I noticed a degree of satire when reading Voltaire’s Candide, particularly during chapters 2 and 3. Although this will be the topic of another blog, I have noticed similarities between Don Quixote and Candide, particularly in their picaresque and naïve manner of being, which cause them to be grotesquely treated by some and humorously valued by others.
When Candide is starved and seeking generosity, we find irony in a preacher’s behavior: “For a man who had just been addressing a big audience for a whole hour on the subject of charity” (26) couldn’t bring himself to help Candide, a man certainly in need of generosity. In this case, the man’s religious zeal made him able to preach the values he didn’t pursue. However, If his teachings involved charity segregated to the faithful, then he certainly acted on behalf of his “moral” doctrines, however unethical.
Another example of satirical humor, particularly irony as well, is the instance where Voltaire describes the scramble for battle and the organization it entails. What should be described as a dissonance of sides battling against each other is depicted as “bugles, fifes, oboes, drums, and salvoes of artillery [that] produced such a harmony as Hell itself could not rival” (25). Voltaire illustrates perfectly orchestrated chaos. Not only is this ironic, but it implies the innocent mentality of Candide. He sees the simplicity of the world with its complications: Two groups don’t agree so they will organize a confrontation. Everything has a reason: Cause and effect.
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