Satire In Voltaire's Candide

Candide is a satire, that possesses all the subtlety of a brick to the head, instead of getting his point across quietly using complex nuances, Voltaire exaggerates to the point of impossibility, and makes it clear that he finds plenty of his contemporaries ridiculous. Voltaire was an eighteenth century enlightenment writer, and he drew inspiration from other enlightenment writers and movements. Throughout the story, Voltaire makes several arguments, but sometimes he falls short of reaching and fully explicating and convincing the reader of his point. Overall, the book was an important addition to literature, but it could have been better and conveyed the same idea. Voltaire has several main ideas that are present throughout Candide. Most

No one could have survived what the characters do, and that detracts from his point. The immense exaggeration makes the argument and points made less logical. This is exponentially true in regard to the fact that everything in the work is ridiculous. If only one character, or one aspect of the work was inflated, the actual arguments would be clearer, but instead, Voltaire conflates everything, and this is less effective. Emphasis only works if it is used sparingly. If everything is emphasised, then nothing is emphasised and that applies to Candide. The story in Candide is ridiculous, the feats of medicine in the story are ridiculous, even the names such as, “Waldberghoff-trarbk-dikdorff”¹ which is according to Candide a german town, and what Pangloss teaches, “metaphysico-theologo-cosmolo-nigology”¹, are ridiculous and detract from the overall argument. Even the wording of the chapter titles contributes to the ludicrous nature of the work, “How Candide killed the brother of his beloved Cunegonde”¹, this brother also makes a miraculous resurrection later on. Voltaire uses the hyperbolic exaggeration and satire to make his point, and he does, but the extent to which Voltaire takes his exaggeration to, detracts from the overall purpose of the

Voltaire does that repeatedly and blatantly throughout the work. It most likely was clear and understandable to Voltaire’s audience at the time that Candide was written. However, it falls short when provided to a modern audience, references are lost and lots of the story seems extraneous and over the top. It is a valuable contribution to literature, and it provides insight into thought during the enlightenment, but again it could have been accomplished with better mastery and less exaggeration. Where Candide falls short, other works surpass it. Specifically, Thomas More’s Utopia uses satire and exaggeration, but it successfully conveys the point that a society based purely on logic could not function. Similarly, Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal uses satire, but only satirizes one specific aspect, the idea that the extra babies should be eaten, while this is a ridiculous idea, it is much easier to follow than Voltaire’s Candide. In choosing to exaggerate or satirize one specific aspect, their respective points are clearer, proven faster, and the work is better for it. Personally, Candide was a bit annoying, repetitive, and over the top. The character of Candide was laughably impulsive and put little to no thought into his actions. Everyone suffered a ridiculous amount, and the extent to which it was taken was bizarre. Finally