Compare the satire in Gulliver's Travels & Candide
Satire means irony. People use satire to expose folly or vice. Interestingly, in Voltaire's Candide and Swift's Gulliver's Travels, they both use satire to express their profound observations. They have some similarities; such as they both criticize the human weakness. They also have many differences between them. In "Candide", Voltarie offers sad themes by jokes and criticism. The story itself presents a distinctive outlook on life through author's satiric tone. Candide's experiences reveal to us that the world is a terrible place. Human beings are born to suffer in this world. On the other hand, Swift has continuously criticized the human race. He has never mentioned one of the good qualities of the human beings. Compare to the Houyhnhnm ? a horse society that the main character Gulliver admires the most, Swift satirizes the bad characters and behaviors of the human beings.
First edition of Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Sw...
English: Frontispiece and first page of chapter on...
The Auto de fe of Pangloss in Voltaire's Candide, ...In "Candide", Voltaire presents a story of his innocent, naïve hero Candide's adventure life. By describing how Candid travels around the world and encounters different circumstances, Voltaire uses his critical tone to reveal to us that the world is a cruel place. Candide is an optimism man. He always remembers his teacher Pangloss's doctrines "cause and effect"(P.25) and "everything was for the best in this world" (P.28). Contract to this theme, Candid has gone through so many misfortune experiences. At the beginning of his adventure, Candide is thrown out from the castle when found kissing the baron's daughter, Cunegonde. On his journey, he faces many misfortunes. He is tortured during army training. He has met his teacher, Pangloss several times. The first time, Pangloss looks like a beggar and his health is in devastated condition. (P.29) The second time, Pangloss tells Candide that he is almost hanged, and...