Women as Victims and Symbols in Voltaire's Candide

Introduction: Voltaire, the Enlightenment, and Gender

Candide is a satire by Voltaire published in 1759 during the period known as the Enlightenment. Examining Candide in the context of Western thought and its intellectual movements, there is no doubt that the work is highly critical of many of the social institutions of the time. Yet, while criticizing numerous societal aspects, Candide is not free from the biases and "unenlightened" assumptions that the revolutionary movement in France was ostensibly working to overcome. While it is apparent that Voltaire is not openly working toward revolutionary sentiments in Candide and is merely pointing out flaws in society, it is interesting to note how certain popular cultural notions of the Enlightenment are never even expressed in the text. The most noticeable case concerns his treatment of women.

While many views were espoused during the period of the French Revolution about the rights of women, it must be observed that even a progressive thinker like Voltaire did not always hold views aligned with such ideas. Candide was one of the greatest works of arguably the most important philosopher of the Enlightenment. Using Candide for purposes of illustration, Voltaire was able to criticize the beliefs and established views of his time without directly opposing them. He uses characters and plot to satirize these views while also relaying his own beliefs. Throughout the novel, women are often presented as victims suffering because of acts of cruelty and violence — a condition that prevents them from being fully developed characters, particularly when contrasted with the male figures in the story.

From Cunegonde to the Old Woman, to the experiences of other women recounted in the text, the reader cannot help but question why Voltaire chose to present women in this manner, and what this means within the context of a philosophy that sought to free people rather than confine them to subservient roles. This essay examines the way women are presented in the novel and discusses how they are not developed as characters and serve no purpose other than to be romantic interests or the unfortunate victims of violence — sexual or otherwise.

Philosophers, Patriarchy, and the Status of Women

Many of the Enlightenment philosophers were opposed to the idea of revolution — they were so deeply embedded in the aristocratic cultural norms of their society that they could not think beyond them, even while criticizing those norms. Voltaire and other like-minded philosophers did not consider women as equals. They believed women to be weak and therefore unable to manage their households or fulfill certain societal tasks. Such sentiments masked the deeper underside of patriarchal attitudes far more than the polished practice of singling out a few exceptional women leaders would readily suggest.

The women in Candide are no exception: they exhibit weak and defenseless character traits. While it might at first appear progressive to draw attention to how women constantly run the risk of being subjected to violent male desire — as seen in the stories of rape, enslavement, and general submission — it seems more accurate to conclude that Voltaire regarded women as weak and ineffectual creatures who use sex to obtain their desires and who serve as vessels of disease.