Wolper supports this claim by emphasizing Candide’s apparent inability to learn from his experiences. This would imply that the doctrine of work is not a legitimate solution. He asks “how do we know that Candide in the garden does speak and act for Voltaire” (Wolper 267)? For Wolper, “Candide has been the frequent and obvious butt of Voltaire’s satire” (Wolper 267), and remains so at the end of the tale. Most take that statement to mean that Voltaire is recommending hiding from the world and focusing on personal productivity as a means to avoid evil, calling this concept the “doctrine of work.” In his controversial article, Roy Wolper, the author of “Candide: Gull in the Garden?” (1969) rejected this traditional view, arguing instead that in the garden Candide speaks for himself as opposed to Voltaire, invalidating that statement. Traditionally, critics have taken that statement to mean that Voltaire wants the reader to cultivate their garden, and focused on what the cultivation of the garden means.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |