How Does Voltaire Use Of Satire In Bildungsroman

Satirizing Nonsense In Voltaire’s Bildungsroman (a novel in which the character’s experiences lead to a new philosophy), Candide, written in 1759, he satirizes the paradigm that this is the best of all possible worlds. Voltaire does not agree with this paradigm and he goes on to satirize naïve stoical optimism and religion. Throughout his life, Voltaire did not agree with religion or the government. In fact, he was sent to prison in Bastille for writing a satire about the French government. By using verbal and situational irony, as well as overstatement, Voltaire successfully satirizes religion, social customs, and snobbery. In the first paragraph of chapter 15, the Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh explains how he managed to survive the attack by the Bulgars. After Cunegonde gets raped and his parents are killed, he is saved by a Jesuit. The Reverend Father Croust gives the baron the care that he needs to survive. Then the baron goes on to tell Candide about how he was “very handsome” and that the Reverend “took a great liking” to him, thus implying a homosexual relationship between
As soon as he draws the sword out of his friend’s stomach, Candide begins to weep; this behavior is ironic because one would not expect a man to weep after killing someone. Voltaire employs hypocrisy when Candide exclaims, “I’m the kindest man in the world, yet I’ve already killed three men, and two of them were priests!” (57). Voltaire portrays Candide to feel guilty for killing two holy men, while he himself would not feel guilty because of his dislike for religion. Candide saying this is an understatement because no one expects a kind man to kill three men, especially if two of them are priests. Voltaire uses verbal irony to satirize religion because the two statements are