Satirical Techniques used in Candide | Teen Ink

Satirical Techniques used in Candide

May 27, 2022
By Anonymous

Society is typically more concerned with one’s status, however emphasizing more on empathy may result in a more equal society. Pangloss , when he was a part of the human sacrifice caused by the Portuguese authorities to prevent future earthquakes, showing the power a higher status holds and uses for their good. In Candide, Voltaire uses hyperbole to critique those with higher status. Focusing less on the status and more on the people gives more fairness to society.


Voltaire uses intentional exaggeration to describe the Moorish soldiers who changed their role in society. The old woman and her mother were once a princess, and a queen. Although they're royalty, being captured gave the soldiers power over them. Voltaire exaggerates by describing the soldiers as a monster who ripped the women. If the royals still had higher status, the soldiers wouldn't be able to do such a thing. Even the royals won't be able to avoid reverse situations. Once they were captured, their status changed from the one controlling to the one getting controlled. Those with higher status in a specific situation have the capability of killing the other, illustrating status' impact on society. 


The attack on Baron's castle by the Bulgarians had an impact on how the status changed and its importance. The people in the castle were murdered and raped, including the Baron's family. Cunegonde, the daughter of the Baron became the captain of Bulgarians toy to pleasure with. Voltaire exaggerates the cruelty of soldiers to expose the outcome the people have to face during the war. The brutality of the war was exposed, including how the status changes, and the treatment they get once their status changes from low to high.


Voltaire uses hyperbole to describe the inequalities between the high status and the low status. Voltaire's use of exaggeration in Candide applies to the events that happen in modern society. In Candide, it shows a lot of separation between the high and low status. The high status/ wealthy people turn the peasants into their slaves, and how slavery started. In modern society, there is still unfair treatment in the treatment of employers. Not only that, there is still a separation between the rich and the poor. The use of exaggeration in Voltaire's writing about the inequality of their society still applies to modern society. As a result of its brutality, it has exposed how role reversal occurred in the war.


The author's comments:

TW: violence, rape, and murder

I read Candide because of a school assignment, and it was a confusing story at first. There was too many things happening in the story, but as I start to analyze each chapter it started to make sense and it wasn't as confusing. After finishing the book I learned lots of things. Analyzing every chapter definitely helped a lot for me to fully understand the book, and overall Candide is a great book to read.


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