There is something about candide that has bothered me a little. It is the way that all tragedies are given so little importance. Its like if Candide suddenly forgets everything that has been happening to him all along. Tragic situations are written in such way that makes them sound unimportant. Things like death and torture are just casually mentioned as if they had no true importance. “ ‘One night when i was fast asleep in bed, the Buglers (by grace of god) arrived at our lovely Thunder-ten-tronckh and slaughtered my parents.’ “ (Pg. 40)
The way that Cunegonde easily mentions the horrible death of her parents is simply crude. She went through so much, she was raped and her family was killed. Yet she just talks about her story without a single care in the world.
“Pangloss was hanged” (Pg. 37)
Candide’s mentor and companion dies. Even dough Pangloss could be considered as an important character, he simply dies. No explanations, no grief.
I understand that this is an important part of the satire in the book. I see it as absurdity. No one would ever be able to face tragedy with in such a careless way. This attitude just adds up to the extreme optimism that Candide portrays. It helps us understand the absurdity of Candide’s optimist attitudes.
Hey alejandra, you are right when you say there is no emotion. You are right, but Candide is actually being sarcastic and absurd, as you said no one would handle such a situation like that so easily. When Candide refers to the Bulgars he is also being ironic, no one, not even Candide will refer to the ones that slaughtered his parents as "lovely". He is criticizing how people seem careless about things that are very important, through Candide. You are right though, it is absurd. Made some good points there...
ResponderEliminarAlejandra, you are right, but I also have to agree with Daniel. They might sound so emotionless is because of the tone Voltaire uses throughout the whole book. He is using the elements of satire. How Daniel says he is using irony. Maybe this type of events is the way of Voltaire to show how society DOESN'T CARE. That's the hard thing about this types of books, you never know what the author really means. But how Daniel says you make some really valid points.
ResponderEliminar