Candide portrays war as futile and wasteful both in terms of material and human sacrifice. Disgusted by the army and his own mistreatment, the protagonist escapes after he is conscripted by the army. Two of the female characters are also subjected to rape and servitude as a result of warfare.
Questions About Warfare
- What actions are justified in the name of war in Candide?
- What are the attitudes of the main characters toward warfare? Who accepts war as justification for atrocities? Who doesn’t?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Voltaire mocks war through his characters’ blind acceptance of its devastating consequences.
Voltaire makes poignant the horrors of war through his characters’ blind acceptance of its devastating consequences.