the character Pangloss said, "things cannot be otherwise than as they are; for as all things have been created for some end, they must necessarily be created for the best end" (1).

    Read More

  • Candide Optimism Analysis

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    Of course, because it is a satire, Candide continues to have a badly founded and overly optimistic view on the world, even though there are piles of evidence that would point to the contrary. Candide’s complete inability to form his own philosophies and views without adopting others’ is an element of the text because again, it is a satire, but also to highlight the absurdity of thinking that everything happens in order to maintain balance and keep things for the best. Candide’s naivety and almost painfully deliberate simplemindedness is used to represent mankind. At the time this was written, many people displayed similar much less exaggerated traits. By highlighting the complete absurdity of this way of thinking through Candide’s childlike repetition of other characters’ values and ideas, Voltaire illustrated that everything is not for the best in this not best of all possible worlds. He stated that one cannot simply float through life expecting good things to happen to him, not making any decisions for himself and relying on others for his ideas. It is crucial that we work for our happiness in life, that we cultivate our

    Read More

  • Politics in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anyone can read Heart Of Darkness and easily sense the attitude of Conrad toward English politics. Many times throughout Heart Of Darkness Conrad points out the pointlessness and savagery of English colonization. Conrad also comments a bit on society as a whole. With these two ideas added to the book, there is no wonder of why Heart of Darkness is such a touching novel.

    Read More

More about Social Criticism In Voltaire's Candide And Heart Of Darkness

Open Document