Interpreting, Conecting, Analyzing

While reading I did some investigation and found out that Voltaire’s uses the Oreillons as a criticism towards Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s philosophy. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s was another French Enlightment thinker who believed, that humans were naturally good and that institutions of human civilization like property, business and so forth corrupt this goodness. He came to call man “noble savage”. Yet, Voltaire’s thought all the opposite, he refers to the Oreillons as men filled with prejudice and brutality as the people from the Old World. They killed people on their religious beliefs, “He’s a Jesuit! He’s a Jesuit. We shall have our revenge and enjoy a good meal. We’ll have Jesuit for dinner!” not to mention the practice of cannibalism. I agree more with Voltaire’s view point, for to me it is more realistic. We have to accept human nature, and deal with reality evilness does exist.

Cacambo saves Candide from being eaten. He speaks with the Oreillons and tells him he is not a Jesuit. Cacambo represents a balance of a man who is neither from the Old or the New world. As everything in excess is bad he is the perfect combination who thinks thoroughly and uses his understanding and experience of both worlds to create his wonderful personality. We can see this, “The Oreillons were impressed by Cacambo’s reasoning.” He eloquently and very diplomatically talked to the Oreillons and saved his friend from being eaten.