Voltaire has been considered as a writer of the Enlightenment era, where the writers would initiate a change in the way of the present society through their writings. In his book Candide, Voltaire sought to satirize the entire theme of the way women were treated in the 1800s. While the book's main protagonist is a male, the underlining's of the book is based on a female, Cunegonde. The protagonist of the book, Candide lives at the mayor's house under the study of Doctor Pangloss. Candide falls in love with the daughter of the mayor, Cunegonde. However, when the mayor finds this out, he throws Candide out of his castle. The story that follows is a complete series of how Candide follows hardships, sees a rise and fall of fortune of himself and those around him and how in the end is able to find and marry Cunegonde.
Volitaire portrays women as an object in the novel, who have no real feelings or thoughts of themselves and simply change hands, used and reused by all that find them. The passages to follow will be an accentuation of the same as we try and establish this thesis.
With the fact that the novel is actually about how a woman can make men act established, let us now understand the kind of setting or society that persisted when the novel was written. The times were when the women were simply regarded as the object of beauty and the men dictated their each and every move. The women were considered faint at heart and mind and hence, treated that way. Within the novel, one sees Cunegonde swooning over each and every aspect of hardship and war that comes her way. In order to simply state the facts as it is, Voltaire has used Candide as a way to satirize the entire issue. Candide and his hindsight add a touch of humour and irony to the grave issues being mentioned within the novel, thereby lightly satirizing the issues.
For instance, when Cunegonde is asked whether she would marry a wealthy Lord, she is persuaded by the Old Woman hence, "You have it in your power to be the wife of the greatest nobleman in South America, who has a splendid moustache. Are you in the position in which you can flaunt the luxury of unflinching loyalty? You were raped by the Bulgars; a Jew and an Inquisitor have enjoyed your favours. Misfortunes bestow certain rights" (41). Hearing this, Cunegonde decides to marry a man for his money instead of love. Not only does this bring to front the sad position of women within the society, it also brings to light the pessimistic and greedy attitude coupled with ignorance of women of that time.
Another example where women (and her issues) are ignored is when the old woman tells Candide about all the hardships and horrors that she has been witness to (including brutal rapes and abuse), Candide is merely reminded of his mentor, Doctor Pangloss and his optimistic philosophy, "It's a great pity that the wise Pangloss was hanged, contrary to custom, in an auto-da-fé: he would have told us admirable things about the physical and moral evils that cover the earth, and I would have felt strong enough to venture a few respectful objections." This completely establishes how the men in those days would be blinded towards the hardships and brutality towards the women.
Again, in chapter eight, where the Grand Inquisitor takes fancy to the charms of Cunegonde, he invites her to the inquisition. As Voltaire puts it, she had a very good seat and was even served refreshments for the ladies. The satire here is completely in the face as the event is depicted as a festival of gay and enjoyment, wherein in truth it was that of death and horror. The fact that Cunegonde is expected to enjoy this event, as even she does, proves the fact that she is a woman whose only concern is to look good and please her master. The events of the world are none of her concern. This mindlessness of the women character within the book is hugely satirised and highlighted.
It may hence be concluded that Voltaire did successfully portray the fault in the character of women in that time, using satire and dismissal of women issues as his tools.
Works Cited
Puchner, Martin, et al. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 9th Ed. Vol. 2, New York: W W Norton & Company Incorporated, 2014. 421-482. Print.
