World Lit Test Exam Questions

Use 3 paragraphs to answer the Essay questions 1.  Discuss one topic that Voltaire satirizes. How and why does he satirize this idea, action, or type of person? One of the most obvious targets for Voltaire\'s satire in Candide is organized religion, specifically its hypocrisy and corruption....

Use 3 paragraphs to answer the Essay questions 1.  Discuss one topic that Voltaire satirizes. How and why does he satirize this idea, action, or type of person? One of the most obvious targets for Voltaire\'s satire in Candide is organized religion, specifically its hypocrisy and corruption. Throughout the novel, Voltaire uses irony and absurdity to expose how religious figures and institutions often fail to uphold the moral and spiritual values they claim to represent.\ \ For instance, Voltaire introduces the Grand Inquisitor, a high-ranking religious leader who preaches piety but abuses his power in order to maintain political control and indulges in immoral behavior, such as keeping Cunégonde as his mistress. The blatant contradiction shows the hypocrisy of religious leaders who manipulate their authority for personal gain. Similarly, the dissonance between religious teaching andpractice is further emphasized by the friar who preaches poverty yetlives in luxury. Through these characters, Voltaire criticizes how organized religion often favors power and material wealth over faith or compassion Voltaire\'s satire also reaches out to broader religious practices, as can be seen in the auto-da-fé scene, where innocent people are burned alive to prevent further disasters, such as earthquakes. This absurd ritual mocks the irrationality and cruelty of religious dogma that justifies violence in the name of divine will. By presenting these scenarios with dark humor, Voltaire makes the readers confront the dangers of blind faith and the misuse of religion as a tool for oppression.\ \ Through his satire of organized religion, Voltaire ultimately offers reason and individual morality over institutional dogma. He dares the reader to question the validity of systems that do not align with their professed principles, inviting a more enlightened and humanistic approach toward spirituality. 2. Compare and contrast the philosophies of extreme optimism and pessimism throughout Voltaire's *Candide *and how the characters display it. Ultimately, what does Voltaire think of both? Why? In Candide, Voltaire contrasts relative optimism with extreme pessimism to scrutinize the latter as unsatisfactory philosophy indealing with life. Extreme optimism is exhibited by Pangloss, who believes in the idea that \"all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds\" despite immense misery. The impossibility of allowing reality into his world shows the impracticality of optimism. Meanwhile, Martin represents extreme pessimism, anticipating nothing but calamity and misery for himself, which ultimately engulfs him in a cynical, passive stance toward life.\ \ The characters\' experiences point out the results of these extremes:Pangloss\'s refusal to acknowledge hardship makes him delusional and incapable of effective action, while Martin\'s pessimism fosters despair and inaction. Candide himself navigates these opposing philosophies throughout the story. His experiences with war, natural disasters, and betrayal show him the flaws in Pangloss\'s idealism and Martin\'s hopelessness, forcing him to search for a more balanced approach to understanding life\'s hardships.\ \ Ultimately, Voltaire abandons extreme optimism and pessimism for a pragmatic philosophy of action. The conclusion to Candide, where the protagonist decides \"we must cultivate our garden,\" reflects Voltaire\'s belief that the challenges of life require the practical work and responsibility of individuals, not abstract ideologies. In critiquing both poles, Voltaire urges the readers to deal with the world in a realistic manner-to find fulfillment by effort and moderation.