Candide by Voltaire - Essay Example

Teacher Two events and their comparative significance in terms of social identity and related problems The two events selected in Voltaire’s novel Candide that have significance in social identity and related problems are the arrival of Candide and his valet Cacambo at El Dorado and when Candide found Miss Cunegund again in Constantinople. Candide and his valet Cacambo’s visit at El Dorado made Candide realized that the interpretation of the social of identity of God has caused us so much trouble.

The second event that highlighted the problem of social identity was during Candide’s travel to Constantinople to look for Miss Cunegund where he found “two slaves among the crew of the galley, who rowed very ill” whom he later found out to be Pangloss and the Baron. Candide and his valet Cacambo’s visit at El Dorado underscored the problem of being intolerant about the social identity of God. This was highlighted in the interesting conversation between Candide and the old man at El Dorado where the sage stressed that the monotheistic interpretation of the social identity of God can cause problems.

When the old man was asked by Cacambo “Do you worship but one God?” the old man explained “Certainly . . .there are not two, nor three, nor four Gods… people of your world ask very extraordinary questions” (Voltaire 49). Already, the sage knew that interpreting the social identity of God to be one that exclude the others could cause problem such as discrimination and terrorism that is why he told the doubtful Cacambo “people of your world ask very extraordinary questions” (Voltaire 49) hinting that this kind of mindset is problematic.

The other event in the novel where the problem of social identity is very pronounced is when Candide found two slaves in the crew of the galley during his voyage to Constantinople to get Miss Cunegund. The two slaves turned out to be Pangloss and the Baron. This is very significant because Candide saw that Pangloss already died in Lisbon as a heretic. The baron on the other hand was Miss Cunegund’s brother whom Candide had killed when he opposed Candide’s marriage to his sister. Candide was in disbelief when he found them saying “Do I dream . . .

or am I awake? . . . Is this My Lord the Baron, whom I killed? And that my master Pangloss, whom I saw hanged before my face?” (Voltaire 89). Apparently, their social identity was changed to that of a slave that Candide have to buy their freedom. Also, Miss Cunegund features has also turned ugly during when she became a slave in Constantinople. The degrading of Miss Cunegund’s social identity as a slave horribly reflected on her feature that she became ugly. In sum, the two events that have significance in social identity in Voltaire’s Candide are the arrival of Candide and his valet Cacambo at El Dorado and when Candide found Miss Cunegund again in Constantinople.

The first event underscores the problem that will be caused by interpreting the social identity of God in monotheistic terms while the second event illustrated how enslavement and cruelty could change not only the social identity of a person but also their physical features.Work CitedVoltaire. "Candide." 1759. Web. 3 June 2015.