Stereotyping Society Part 2

I doubt any person has ever heard of the term "stones" as a measuring unit, or ever fully understood a satirical novel. Candide, by François-Marie Arouet, is a satirical novel which narrates Candide's life after he is kicked out of "the most beautiful and delightful of all possible mansions" (pg. 21) as a consequence of being caught behind a screen with Lady Cunégonde as "their lips met, their eyes flashed, their knees buckled, and their hands would not keep still." (pg. 21)

Tragedy after tragedy, Candide and other characters endure faith in God. Even though the author introduces Christians as righteous people ("He had heard that everyone in that country was rich and they were all Christians, he had no doubt he would be treated as kindly as he had been in Castle Thunder-ten-tronckh" (pg. 26)), then making them appear immoral (Be off with you, you villain, you wretch! Don't come near me or you'll suffer for it." said a minister on page 27.) On the other hand, the author craftily illustrates Anabaptists in the opposite way by introducing them as bad people, but then showing their worthiness ("A man who had never been Christined, a worthy Anabaptist called James.." (Pg. 27). Irony is implied, and faith in God is concurrent. After the earthquake and the shipwreck, Candide only thinks "the Day of Judgment has come" (pg. 33), so I tend to think the narration's target may be either religion or philosophy, which I will explain in another blog entry.

Just like when indulgences were sold, people nowadays are faithful in the Church, even if they have to make sacrifices, like paying, because God will always be there for them. The figure of a greater power has always existed, and people like to have someone to look up to for support or guidance. Others find themselves abandoned after not recieving a response, and who would make sacrifices for something that won´t help you gain anything, even if it´s just company?