1. Candide Background Victoria Jones 1 st period 11/05/2012

2. Events that lead to publication and influenced Candide  Voltaire started to notice the injustice and disasters that occurred around him (1750s)  Lisbon earthquake(1755) (strongly influenced Age of Enlightenment in Europe)  Seven Year's War (1756)  Execution of English Admiral John Byng (1757)  Optimism challenged  Enlightenment(18 th century)  Candide published!!! (1759)

3. English Admiral John Byng  Found guilty of failure to do his utmost to destroy the enemy's ship  Punishment? death  March 14, 1757  On his own ship, he directed his own firing squad by dropping his handkerchief on the ground  Ch 23 Candide and Martin talk about what they saw on the coast of England: “There is no doubt of it; but in this country it is found good, from time to time, to kill one Admiral to encourage the others.”

4. So What is “The Enlightenment”?  Movement that held a wide variety of ideas and advances in philosophy, medicine, and math  Overall philosophy: strong confidence in reason and rationality as a guide to human beings achieving a better social structure  Political ideology: social reform, many wanted rebellion against superstition, fear, and prejudice  Attacked the church and aristocracy (kings, queens, AKA the government being of few elite citizens)

5. Does Candide Really Represent “The Enlightenment”??  NOT REALLY!  Many examples of using satire against its philosophies during that time, such as the Enlightenment's upholding of optimism and its belief that it can hide evils of mankind  Exception? Voltaire DID go against Christian power and arrogance of nobility

6. Optimism Challenged and Character Background  Candide meant to underscore flaws in the philosophy of optimism  “Cultivate one's own garden”? what??? symbolizes abandonment of optimistic idealism to show it in the light of a kind a suffering... hard labor in the garden  Voltaire gives evidence throughout the book of evil human nature in all the characters with incidents including rape, murder, theft, and lust.  Candide is profound in showing a change in people by his entire drive changes at the end from pure desires to not pure in being driven by beauty, money, and lust.

7. Sources  http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/candide/context.html http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/candide/context.html  http://www.executedtoday.com/2010/03/14/1757-admiral- john-byng/