Satire can be considered a device used in literature for the purpose of exposing what is thought to be silly or erroneous in real life situations.
It is often done by writers to express disgruntled attitudes about contemporary occurrences. It can, however, be used to bring display the folly of persons and situations of all ages and epochs, as well as all situations. Gentler types of satire are termed Horatian, based on the works of the poet Horace. The more sarcastic and vitriolic type of satire is called Juvenalian, and is based on the satirical nature of the works of Roman poet Juvenal (Drury).In Candide, Voltaire satirizes philosophy, religion, morality, wealth and several other societal norms that have usually gone unquestioned because of their traditional value (Howells, 35).
Philosophy in the abstract is often drawn into the light and the theories tested in real-life situations. They are shown to be flawed and irrelevant in the harsh face of reality. Several examples of this are to be found in Pangloss, who is the scholar and principal philosophical character in the novel. A significant mistake made by this character is his prevention of Jacques’ rescue when he philosophically proves that the lake in which Jacques drowns exists principally for the purpose of taking his life.
Martin comments at the end: “We must work without arguing. That is the only way to make life bearable” (Voltaire, 126), and this underlines the slant against too much philosophy in favor of keeping one’s mind fixed on work (Waldinger, 1988).The historic era in which Voltaire wrote also comes under satiric scrutiny in this novel. While Candide could find no perfection in the Old World, he expresses the belief (or hope) that the New World might be the one in which all things occur for the best and to the happiness of all (Waldinger, 1988). This presents Voltaire’s method of criticizing the over-enthusiasm of the Europeans to enter the New World.
It also suggests that the wickedness found in the Old World would penetrate the New World simultaneously with the entrance of the Europeans. This is clearly depicted in the novel, as the slavery, diseases, and the mercantilist exploitation of the New World rose to heights that impoverished the colonials and natives and enriched the “sovereign” nations (such as England, Spain, France, and Portugal) which had made themselves the protectors of these colonies.Further satire occurs along these lines where Candide serves in the war between the Bulgars and the Abares. Though he had earlier been arrested and flayed for desertion—which he had not even conceived, this time he willingly deserts the army because of the hypocrisy he finds there. Through this, Voltaire satirizes war itself, as Candide finds both armies perpetrating the same wrongs upon the citizens of each nation. Neither of them appeared to be fighting for a good cause when the circumstances were viewed up close (Howells, 38-39).
Each army was guilty of killing and otherwise mistreating civilians. The scathing nature of the criticism is denoted in the metaphor, “The salvoes of artillery produced such a harmony as Hell itself could not rival” (Voltaire, 25). Here he shows that the apparent beauty of the scene is more akin to the agony of hell.Voltaire points out through this paradox that those who appear to be on the right side of war and to have the most virtuous cause are usually little better than those who are made out to be the villains.
In fact, Voltaire predicates his story on the knowledge that histories are usually written from the perspectives of those persons who have something to gain from war and then spread propaganda about the righteous or virtuous claims they have. He demonstrates his knowledge that on the other side of the trenches, there exists another army whose soldiers equally think they are fighting for a good cause, but which is really fighting for selfish reasons. The act of desertion by Candide depicts the true reaction that Voltaire considers that humankind should have to war. People should abandon war completely just as Candide decided to do in that scene.Voltaire also detects hypocrisy in religion and morality, and the use of the name Martin to represent one who is pessimistic and believes in no justice is likely in reference to Martin Luther, who staunchly believed in the biblical justice conferred on man through faith (Waldinger, 1988). In addition, several of the religious characters are caught in positions that they proclaim to stand against.
The Pope, ostensibly a celibate, has a daughter; a friar is also a thief; a member of the Catholic Inquisition has a mistress—all these examples are of persons who hypocritically do what they preach and talk against.Even the Muslim religion comes under satirical criticism, as its leaders are shown to throw aside its teachings for the sake of military and diplomatic advantage. After Candide’s leg is cut off in a conspiracy, the narrator lets the readers know that “the ministers of religion gave assurance on the part of Mahomet that every one who had [acted] against the express prohibitions of the Koran, should be, ipso facto, absolved, upon declaring what they knew concerning the conspiracy” (Voltaire, 137).Voltaire casts doubt on the trustworthiness of these fanatics who keep or defy their religion at will, as well as on the importance of the things they profess to be necessary.The warfare and the hatred found to lie in the hearts of those who profess Christianity also represents Voltaire’s satirical use of the characters and their situations in the novel Candide.
After Candide flees from the Portuguese officials, he is told to fight for the Jesuits from Paraguay who have rebelled. Voltaire satirizes the Jesuits by placing them in a bad light and showing them as being recalcitrant citizens who are unable to get along with authority. However, worse than that is their willingness and determination to engage in warlike activities and the several modes of deception that attend them (Howells, 39).The scheme and kill, pretending to do so for the benefit of the natives; however, in reality their actions are mainly to enrich and empower themselves. Furthermore, Voltaire goes on to satirize the Father Provincial, who harbors hate in his heart toward the Spaniard, even though his religion preaches that he should love everyone—including his enemies.
The author pokes criticism at this man who gives orders from the very heights of power in his religion, and yet who cannot even adhere to one of its most fundamental tenets. In doing this, it may also be that Voltaire criticizes the relevance of the Christian religion to a race of humans who clearly (in his opinion) cannot abide by its rules (Waldinger, 1988).The themes of the novel contain some interesting satirical ideas about women. In chapter 16, Candide and Cacambo meet upon a couple of women being chased by monkeys, whom the two men proceed to kill.
The fact that these two monkeys turn out to be the women’s lovers displays an attempt at satirizing women in relationships on two levels. It first shows women as being unnecessarily or overly coy, and pretentious about their feelings. It points to a tendency Voltaire finds in women toward affecting feelings that they do not really have—in other words, playing hard to get. The men themselves are portrayed as monkeys, which might be seen as a symbol for an idiot who rushes after a woman despite her dissimulation. The women are also satirized in their love for cruel men who perform actions that cause the women to run away.
Yet, despite their cruelty, the women weep for them when they die.The ideas presented in Voltaire’s novel Candide demonstrate his ability to criticize the ideologies of his time through satire. He scrutinizes the absurdities of the various religions and other established orders of the time and creates situations in which these institutions and their adherents show themselves to be as ludicrous as Voltaire himself sees them. Candide’s experiences are used as a lens through which the reader sees the ridiculous actions of these institutions’ leaders. The other characters aid Candide in critically evaluating these institutions by articulating their creeds and then demonstrating (by words or actions) how these creeds fail to hold up in real-world scenarios.
The representatives of these institutions themselves discredit their beliefs by often recanting or otherwise going back on them. Through these methods, Voltaire shows precisely how silly and useless he considers many of the ideologies of his time.
