Candide
Samiel Dixon
Karen Santelli English 2500
July 26, 2013
How are woman treated in the novel? How do their experiences differ from those of the male characters? How, in general, do they react to their treatment?
Throughout Voltaire’s Candide women are often presented as being victims and are often suffering because of acts of cruelty and violence and sexual encounters. In many senses, this does not allow them to be fully developed characters, particularly when contrasted to the males in the story. From Cunegonde to the old woman, to Pacquette the told experiences of other women in the text, the reader cannot help but to pick up on the worth of these women and how he wanted us to feel about the characters. Women presented in the novel to be either romantic interests or the unfortunate victims of violence or both. The first example that comes to mind is Cunegonde
It seems however, that the “strength” that these women show might not be a statement on the internal powers of women, but rather that they have no choice than to adapt to a gruesome and misogynistic situation. The old woman, after telling her terrible life story, relates that she does not believe in self-pity—she was merely telling everyone to pass the time. Although there are many female victims in Candide, none of them seem at all aware of the travesties committed to them or their sex and moreover, they hold true to an abundance of stereotypes (gold-diggers, prostitutes, battered old women). In many respects, as far as feminism goes, this is a rather bleak novel especially because although it is heralded as a precursor to the revolutions, it lacks the true ideals of the Enlightenment’s assertions of equal rights for
Karen Santelli English 2500
July 26, 2013
How are woman treated in the novel? How do their experiences differ from those of the male characters? How, in general, do they react to their treatment?
Throughout Voltaire’s Candide women are often presented as being victims and are often suffering because of acts of cruelty and violence and sexual encounters. In many senses, this does not allow them to be fully developed characters, particularly when contrasted to the males in the story. From Cunegonde to the old woman, to Pacquette the told experiences of other women in the text, the reader cannot help but to pick up on the worth of these women and how he wanted us to feel about the characters. Women presented in the novel to be either romantic interests or the unfortunate victims of violence or both. The first example that comes to mind is Cunegonde
It seems however, that the “strength” that these women show might not be a statement on the internal powers of women, but rather that they have no choice than to adapt to a gruesome and misogynistic situation. The old woman, after telling her terrible life story, relates that she does not believe in self-pity—she was merely telling everyone to pass the time. Although there are many female victims in Candide, none of them seem at all aware of the travesties committed to them or their sex and moreover, they hold true to an abundance of stereotypes (gold-diggers, prostitutes, battered old women). In many respects, as far as feminism goes, this is a rather bleak novel especially because although it is heralded as a precursor to the revolutions, it lacks the true ideals of the Enlightenment’s assertions of equal rights for