Great Messages of Literature

[Teran]

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I felt like translating a small part of "Candide ou L'Optimisme" by Voltaire today, to show people just a small fraction of this fantastically deep and insightful book, filled with criticisms of society, humanity, and in true Voltarian style, sarcasm and wit. Although most of the book is dripping with dry humour, this excerpt is stark and shocking, and makes a sharp turn from the normal tone of the book to convey a powerful message. This book was published in 1759, so please try to ignore any terms you may find outdated or racially offensive. My translation may not be perfect, but it's the best I can offer, in hope that you should search out and read this book yourself. Here goes...

3 Characters: Candide, Cacambo, Dismembered slave.

"...Near the city they found a negro lying on the ground. He wore only a pair of blue linen breeches, and his left leg and right hand had been cut off. 'My God!' said Candide in Dutch, 'what are you doing here, friend, and in so deplorable a state?'
'I await my master, Mynheer Vanderendur, the great merchant', said the negro.
'Was it he that did this to you?'
'Yes, sir, it is the custom here. They give you a pair of linen breeches twice a year, and that is all we wear. When we toil in the sugar work, and the mill catches a finger, they cut off a hand. When you try to flee, they cut off a leg. Alas, I have suffered both misfortunes. This is the price we pay for you to eat chocolate in Europe.'
'It is strange to think that when my mother sold me for ten pattacoons on the Guinea coast, she told me: "My dear child, bless our holymen and adore them always. They will make you live happily. You have the honour to be the slave of our lords the whites, and you are making the fortune of your mother and father." Alas, I know not whether I have made their fortune; but they have not made mine. Dogs, monkeys and parrots are a thousand times less wretched than the likes of us.The Dutch priests who converted me tell us every Sunday that all men, blacks and whites, are the children of Adam. I know nothing of genealogies; but, if what these preachers say be true, we are all first cousins, and you must allow that nobody should treat their relatives so horribly.'
'Ah, Pangloss!' Candide exclaimed, 'you never would have guessed such an abomination would be possible! This is the end. I must renounce your optimism.'
'Optimism?' said Cacambo, 'what is that?'
'It is the madness of believing that all is for the best, when it is evil.' Candide looked again at the negro, and burst into tears: and, weeping, entered Surinam."

Discuss what you think of this, and I may enter at some point and provide my commentary. Personally, I'd find it surprising if you didn't find something insightful in this. It was also published, I reiterate, in 1759. To imagine such strong criticisms of injustices that seemed so casually performed were present at this age shows the true forward thinking mindset of Voltaire.

 

[Mith_]

you read books? lols.
but seriously i gotta head to chem lab ill read it once i get out.

 

[Red Arremer]

you read books?

Oh the agony!

Voltaire is a great writer and philosopher, I'm glad someone has discovered him. =)

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

Does it have pictures in it?

 

[Teran]

Does it have pictures in it?

Actually yes, yes it does lol.
That's not the point of it though, Jesus. >__>

 

[Ishiey]

Yeah, there were not-completely-braindead people back then too. Voltaire had a great mind, and I'm glad you posted this bit, but personally the concept isn't too out there, even when considering the time period in which it was written.

 

[Teran]

Yeah, there were not-completely-braindead people back then too. Voltaire had a great mind, and I'm glad you posted this bit, but personally the concept isn't too out there, even when considering the time period in which it was written.

Considering the standard work for a black man was n*gger, and they would treat them like animals, I think it is out there for the time period. Slavery was rife, and was the main source of riches for European countries. The Bank of England was practically run on slave money in the old days.
Besides, this isn't only about black or white. If you read closely when the slave says he was told they were all sons of Adam, and thus, equal, it would stand that ALL men are equal. Throughout the book though, people are treated differently countless times due to their sex, religion, ideologies, social class etc.
The slave of all people, notices the obvious contradiction between how Christians preach and how they act, as he is simple, and only tries to see things how they are. His simple mind allows him to state things that the corrupt people of that time would not understand.
Also, by using the "negro slave" as a voice for these perhaps controversial statements at the time (yes, equality was controversial), he was able to mask the significance of these words to the more narrow minded ignorant people that he didn't want understanding the book. They'd look and say "Negro, his words mean nothing!", whereas more intelligent and broad minded people would take what he says to heart.

tl;dr

It was significant

 

[finalark]

****... that little paragraph was a good read, really brought some things to mind that I probably would have never thought of otherwise. Now I want to go read the rest of that book.

 

[Mith_]

Ok I took a closer look at it and I must say that author knows how to write. That was good.

 

[Teran]

Ok I took a closer look at it and I must say that author knows how to write. That was good.

It's even better in the original French.
I'm glad you guys liked it though. Search out a translated copy, they'd probably do a better job of this than me lol.

 

[Ishiey]

It was significant

I'm not saying it wasn't, because that would be a lie, seeing as how Voltaire had such a huge impact on his times. All I'm saying is that, at least to me, it all seems so basic. Obviously, I've been raised in a different society, but people have always been intelligent, and it's not like this was the most subtle of problems. I guess I've just seen too many things like this lately to feel the full impact of it's true significance at the time.

Voltaire was a great writer, and I really do appreciate you posting this because his works are always worth reading.

 

[kr3wman]

I like Molière more. :D

 

[Teran]

I like Molière more. :D

...Great. This isn't meant to be a battle of the French authors.
Besides Voltaire and Molière are a completely different kettle of fish.

 

[kr3wman]

I know I know, I'm joking.

 

[Teran]

I know I know, I'm joking.

Jokes belong in the bullsh*t blogs.

 

[Jam Stunna]

To be honest, it's kind of hard to give a thoughtful response when you've bolded certain parts. It changes the dynamic of the reading, because the eye is drawn to those lines as if they're more important. They may be to you, but if you really want to know other people's thoughts, you have to let them arrive at those thoughts with as little interference or directing from you as possible.

That said, I find the most interesting part of the passage to be what the parents of the slave said to him when they sold him. I don't know much about the context of such a deal (that is, was selling your own son into slavery something that was common in this time and on the Guinea coast?), but it does bring up several important questions:

Did they really need the money that badly?
Did they know what their son was in for when they sold him, or did they think he would have a better life?
Is selling a son justified in any circumstance?

The abuses and cruelty of Europeans is well-documented, and I would never try to minimize those facts. But I think that it's equally important (if not more so, actually) to understand the motivations of the people who sold each other to the Europeans.

 

[El Nino]

The abuses and cruelty of Europeans is well-documented, and I would never try to minimize those facts. But I think that it's equally important (if not more so, actually) to understand the motivations of the people who sold each other to the Europeans.

In my limited understanding, certain segments of African societies took part in the slave trade as sellers. Those sold were usually political enemies, such as members of a nation/tribe defeated in war, who were then sold to Europeans and Americans in exchange for goods like guns, which could be used to defend against invasion from neighboring African nations. But it also seems that some political leaders may have allowed their own people to be sold in exchange for profit.

I guess you could say that the colonialists had native accomplices wherever they went, whether it was Africa, Asia, Austrialia, North or South America. In Asia, it was not uncommon for people to get conned into boarding a ship and going abroad, thinking they could find work and make money, only to find that, once off of home soil, they had no rights and were forced into labor. In Africa, it seems that the European powers took sides in African wars; Western allies in Africa were given goods in exchange for selling their neighbors to foreign companies.

EDIT: But that's the political view. I'm not sure how often a parent would sell his/her own child in that time. However, throughout history, selling one's own children was not uncommon. Parents who were extremely poor would do it; it meant one less mouth to feed, and in exchange they'd make a little profit to feed their other children. It has happened in the modern era, as well, now that I think about it. I'm including parents that marry off their daughters and receive a dowry in return.

I guess my point is that, up until recently (in Western and Westernized societies, at least), children were considered the property of their parents. They didn't have any rights. Many full grown adults didn't have any rights either, so none of this was considered unjust thinking. Rights belonged only to those who owned property. Undoubtedly, almost all parents love their children. But people born into poverty accept that life is hard, and so they would not expect their children to be spared what they themselves were not spared.

 

[fromundaman]

Does it have pictures in it?

You bet, and some even have... BOOBIES!



...


Seriously though, I can't say this impacted me all that much because well, I kind of grew up studying this in school, so this would be like if I pulled out some "Catcher in the Rye" on you guys.

Here's what I have to say on that book in general though:
Voltaire does a good job delivering social commentary, but the story itself really sucks. I guess that's all right because the point was to deliver social critique in an entertaining form, but to me the way he rushed through pretty much all the story elements throughout the book just kind of lessened the impact.
The best way I can think of to explain it is to compare it to say, being in a museum. If you take your time looking over/studying all the exhibits, they will have more impact than if you get rushed through it with a guided tour, and this book to me, felt more like the latter; a kind of rushed tour of the problems of society.

(PS: I think Moliere is better too! )

 

[Teran]

You bet, and some even have... BOOBIES!



...


Seriously though, I can't say this impacted me all that much because well, I kind of grew up studying this in school, so this would be like if I pulled out some "Catcher in the Rye" on you guys.

Here's what I have to say on that book in general though:
Voltaire does a good job delivering social commentary, but the story itself really sucks. I guess that's all right because the point was to deliver social critique in an entertaining form, but to me the way he rushed through pretty much all the story elements throughout the book just kind of lessened the impact.
The best way I can think of to explain it is to compare it to say, being in a museum. If you take your time looking over/studying all the exhibits, they will have more impact than if you get rushed through it with a guided tour, and this book to me, felt more like the latter; a kind of rushed tour of the problems of society.

(PS: I think Moliere is better too! )

Voltaire clearly makes the story utterly irrelevant. That's why he tells you what happens in the chapter title. The whole story is ridiculous, but that adds to the humour. It's filled to the brim with criticisms that many dared not make.

I won't say I prefer Voltaire to Molière, because they can't be compared. Voltaire was a philisopher, Molière was a writer.

 

[fromundaman]

Oh I know. But you know, as a english major focusing on creative writing, that was the part that irked me the most. I mean, I know for most people it accentuates the effects of the text, but to me it kind of dilluted it.