Comparing Women In Voltaire's Candide And Paquette

Voltaire was born in Paris, France in 1694 to a well to do family.

He was a writer during the Enlightenment period and is considered one of Frances greatest writers of the period.

His controversial political writing lead to two periods of imprisonment and years of exile.

Voltaire died in Paris, France in 1778

During the 16th and 17th century religious wars between the Catholics and Protestant religions caused tension in France.

The tension caused the French monarchy to fall.

Absolutism replaced the monarch and Louis XIV became the new ruler of France.

The English natural sciences and philosophy's inspired many of Frances great minds.

Graduation of thought was inspired by belief in the natural law and human reason. This leas to opposition

Having a submissive air was very important for women of the period.

Women in Voltaire's time are unable to control the direction of their lives but must rely on men to achieve success. Even though the characters are from different classes all the women are in the same situation.

Candid lacks many female characters. The three females that he did write about lacked complexity. They all lived very similar lives even though they had very different backgrounds.

While naming the characters Voltarie incorporates the Latin cunnus into Cunegondes name to demonstrate the important of her sexuality to Candide.

In his description of Cunegonde and Paquette he only describes them physically using words like plump, appetizing, pretty, and beautiful. Making women appear as sweet almost eatable objects.

The physical appearance of the male characters is not focused upon as much as the female characters emphasizing the double standard.

The male characters also have Latin meaning in their names but the meaning is much more cleaver and telling of the individual not the sex. For example Pangloss which means all

Sexuality is also used as a tool for women in Candide. For example Cunegonde uses her sexuality to abstained security by marring a rich and powerful man.

This also shows the transition from sex being used for pleasure to sex being used for survival. Cunegonde used her sexuality not for pleasure but to gain security from her husband.

The way women seduce men also suggest that women have to depend on men for survival.

Women in Candide have to go from man to man just to survive even though men are often the ones who are inflicting harm on the women.

For men sex is a way for them to have ownership over a particular women.

Though Volatire lacks complexity when describing his female characters he describes the women as survivors. Women of the time face many injustices but they find ways to use their positions to gain protection and wealth and survive even when you think that the will not.

Volatire shows admiration for the resilience that women demonstrate and their ability to turn tools such as sexuality when is frequently used against them as a tool for survival.

In the beginning the female characters lack complexity and are identified by mostly physical traits. By the end of the novel the female characters are important to the