Candide is a philosophical book published by Voltaire in Geneva in January 1759. Voltaire’s life was republished in the twenties, one of the most successful French literary works.
First published anonymously in 1759, Candide was then attributed to “Lord Doctor Ralph” in 1761, following a reshuffling of the text by Voltaire. This title should immediately sound off to the reader who doubts the structure of the work. An early author of nobility and titles. And what about the name said Dr. Ralph? Nothing more than the onomatopoeia that leaves no doubt about the sound of this work. Ironically, if this work is out of line, there is no doubt about the origin of the author, who must be part of the Enlightenment. From Voltaire, the dean of philosophers, to a reader in the eighteenth century, there is only one famous person who could have written about Candide.
The word “candidum” comes from the Latin candidus, which means white: one of the possible interpretations of the names is the meaning of innocence or simplicity of character.
At that time Voltaire lived in the Deliciare estate in Geneva, a veritable “philosopher’s palace with the gardens of Epicurus.” Two recent events had shaken European Europe: the Lisbon earthquake of November 1755 and the beginning of the Seven Years’ War, which inspired Voltaire to say: “Almost the entire history is a series of useless atrocities” (Essay on the general history, 1756).
He, having sent a poem about the catastrophe of Lisbon to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, responded with a letter in which he tries to justify divine providence, about which Voltaire strongly doubts after these events. In the ninth book of the Confessions, I know Candide’s philosophical answer to this letter, which Voltaire had promised in promulgating the answer.
Voltaire imposed his privileges by the opinion of the Parliament of Paris. Voltaire was therefore invented with Candide, only to continue the ideals of the Enlightenment. But even when it was abundantly obtained, the success of this book, reaching for a rich and learned flower like a treasure, affected almost all the learned.
When Voltaire retired to Switzerland, his imagination ran wild. Gradually, he introduced symbolic lines to Berlin in the north and Germany, Peru in the west, Venice in the south, and Constantinople in the east. Now there are the main stories, the stages of Candide’s journey. Germany, for example, has the same dominion over Turkey and South America as the German Jesuits who are waging war in Paraguay. Now the roads are drawn and the characters can take the road.
Some critics have viewed the main character as a form of authorial simplicity. Baron, an ineffable name, signifies German nobility, the “king of the Bulgarians” is Frederick II. Voltaire, who believed that the former protector of the vanquished, takes a simple conscience. The story would be revenge for the humiliation he suffered from the King of Prussia in 1753. Voltaire refers to Frederick II as “King of the Bulgarians” and mentions his homosexuality, which only those who knew Frederick II knew. circuit
The stultification of the religious orders in Candide is more remarkable. The reason is that the Jesuits, for whom both love and hatred are advanced, were brought up by Voltaire. Thus we find the episode as follows: the brother of the hero Cunegonde who became a Jesuit.
Voltaire’s work is complex. It is easy to read a comedy but if you take the time to learn about the whole work, you will understand how the whole story is complex.
Works cited:
Aldridge, Alfred Owen (1975). Voltaire and the century of Light. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Ayer, A.J. (1986). Voltaire New York City: Random House.
Frédéric Deloffre, Les secrets de fabrication de Candide.
Jean-Louis Peaucelle, Adam Smith et la division du travail, la naissance d’une idée fausse< /i>, Paris, L’Harmattan, 2007.
