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Voltaire's Use Of Utopia In Candide

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Candide is a novel written by Voltaire that mocks many imperfections that have plagued mankind past and present. A wide range of human corruptions are highlighted during Candide’s journey such as; hypocrisy, injustice, and philosophy. Along with these short comings, the idea of mans natural lust for a flawless world is heavily depicted in this novel, allowing for analysis just how ludicrous the idea of a perfect world might really be. Voltaire’s use of utopias in Candide, symbolizes mans insatiable hunger for perfection, and their inability to satisfy it.
During Candide’s travels with Cacambo, they stumble onto a village preserved from the influence and conquest of the rest of the world. Upon meeting with several of the local residents, it is revealed to Candide that the picturesque village is in fact a sprawling kingdom named El Dorado. In this kingdom children play with precious jewels and emeralds because of the little materialistic value they bear in this society. This deflation of currency also eliminates the need for prisons within the city and allows for every person to focus on developing their intellectual understanding of the sciences. In El Dorado, not only are the shackles of poverty set free, but the persecution between citizens based on beliefs does not exist either. Candide and Cacambo are left in awe; the unavoidable evils that they have come to expect from their fellow man simply do not exist in this utopian society. There is but one caveat to the luxuries of El Dorado, all who enter to live …show more content…

Voltaire pressed upon this issue in Candide because of his constant exposure to mankind’s natural disposition to greed and corruption. Candide exposes the truth about utopias; they are an unrealistic ideal created by the natural man in all of us that strives for just a little bit

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