Assignment: Post comments to the following questions and reply to classmate responses.
How does Voltaire design the opening chapter to be recognized as a parody of the Biblical story of the Fall? Why would Voltaire be doing this?
Why do many of the characters, including Miss Cunégonde and Pangloss, presumably die and then reappear? Is there a significance to their being "brought back to life"?
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Voltaire designs the opening chapter to recognize the Biblical story of the fall because he wanted to show how the opening chapter would be like a beginning for the book. It would also give him a opportunity to introduce all of the characters and their situations without making it sound dull. I think he did this to also get the readers to know what his intent was with the book.
ReplyDeleteI think that Voltaire kills off many characters and brings them back to keep the story moving. This also keeps Candide on his feet. The significance is that these characters are all important to Candide and it shows how he would really feel if they were gone.
voltaire shows Candide an Cunegonde innocent and flirtatious then Pangloss(the serpent) is seen having sex by Cunegonde(eve), Candide and Cunegonde then kiss later on(tasting the forbidden fruit.)I suppose that he uses this style as the openning to mock religion.
ReplyDeleteI don't really understand why Voltaire does this kill 'em and bring 'em back thing. It's similar to Lazarus' story though i guess. Candide is "Jesus" of the story, and those he holds dear to his heart, the ones he love, come back from the dead like Jesus calling to lazarus "come forth".
Jason said... "I think he did this to also get the readers to know what his intent was with the book."
ReplyDeletewhat do you mean by his intent?
Voltaire designs the opening chapter to be recognized as a parody of the Biblical story of the Fall to show the style in which he was going to tell the story. This alllows Voltaire to inform the reader that the book is not meant to be taken seriously.
ReplyDeleteI think that many of the characters die and then reappear to show Candide's way of looking at things and show his emotion towards that character. I think that the significance of the characters being "brought back to life" is to keep the story going. It keeps Candide going on different voyages and brings him to different places every time he meets a character again.
By naming the first chapter "How Candide was brought up in a Magnificent Castle, and how he was expelled thecne" Voltaire is making no effort in hiding the correlation between "Candide" and the adam and eve story. As was stated before, their kiss represents tasting the forbidden fruit, and then Candide (adam) is banished from the castle (the garden). Voltaire starting like this lays out the style in which the story will be told. Right off the bat, the reader knows he's going to make fun of things, especially religion. By doing so he's prepared us for what's going to come.
ReplyDeleteAs for why he keeps killing off characters, and bringing them back to life, i believe there are a couple of reasons. The obvious, you don't know what you've got until its gone for one. Then theres the biblical interpretation, Jesus died and came back from the dead, so I think Voltaire does this in another effort to make fun of religion. I also agree that it keeps the story going, and keeps the reader guessing.
I'm gonna start by saying that until I read this post, I would have never made the correlation between the Biblical story of The Fall and the opening chapter of Candide.
ReplyDeleteNow that it has been pointed out to me, I see a lot of similarities between the stories. The two plots are nearly identical. I think that he did this as a means to prepare the reader and let them know before they got further into the book that it was a satire and that it was not meant to be taken literally.
Also, I agree with the others as to why many of the characters presumably die, but are later proven to be alive. I think that this was done to make up for the lack of deep character development within the story. The reader is given absolutely no background information on the characters, and by having Candide think that they are dead, it allows the reader to obtain a deeper understanding of how Candide's mind works and ultimately connect with him better.
I think these characters are left for dead but then reppear because Voltaire tires to hint a light at the end of the tunnel but then swoops you aways to a different, longer path that keeps the reader intrested and some what angry. Voltaire could have also tried to kill these people off in order to help contribute to discourging Candide from Pangloss theory.
ReplyDeleteI havnt really thought of this at first but the first chapter relates to the Forbidden fruit quite a lot. Garden of Eden reminds me of the Magnificent castle, as said in the first title. Then being kicked out of the castle made me realise that it was almost the same because its almost similar to Adam and Eve. At first living the life and then all of a sudden it's all ruined. Voltaire probably showed this because he wanted people to see that religion/what people tell you, isn't only able to happen to Adam and Eve. As in these stories that happened to these model figures, doesnt only just happen to them so why should we follow them.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that when Candide found out that Miss Cunegonde was dead he kept on referring back to her. I thought it was just because he cared for her similar to Pangloss. When Pangloss was hung, Candide always referred back to how Pangloss would have loved to meet so and so and how Pangloss would have really enjoyed his time at certain places such as the El Dorado.. so forth. I kind of can see how it can sort of relate to jesus and the whole being reborn thing. Its as though anyone can be reborn, parody.
The story of Adam and Eve is from the book of Genesis. Genesis means "beginning" and the first chapter of Voltaire's book is the beginning. Also, when Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden, they are filled with new knowledge. When Candide leaves the sheltered castle, he begins to learn more about life and changes his views and opinions. This is how Voltaire mimics the Bible. He most likely did this to mock the people of his time, who made Christianity an important part of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI believe the characters die and reappear to further mock the Christian faith. Jesus had the power to revive the dead and he himself was brought back to life at one point. This theme is significant in both the Bible and Candide.
the openning chapters were very similar to tht of adam and eve. then volyaire shows the naiveness of humans such as demonstrated in the biblical story of adam and eve. i believe voltaire is really being a muckraker only difference is that he uses reverse physcology or parody.
ReplyDeleteJoe, I liked how you broke down what characters you felt represented characters from the Adam and Eve story. I also agree that the resurrection of characters is a reference to the Lazarus story from the summer reading. Savahna, good detail adding that the castle represents the garden. Interesting idea that the resurrection could also be a reference to Jesus coming back to life. In the bible, characters come back to life to bring savior or show god's wonders while in Candide people coming back to life brings more suffering on those characters. Clearly Voltaire is pointing out to the reader to question the current views on philosophy and religion at the time.
ReplyDeleteNick, I like the honesty in your response when you stated that until reading the posts you hadnt noticed or considered the Adam and Eve connection... that is a goal of these online discussions! You mentioned that you the characters lack depth and development...part of that is the nature of reading a satirical piece and partly because this was written before the development of the traditional novel that we know today.
ReplyDeleteAnthony, I agree that part of Voltaire's goal is to make the reader angry. A reader that reacts is a reader that has started to think and possibly help reform society and its ills. And I do think Voltaire has the characters come back to life in order to discourage Candide and point out to the readers that believing in the philosophy of optimism in light of everything that has happened is the truly absurb belief.
ReplyDeleteNicola, I like how you pointed out that Genesis means "beginning" and how you explained the "new knowledge" the characters received after they were kicked out of their "eden". Insightful!
ReplyDeleteSorry for the late comment, but as for the first question I think the connection between the two is to introduce how Voltaire will mock things throughtout the book. It could be seen as a warning " If you don't like this then don't read on." It could also be showing how everyone fell from their original happiness by one defining event.
ReplyDeleteI'm not entirely sure what the whole "reviving" thing is about. It could have a correlation to religious ideals as some people have previously stated. Maybe Voltaire is trying to show how easily people's mental status can be swayed by believing a certain piece of information.
I think that Voltaire designs the opening chapter to be recognized as a parody of the Biblical story of the Fall because it first shows how these young people had everything they could have ever wanted and they ruined it because they were kissing and being "naughty" which ended in consequences. Candide was "kicked out" literally.
ReplyDeleteI agree with meghan when she says that the numerous characters are being brought back because they give Candide more to do. It interests the reader more because they then want to know why and how the person came back and its intriguing.
Sorry for the late response.
ReplyDeleteI believe Voltaire would start off the first chapter in this way to show that it is a satire. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they were kicked out of the Garden, and pretty much the exact same thing happened to Candide and Cunegonde when they kissed and they both ended up being kicked out of the castle. Since this book is a satire, starting it off this way prepares the reader for what is ahead, and shows how since Voltaire wrote this book out of no seriousness at all, he wants you to think that way when you read it too, even though it has some deeper meanings.
I think many of the characters in the book presumably "die and then come back" because it shows how, once again, nothing in this book can be taken seriously. After all, it is a satire. It also shows how Pangloss' theory of "everything is supposed to happen and happens for a reason" has greatly influenced Candide and the way he views the outside world and his own world. I believe Voltaire made the characters seem to die off and come back to test Candide on his thoughts on optimism. No matter what happened to Candide, he still continued to see the best in everything around him. Candide always found something to look forward to, (like seeing Cunegonde at last,) or something to be optimistic about. The characters dying and coming back to life also represent how Candide went through the hardest and trying of times, but still ended up on top afterwards.
I believe that Voltaire designed the opening chapter of Candide as a parody of the Fall by using the idea of being in a "utopia" (I use this word lightly) and everything suddenly changing to a distopia because of one rule being broken. Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden for eating from the one tree God told them not to. Candide was kicked out of the castle for kissing Cunegonde, the Baron did not want this happening.
ReplyDeleteI think that by killing off and bringing back characters in the story Voltaire is mocking the story of jesus's resurrection. He is mocking the belief that someone, even Jesus, could come back to life by repeatedly having characters seem dead, or nearly dodgeing death, and then returning in the story in a later chapter. The characters he kills off all are important to Candide and have a significant role in the story so they have a big impact on Candide's actions and mental state.
I think that Voltaire designed it as a parody of Adam and Eve. Cunegonde being the Tree of Knowledge, being as Candide cannot touch her, she is in a way untouchable. Baron would be, not so much acting, but the equivalent to God reason being he did not want Candide and Cunegonde together. I can't find the equivalent to the serpent in this story. However, Candide does get kicked out after kissing Cunegonde, just like Adam and Eve got kicked out for eating the fruit.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that it gives Candide more to do, I think in a sense they came back to give Candide hope. They are coming back, always at a time where Candide is at his lowest point. I think that when he feels down, the people that he cares about most come back into his life and bring him back together.
Maeanna, i believe that Joe previously suggested that Pangloss could be the serpent.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Pangloss would be the serpent. The serpent was intentionally telling Eve to bite the apple, he knew that they were going to get in trouble. I think that Pangloss was simply trying to help.
ReplyDeleteVoltaire designed the opening chapters as an introduction to the characters but in a way that makes you think 'is this guy serious?'. Voltaire compares the Baron's Castle with the Garden of Eden by saying that it is a Utopia. Voltaire might be doing this because he is trying to say that if you do something that was forbidden then you'll have to face the consequences.
ReplyDeleteI think that Voltaire kills off many characters and brings to life again to show that those people were Candide's strength and happiness. Without them Candide feels lost in the world.
I don't believe that Pangloss knew about the feelings between Candide and Cunegonde in the first chapter. It doesn't mention anything about him advising them to stay away from each other or trying to help them stay in the castle.
ReplyDeleteThe kiss between Candide (Adam) and Cunegonde (Eve) was a representation of the Forbidden Fruit. I think a personal experience was what determined Voltaire's views on religion. Voltaire does not seem to believe in God or Jesus, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe "dead" being brought back into the novel may be satirzing Christian views. Voltaire may have had a good friend, or even a former lover pass on, and he knew they could not come back to him. Voltaire came up with ridulous stories about how the characters escaped death to prove his point that it is impossible to be brought back to life. Only miracles saved the baron, Pangloss, and Cunegonde.
Well, weather or not he knew of the feelings between Cunegonde and Candide, I don't think he intentionally was trying to get Candide thrown out.
ReplyDelete