Chapter 15 of Voltaire's 'Candide' can be taken as a perfect example of the author's skill as an 18th Century Enlightenment writer. ... Voltaire is an author who handles character dialogue expertly. Through the Jesuit baron's reaction to Candide's expressed desire of marriage to his sister, Voltaire affords us insight into his critical view of humanity during the 18th Century. ... The baron is used as a foil to Candide, and it is him that forces Candide into yet another violent incident. ... Voltaire depicts his characters, Calambo and Candide, fleeing off gall...

• Word Count: 1041
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The satirical novel "Candide," was written by the French philosopher, Voltaire, during the Enlightenment period, an intellectual movement that occurred in eighteenth century Europe. ... In addition, Candide's statement "but let us cultivate our garden,"" illustrates that he has moved from promoting the philosophy of optimism to promoting the philosophy of meliorism, the same philosophy promoted by Voltaire. ... As a promoter of meliorism, which is seemingly pessimistic and the opposite of optimism, Voltaire found optimism to be ridiculous; he used Candide as a way to ridicule it. In the n...

• Word Count: 887
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

English IV Candide The main theme of Voltaire's novel, Candide, is the criticism of religions and beliefs. ... The most important and consequently interesting character in Candide is Candide himself. ... Other characters that provide reason to infer Candide contains Voltaire's feeling on religion are the Jesuit priest with homosexual tendencies, and the Grand Inquisitor who buys and keeps Cunegonde as his sex slave. ... The optimist Pangloss, and the pessimist Martin are used by Voltaire to convey the critical view Voltaire also has how not only religion but philosophical spec...

• Word Count: 771
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Candide reflects Voltaire's lifelong hatred towards Christian regimes of power and the arrogance of nobility. Voltaire strongly opposed certain Enlightenment ideas about social class. ... Voltaire's view of the aristocrats was worse than his perception of the Church. ... Voltaire's first example of aristocratic attitudes of pride occurs very early on in the book. ... Voltaire argues that a God that ran a perfect world would not include such severe war and violence. ...

• Word Count: 1280
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

His father wanted him to pursue a degree in law, but Voltaire chose to devote his life to writing. Before writing Candide, Voltaire went through a lot in his life that probably inspired his seemingly radical views on life, and the rejection of "Optimism-, the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, which sates that the universe is rational. ... Having experienced the wrath of a chaotic world, Voltaire logically concluded that the universe runs unregulated, and presents his philosophy satirically through Candide. ... Candide's family tree is a bit hazy. ... Some may thing that Voltair...

• Word Count: 932
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate