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Definition of Tone
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical... read full definition
Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis:
Despite the humorous mood of the novella, Candide is also characterized by its pessimistic and cynical tone. In order to satirize the philosophical optimism of Leibniz, Voltaire offers a wide variety of examples of human suffering, injustice, and brutality as a rebuttal to the notion that Earth is “the best of all possible worlds.” This pessimistic tone is on full display in a scene in which Candide finds out from Pangloss that his family and beloved Cunégonde have all been violently murdered in his absence:
“Cunegonde is dead! Ah, best of worlds, where art thou? But of what illness did she die? Was it not for grief, upon seeing her father kick me out of his magnificent castle?”
“No,” said Pangloss, “she was ripped open by the Bulgarian soldiers, after having been violated by many; they broke the Baron’s head for attempting to defend her; my lady, her mother, was cut in pieces; my poor pupil was served just in the same manner as his sister; and as for the castle, they have not left one stone upon another, not a barn, nor a sheep, nor a duck, nor a tree [...]"
Candide is so shocked to hear that Cunégonde has died that he faints upon receiving the news. When he awakens, he assumes that she must have succumbed to heart-break after his own banishment. However, Pangloss bluntly informs Candide that she was, in fact, brutally raped and murdered by the Bulgarian troops, who additionally killed the Baron and the rest of his family, ultimately razing the castle and not leaving so much as “one stone upon another.” Despite the comic nature of Pangloss’s blunt description of this string of unbelievably tragic events, this passage reflects the deep feeling of pessimism regarding human nature and society that runs throughout the novella.
Related Themes:
