Olaudah Equiano Analysis

Candide and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano point out different roles of religious convictions about violent evil. By the time Voltaire wrote Candide, he was no longer a Christian, because he believed there was not a rational basis for the Christian belief in God at work in the world. Whereas, Equiano’s experience of slavery brought him to Christianity, which helped him make sense of how God could redeem an evil act such as slavery. After reading the short stories the reader can conclude that the view of Christianity is irrelevant in the social life of Voltaire, while Equiano believed that Christianity provided sufficient answers to slavery.
Candide was raised in Westphalia, in the Barony of Thunder-ten-tronckh. He
Pangloss tells Candide that Bulgarians invaded his hometown, raped Cunégonde, destroyed the castle, and killed everyone. Candide helped Pangloss back to health, and they traveled to Lisbon. When they arrived, an earthquake struck, killing thousands. They survive but are overheard discussing philological reasoning of these events. They are accused of denying original sin and free will, which are important elements of Catholic doctrine. The religious scholars of Lisbon determine that an auto-da-fé, a contemporary ritual for the punishment of sinners and heretics, is the best way to prevent further earthquakes. Pangloss is led to be hung for denying original sin, and Candide, to be whipped for having listened with approval. Candide grieved his friends’ death and questioned Pangloss’ optimistic philosophy.
An old woman comes across Candide and took care of him. The old woman was a caretaker of his Cunégonde, and he is soon reunited with her: the two faint with joy and surprise. The synchronized faint satirizes the gesture and convention of traditional romance. Cunégonde is sexually shared by a Grand Inquisitor, and a Jewish merchant, Don Issachar. Women were looked upon as property during this
The old woman’s story is prevalent in the literature of the time: an authoritative person ends up in a lower social status. Candide makes human suffering absurd by pointing it out, the story is filled with suffering that does not cause death. The old woman is missing a buttock, Pangloss is missing an eye, as well as the slave is missing a left leg. These are terrible injuries but, they allow life to go on. In the old woman's philosophical reflections on human perseverance, there is a broader philosophical argument: that life is made up of constant disruption and motion, not rest.
Candide and Cacambo travel to the Kingdom of the Jesuits, where Candide discovers that Reverend Cammandant is the young Baron of his home kingdom. As they reunite, their conversation takes an unexpected turn when Candide tells of his intentions of marrying Cunégonde, the Baron’s sister. Candide killed the Baron, and he and Cacambo flee for the wilderness . They are captured by savage Orillons, who mistake them for Jesuits, and plan to eat them, but Cacambo convinces the Orillons to release