Candide, Voltaire's Satiric Masterpiece

The satiristic essence of the novel Candide by Voltarie makes the reader have fun while reading. It has the power to keep the reader’s attention even in the most distressing moments. Fortunately it is a short novel. In any case it is a novel defined as an exaggeration of the ridicule out of different targets narrated throughout the story. The author uses an exceptional simple and direct ironic tone of voice during the novel. Enrolled as the adventures of Candide, Voltaire uses the events to directly attack the Catholic Church. For instance, on page 49 “I am the daughter of Pope Urban X and the Princess of Palestrina.*” where Abigail started to recall her origins. It is ridiculous the fact of being the daughter of a pope and a princess. Mainly because in the Catholic Church it is completely illegal to have any kind of relationship with anything else that is not God. By the way princesses must marry before having children. Amongst this quote the most satirical example can be the authors’ foot note. For the fact of denying the real existence of the clerical ruler it is absurd to emphasize this attack with a footnote. In such a peculiar way as talking in third person in order to acclaim his discretion.
Another specific attack on the Catholic dogmas was the following, “And it was part of the scheme of things that my dear Anabaptist (the best of men!) should be drowned in sight of land? Besides this also results to be ridiculous, and part of black humor. Referring to Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five when somebody is killed for taking a teapot after Dresden’s bombing.
To analize the satiric sense of Candide absurdity results to be the easiest to find. For instance the Metophysico-theologo-cosmolo-nigology lesson Pangloss dictates. Another example can be the Thunder-ten-tronckh family’s last name. Another peculiar name is given to the governor of Buenos Ayres, “Don Fernando d’Ibarra y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza, a nobleman with a degree of pride appropriate to one who bore so many name.”(page 58)
Even love is absurd, to touch the Lady Cunnegund’s lips and keep thinking of her, even fainting for her death after so much time without seeing her. As well as the way women think. Even the old experienced lady recommends Lady Cunnegund to accept the Governors offer for ridiculous reasons, ignoring who they are talking about and the real feelings, if there are any. “Madam, you have seventy-two quarterings to your coat of arms but not a farthing to your name;you have only yourself to blame if you do not become the wife of the greatest nobleman in South America with the most handsome of moustaches.”(page 59)
Hyperbole is of outmost importance in the art of satire. It is described throughout the whole novel; although it has not been only used in Candide, referring to Dantes Inferno, the punishments and poetic justice are an example of hyperbole. In Candide, the lineage of the pox infection describes an exaggerated account of its origins.
While reading the novel I didn’t catch every example of satirical mockery. I even doubted if inverting Candide’s robes used in the auto-da-fe, while Pangloss’ where upright meant anything in particular. I read this in page 36.