The Role Of The Baron In Candide

Voltaire is well known for his major role in French philosophy and his partaking in writing. Over Voltaire’s life time he was able to accomplish writing over 50 different pieces of literature that includes treatises of politics, science, and philosophy, plays and novels and managed to write several history books topics ranging from the Russian empire to the French Parliament. He is most well known for his attacks on the established catholic church and advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and separation of church and state. Voltaire spent most of his adult life in/around paris, he had trouble with the authorities for his critiques of the government which ultimately lead to two imprisonments and temporary exile from england. Voltaire's
Life at the castle of Thunder-ten-tronckh is that of a utopia, a life of perfect happiness. It is described as a "most beautiful castle." Candide is introduced as the "gentlest of characters" who combined sound judgment with simplicity of mind. The baron is described as a great, powerful lord in Westphalia; the baroness. His wife is the best of all possible baronesses. Pangloss is presented as the wisest philosopher in the realm. Already the absurd is opposed to the absurd. We learn that this most beautiful and agreeable of all possible castles, as Voltaire calls it in the last sentence in the chapter, is crude enough, what with its one door and window. The baroness is obese and not as great as she was once described.the baron is no longer looked upon as a “great powerfull lord” but more so as a primitive character. But all this exaggeration prepare the reader for the events which are to follow. Voltaire uses exaggeration as a prelude to adverse fortune throughout the rest of the
John locke’s ideas are shown within candide as a person is born with a “blank slate” and the person’s outside interactions help form who they are. This is shown in how candide starts very innocent and susceptible to merely anything. Through the story candide begins to change into a mature man. Throughout his travels he develops a new philosophy for life. His eyes open to reality, He sees that everything does not happen for the best as pangloss had told him in the Baron's castle. In Europe and in America, he encounters misery. He meets a number of people from various branches of life. He comes across many philosophers ranging from the extreme optimism of Pangloss to the pessimistic ideas of Martin. He experiences the love with Miss Cunegonde but learns that he can't accept it because of the differing social