Essay on Women in Voltaire’s Candide - 1061 Words

In Candide Voltaire discusses the exploitation of the female race in the eighteenth century through the women in the novel. Cunegonde, Paquette, and the Old Woman suffer through rape and sexual exploitation regardless of wealth or political connections. These characters possess very little complexity or importance in Candide. With his characterization of Cunegonde, Paquette, and the Old Woman Voltaire satirizes gender roles and highlights the impotence of women in the 1800s. Cunegonde is the daughter of a wealthy German lord. She is described as â€Å"extremely beautiful† (Voltaire. 5) and is repeatedly referred to as â€Å"the fair Cunegonde.† (39). She is the typical damsel-in-distress: a woman who is completely reliant on male protection and†¦show more content†¦When propositioned by the governor Cunegonde must decide between staying faithful to her love, Candide, or being the governor’s mistress. Her companion, who is simply named the Old Woman, offers this advice. †¦ You have it in your power to be the wife of the greatest nobleman in South America, who has a splendid mustache. Are you in the position in which you can flaunt the luxury of unflinching loyalty? You were raped by the Bulgars; a Jew and an Inquisitor have enjoyed your favors. Misfortunes bestow certain rights. I confess that were I in your position, I would not harbor the least scruple at marrying the governor and thereby securing Captain Candide’s fortune. (41) These women understand that in the 1800s they had very little power; only through men may they exert any influence. The female characters in Candide are of little importance to the action of the story. The narrator embraces a male perspective and does not endow any of the women with any interesting or redeeming qualities. The Old Woman, being ugly and world-weary does not even earn a name. Paquette is merely described as â€Å"a pretty and obedient brunette.† (5) She is pronounced obedient not because of her duties as a chambermaid, rather because she is quite willing to submit to the men in the baron’s castle. Cunegonde, Paquette, and the Old Woman are not intricate characters. The subject of rape is a prevalent theme in Candide. All of the female characters suffer through it onShow MoreRelatedVoltaire s Candide : The Enlightenment Principle Of Reason1201 Words   |  5 Pagespages of Voltaire’s Candide resides proof of all four values of the Enlightenment: hope, progress, natural law, and reason. Being a man of the enlightenment, it makes sense for Voltaire’s novel to include these values. Using ironic humor and satire, Voltaire managed to say what he needed to say without being directly responsible for having said it. As Candide reads like an adventure story, there is a lot of dialogue between characters. 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