Guiding Questions

1. How does reading literature from various times, places, and cultures contribute to understanding history and the world's peoples? How does Voltaire's Candide specifically provide insights into the cultural perspective of intellectuals during the Age of Enlightenment?

2. Who narrates Candide? While Candide is the protagonist, what role does the narrator play in shaping the story and presenting it with some bias?

3. How does the narrator use irony to convey meaning in describing characters like the Baron? What does this reveal about societal power dynamics and the role of wealth?

4. In what ways does the narrator employ euphemisms throughout the text? How does this add layers of meaning and facilitate a playful and humorous tone?

5. Reflect on the importance of "reading between the lines" and analyzing the narrator's descriptions in order to uncover multiple meanings and suggestions within the story.

6. Consider the impact of point of view in storytelling and how the narrator helps readers engage with the story's world. How does paying close attention to cultural experiences shared in a work of literature enhance our understanding of different times, places, and cultures?

7. How does examining the point of view and cultural perspectives represented in a literary work contribute to uncovering deeper meanings beyond the surface level? In what ways can this understanding enrich our appreciation and interpretation of the text?

8. How does Voltaire use the intellectual movement of the Age of Enlightenment as reflected in Candide to explore the significance and consequences of individuals taking a stand against societal norms and authority figures?

Candide Explained in Detail

Reading literature by writers from various times, places, and cultures can give readers a better understanding of history and of the world's people. Voltaire's Candide, for example, helps readers understand the cultural perspective of intellectuals during the Age of Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason, which began in late 17th-century Europe. It was a time when many writers and philosophers, including Voltaire, encouraged members of society to use reason and logic in their own thinking instead of blindly trusting the decisions and ideas of their leaders.

One way to understand a work's cultural perspective—those details that reflect a specific cultural group reflected in a work of literature—is by analyzing its point of view. A good place to begin, then, is to ask this question: Who narrates Candide? While Candide is the protagonist, he is not the narrator, which we learn in the first paragraph: "He combined a true judgment with simplicity of spirit, which was the reason, I apprehend, of his being called Candide." For the most part, Candide appears to be narrated from a third-person point of view; however, "I apprehend "in the first paragraph suggests a first-person narrator, one who is choosing the details to share and presenting them with some bias:

The Baron was one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia, for his castle had not only a gate, but windows. His great hall, even, was hung with tapestry. All the dogs of his farm-yards formed a pack of hounds at need; his grooms were his huntsmen; and the curate of the village was his grand almoner. They called him "My Lord," and laughed at all his stories.

The first sentence states that one reason the Baron was considered "one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia" was that "his castle had not only a gate, but windows." In this sentence, readers must pay attention both to what is being said and how it is being said. At first, the presence of windows in a house might not seem impressive, but the truth was that at the time the novel was written, window glass was expensive. The Baron is "one of the most powerful lords," then, because of his wealth, but "windows" and "tapestry" seem like somewhat weak measures of power. Voltaire is using irony, saying one thing but meaning another. In the opening lines, the author is actually pointing out that the Baron is powerful because he was born into wealth and not because he has done anything to deserve it, such as protect his people. "They called him 'My Lord'," we are told, and a reader can infer that the Baron's subjects have to call him that. In addition, readers can assume that they laugh at his stories out of obligation. Voltaire continues his descriptions of characters in the next paragraph:

The Baron's lady weighed about three hundred and fifty pounds, and was therefore a person of great consideration, and she did the honours of the house with a dignity that commanded still greater respect.

The narrator explains that the "Baron's lady weighed about three hundred and fifty pounds," the first identifying detail being her weight. At the time, as now, this would be considered rude. To be playful, the narrator goes on quickly, adding, "and was therefore a person of great consideration." The joke "of great consideration" implies that it is her body rather than her mind or position that people consider about her.

The narrator, then, is being rude on purpose. This narrator is well versed in this way of life, aware of how far he can go in his descriptions, and careful not to go too far. What this means is that the reader will have to work to "read between the lines" to understand the multiple meanings and suggestions that may appear in the narrator's telling of this tale.

Voltaire also employs euphemism, which is the practice of using gentle or inoffensive descriptions to discuss subjects that might be objectionable to some readers.

One day Cunégonde, while walking near the castle, in a little wood which they called a park, saw between the bushes, Dr. Pangloss giving a lesson in experimental natural philosophy to her mother's chamber-maid, a little brown wench, very pretty and very docile. As Miss Cunégonde had a great disposition for the sciences, she breathlessly observed the repeated experiments of which she was a witness; she clearly perceived the force of the Doctor's reasons, the effects, and the causes; she turned back greatly flurried, quite pensive, and filled with the desire to be learned; dreaming that she might well be a sufficient reason for young Candide, and he for her.

Describing what is going on in those bushes as "a lesson in experimental natural philosophy" is a euphemism, a vague description substituted for the truth, which a reader might infer to mean "romantically involved." The narrator claims that Cunégonde's reason for watching the couple in the bushes is her "great disposition for the sciences." The reference to "the sciences" is another euphemism, then. When she runs to find Candide to repeat the experiment she witnesses, the narrator continues the joke, saying it is only because of her "desire to be learned." Later, Candide and Cunégonde kiss, and this is how we are confirmed in our understanding of the euphemism used by the narrator. This shows that the narrator is humorous as well as respectful of readers.

Regardless of the point of view from which a story is told, the narrator helps readers enter the world of a story. That world may be very similar to our own, or it may be the world of a much different time, place, and culture. Great writers often mean more than what is apparent on the surface of their texts. Paying close attention to the point of view and cultural experiences shared in a work of literature can help readers uncover richer meanings.

Comparing and Contrasting the Age of Enlightenment to the 21st Century.

In Europe between the 17th and 18th centuries, the Age of Enlightenment also called the Age of Reason, was the most crucial time for ideas. It was based on the idea that reason is the best way to find truth and authority. It pushed for ideas like freedom, progress, tolerance, brotherhood, civil government, and the separation of church and state. Thinkers during the Enlightenment tried to limit the political power of organized religion so that there wouldn't be another age of intolerable religious war.

People from the Age of Enlightenment wanted to live in a society that was good or ideal. The Enlightenment brought modernization to Western politics by introducing democratic ideals and institutions and creating liberal democracies still around today. On the other hand, the 21st century has brought new challenges and chances while still holding on to the Enlightenment ideals of self-reflection and independent thought. Since the Age of Enlightenment, people have steadily criticized the social effects of technology and how people help make them happen. Modern society, with the help of technological advances, builds more complicated systems that keep an eye on and control each person more from the outside rather than supporting freedom and independence.

During the Enlightenment, people questioned social norms and views, and there was a significant change in how the sciences were organized. During the Enlightenment, there was also a discussion about the different kinds of people that exist. One side supported racial hierarchy, while the other side saw rationality as a shared trait and wanted to define a common humanity. These arguments are still going on in the 21st century, but they are more difficult because of race, colonialism, and the fact that there is still a race order. Regarding culture, the Enlightenment was a time of great intellectual creativity, focusing on progressing in science and technology. The 21st century, on the other hand, is all about technical progress and how it affects society.

The Age of Enlightenment and the 21st century have some ideals and principles in common, but they differ regarding beliefs, social norms, and cultural aspects. The Enlightenment was a time of asking questions and developing new ideas, while the 21st century was a time of new technologies and problems. Despite this, both times continue to affect and shape how we see the world.

Taking a Stand

In the excerpt provided, the theme of taking a stand is not explicitly addressed, leaving room for interpretation. However, based on the circumstances surrounding the protagonist, Candide, we can infer that he may need to summon the courage to take a stand or face the dire consequences for his actions. After being unceremoniously expelled from Baron Thunder-ten-Tronckh's castle due to his intimate encounter with Cunégonde, Candide finds himself thrust into a world rife with challenges and conflicts, all stemming from this fateful event. As Candide navigates the treacherous path that lies before him, the narrative keeps us in anticipation, wondering how he will choose to respond and whether he will muster the determination to confront and overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that fate has hurled his way.