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Juxtaposition In Candide

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Candide In Candide, Voltaire uses literary devices to convey the idea of optimism when facing the misfortunes of the world. Voltaire uses alot of juxtaposition, symbolism, and irony to indicate the challages people may face and the optomistic views in the world. Voltaire has deep pessimistic values on human nature which shines through the glittering portrait of the harminous utopian society. Voltaire sheds light on the psychological idea of optomism versus pessimism. Voltaire also identifies the good and evil that is portrayed in the world and among human nature. Voltaire uses juxtaposition to show that Candide is a polite and innocent young man. Voltaire also juxtaposes the old woman’s hospitality with the orators cruelty to show that not all belivers are hypocritical “wished to kiss her hand” (Voltaire7). He juxtaposes the glory of warfare as a noble ideal with its violent reality, painting a picture of a battlefield as a place where no thinking person could possibly think war was good. “ The earth was strewed with brains, arms, and legs” (Voltaire 3). Voltaire juxtaposes “stupefied” and “hero” to suggest that the military was full of soldiers just like Candide and the stupefied youths who don’t understand why they are there. “Candide, all …show more content…

Candide meets a slave who is missing his arm and leg and when he asked the man how it happened, he replies “ It is the price we pay for the sugar you eat in Europe” (Voltaire 19). The irony shows that people who produces the sugar pays for it, not just the consumers. Therefore, this emphasizes the injusctice that the slaves faced for European wants. Irony is also emphasized when Candide’s servant Cacambo asks him what optimism is and Candide says “ it is the mania for insisting that all is well when all is by no means

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