Group+8+E

Literary Devices in //Candide// - Why? To Create Satire!

Identify the following literary devices in Candide: allusion, hyperbole, irony, parody, oxymoron, understatement, juxtaposition (See the Candide page for definitions and examples of the devices.)


 * Literary Device**: hyperbole
 * Text**: ""wintess Eglon, Kin gof the Moabites, who was assassinated by Ehud; Absalom was hanged by his hair and stabbed in the heart with three spears; King Nadab, son of Joroboam, was killed by Baasha, King Elah by Zimri;Johoram by Jehu; Athaliah by Jehoiada; and the Kings of Jehoiakim, Johiachin, and Zdekiah were all sold into captivity. (Voltaire 93)"
 * Context**: The dervish tells Candide of kings who were assassinated or met unfortunate ends.
 * Explanation of literary device**: It is hyperbole because it is not likely a single person could name all these tragic people and it does not seem realistic (country names, etc)
 * What is Voltaire satirizing by the use of this device?** Voltaire is satirizing the fact that rank and titles lead to bad ends and are often dangerous
 * Contributor**: Peter Lee


 * Literary Device**: hyperbole
 * Text**: "I picked it up, and returned it to her with the most respectful attentions. I took so long in adjusting it that the imam flew into oa rage and realizing I was a Christian, called out for help...I was taken to the cadi, who sentenced me to a hundred strokes...chained up..(voltaire, 83)"
 * Context**: A young girl gets really mad a Christian is inside a mosque and Pangloss receives punishment.
 * Explanation of literary device**: It is hyperbole because it is very unlikely a person would receive such punishment just for entering a house of a different religion.
 * What is Voltaire satirizing by the use of this device?** Voltaire is satirizing the fact that people of different religions often get in conflicts, contributing to the world NOT being the best of all possible worlds
 * Contributor**: Peter Lee

Your group needs **TWO examples PER PERSON** from your assigned section.

Example: Voltaire satirizes that people who as lots of money can waste it for something useless such as gambling. They also fight for the money that they own. Voltaire is saying that money can make people turn bad, doing things to waste all those money.
 * Literary Device**: hyperbole
 * Text**: "This was when they saw Paquette and Brother Girofleo approaching their farm one dayy, in the last extremes of human misery." (chpt. 30 pg. 91)
 * Context**: Candide, Martin, and Pangloss were talking when they saw Paquette and Brother Girofleo who used all their three thousand //piastres//, coming to their farm in bad conditions.
 * Explanation of literary device**: It is hyperbole because Voltaire says "in the last extremes of human misery" which is exaggerating the state that Paquette and Brother Girofleo are in.
 * What is Voltaire satirizing by the use of this device?**
 * Contributor**: John Kim

Example: Voltaire satirizes that men should not just sit, rest, and make nothing of their lives. Men were born to live and work.
 * Literary Device**: allusion
 * Text**: 'You are right,' said Pangloss, 'for when man was placed in the garden of Eden, he was put there //ut operaretur eum,// so that he might work: which proves that man was not born for rest,' (chpt. 30 pg. 93)
 * Context**: Pangloss and Candide were talking about how dangerous high ranking officials can be, and Candide says that they must cultivate their garden.
 * Explanation of literary device**: This is an allusion because it refers to a mythical place called the garden of Eden which came out in the bible.
 * What is Voltaire satirizing by the use of this device?**
 * Contributor**: John Kim

Example: Voltaire is satirizing the danger, risk, and uselessness of titles and ranks by using the above historical examples from the past.
 * Literary Device**: allusion
 * Text**: "And you will recall in what manner death came for Croseus, Astyages.., and Charles I."
 * Context**: In this situation, Pangloss observes that ranks and titles are dangerous.
 * Explanation of literary device**: This description is an allusion because it alludes to historical figures of the past.
 * What is Voltaire satirizing by the use of this device?**
 * Contributor**: Peter Park

This juxtaposition serves to amplify the absurdity of Pangloss' theory of optimism by attempting to justify it using its very contradiction.
 * Literary Device**: juxtaposition
 * Text**: "After all, had you not been expelled from a beautiful castle with great kicks to the behind for the love of Modemoiselle Conegonde, and had you not been turned over to the Inquisition, and had you not roamed America on foot, and had you not run the Baron through with a fine thrust of your sword, and had you not lost all your sheep from the good land of El Dorado, you would not be sitting here now eating candied citron and pistachios."
 * Context**: In this scene, Pangloss attempts to justify all the misfortunes Candide has underwent by saying it had all turned out for the better.
 * Explanation of literary device**: Pangloss' words serve as an example of juxtaposition, for two antipathetic elements - encountering countless misfortunes and living in the best of all possible worlds - are displayed adjacent to each other.
 * What is Voltaire satirizing by the use of this device?**
 * Contributor**: Peter Park