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  • Essay / Representation of human nature in Candide

    “Men,” he says, “must, in certain things, have departed from their original innocence; for they were not born wolves, and yet they worry one another like these beasts of prey. God never gave them twenty-four pounds or bayonets, and yet they made cannons and bayonets to destroy one another” (10). Thus begins the philosophy of Voltaire's Candide, a subversive text published in 1759 for which the author was imprisoned in Basille. Although there is some hope for the human race in Candide, the superficiality of love and the cruelty of human nature are revealed through depictions of material beauty, wealth, and violence that have the effect of devaluing philosophical optimism. Say no to plagiarism. a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"?Get the original essayCandide is ultimately pessimistic in its depiction of human nature, but the text's defense of free will, as well as the fact that it is a satire, offers a more optimistic perspective. The idea that Voltaire's criticism could inspire action in his readers implies the belief that humans can make good choices; satire encourages people to change the world themselves instead of blaming war and violence on predestination and religion. There is also a favorable view of humanity in the resilience of the characters throughout the text, including the old woman, who confides that she has thought of suicide hundreds of times, but continues to "persist in carrying a burden that we wish be lightened”. ?" (30). The old woman treats Candide, as does Pangloss's barber later in the text. These actions are proof that humans care for each other, unlike the pain humans have inflicted on each other to others Finally, Voltaire presents Eldorado, a land symbolizing material wealth Ironically, his utopian society is peaceful and cultured, non-corrupt and non-greedy (50). The love of his life, Cunegonde, is significant because it shows that he abandons material wealth for love. However, Candide's motivations for finding Cunegonde are not purely romantic. her personality, triggering a theme of objectification and negative attitudes towards female characters, Cunegonde is described primarily by her body, "seventeen years old, ... rosy-cheeked, fresh, plump and tempting" (1). ). Later, when she speaks to him, he “seems to devour her with his eyes all the time” (17). He cheats on her with another, more beautiful woman. And inevitably, he resents her ugliness, her "watery eyes, ... withered neck, wrinkled face and arms" (87), and marries her anyway because he feels morally obligated. Emphasizing material beauty to devalue the relationship between Candide and Cunégonde, which drives much of the plot, shows a negative view of human nature as well as the sincerity of love. Material wealth is another motif used throughout the text to reveal the superficiality of human nature. Wealth changes the way people treat Candide; as a poor man, he is enslaved and turned away in times of need, such as when he is turned away by the "charitable" Protestant preacher. But as a wealthy man, “he soon found himself between two doctors who had not sent for, (and) a number of intimate friends whom he had never seen” (63). Not only do many people get to know him to make money, but he is the victim of several thefts, including an elaborate staging in..