Candide (Voltaire's Magnum Opus) - Essay Example

Socio-economic Status: The socio-economic during the time this book as written and the 21st century determines the life a person leads. An excellent example is the life the baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh and his family lead. With money, the baron affords a luxurious life with servants. The trend is the same through out the book with the author presenting characters whose wealth affords them extravagant lives and power to oppress others (Cohen 14). Cunegonde the baron’s daughter points out that before she met the Jew she thought her father had a magnificent abode (Voltaire 26).

The oppressed in Voltaire’s writing were, like in society today, persons, not of noble birth (poor) and women. However, there are other aspects of “noble birth” Voltaire considers, and this, in turn, reflect on issues of race and religion in society today. There are several instances in the book where characters make hateful references to Jews. For instance, Cunegonde, the baron’s daughter reports “… it was beneath her to belong to an Israelite…” (Voltaire 36). These hateful references exist today with societies marginalizing minorities such as blacks, Jews and even Muslims.

Religion vs. Philosophy: Pangloss the philosopher presents religious and philosophical arguments based on ideas advanced by Leibniz. At the onset of the book, Pangloss makes prepositions such as “…those asserting all is well are stupid and should, therefore, hold that all is for the best … (Voltaire 8). This perhaps reflects on the historical and cultural period of the author lived. At time philosophers were trying to piece together reasons why things happen for instance the tsunami and fire tragedy in Lisbon, 1755 (Voltaire 29).

While Pangloss pins all happenings including a mysterious contagious disease (Syphilis) that his lover transmits to him on a higher power and purpose (Voltaire 21), the author brings in an alternative view. This alternative view is through the character James the Anabaptist. James believes that the cruel happenings of the world are as a result of mans actions and not some supreme cause they cannot control. Aside from showing preference to an internal locus of control, Voltaire through James the Anabaptist and the El Dorado Society alludes to a society that the civilized 21st century enjoys.

Indeed the existence of a rational society that allows religious freedom in the 18th century was a bizarre assumption even for a philosopher (Cohen 95). However, history has proven that impossible is but a word seeing as the industrial revolution gave birth to the 21st century. This century has secular societies keen on scientific advances and that use of rational rather than religious dogma (Cohen 142). Satire: The issues in this novella are sensitive and require a sensitive approach. Most authors approach emerging issues with somber, critical attitudes.

However, Voltaire disagrees as is evident in his choice of style. The use of satire to criticize and thereby evoke self evaluation is a common stylistic device for Shakespeare, Ngugi Wa Thiongo and more recently Rajiv Joseph in “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” (Voltaire 80). For instance, he mocks the Pangloss when he says he is a metaphysico-theologo-cosmolo-nigology specialist (Voltaire 8). Granted, to