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AP4 LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT

This summer you have the distinct privilege of reading the famous satire Candide, by Voltaire. Click here for a link to a free online version of the text. There are versions available for the Kindle that will work with an iPad or other e-reader, or you can just read it on your computer. You may also check out the book from a local public library or purchase one at a used book store. If you decide to purchase a separate text, please be sure to obtain the same version; there are different translations out there. Candide is the most popular of Voltaires works. It addresses the belief embodied by Pangloss that All is for the best in this best of all possible worlds. In his story, Voltaire addresses issues of science, philosophy, religion, government, ethics, romance, and the nature of good and evil. We rarely get to read comedies or satires in a school setting, so enjoy the experience.

A Word to the Wise: Take Notes as You Read

The best way to prepare for the Summer Reading assessment is to not only read carefully, but also to take ample notes as you read. A leisurely read through the book will probably not serve you well enough for the analytical nature of the assessment. In addition to collecting quotations that develop the themes of the novel, you should also make note of the comic devices and subgenres employed. You should be ready for the assessment on the first day of class.

A Note on Vocabulary:
You will no doubt encounter words that are new to you as you make your way through Candide. Rather than providing a set vocabulary list, we have opted to acclimate you to the protocol for AP4: When you encounter a new word while reading, it becomes part of your personal vocabulary list. Youll need to look it up, make appropriate notes, and review until the word is your own.

A Quick and Dirty Overview of Comedy: Satire

Satire exists for one reason only: to ridicule a subject, usually some social institution or human weakness, with the intention to inspire reform. In making the reader laugh at the stupidity and hypocrisy of society, the satirist hopes to push his public to make an effort to "fix things." Thus, despite his frustration with human foibles and failings, the satirist continues to believe that man can, if he has sufficient will, create a better world. A satirist, since he believes in the possibility of reform, cannot therefore be totally pessimistic.

Comic Devices (Just a few)

BLACK HUMOR VIA TONE: This is nothing more than an extreme version of humor. Adopting a neutral or even upbeat tone (attitude of narrator to subject matter), the author describes without emotion situations that are obviously atrocious, as if they were perfectly normal. The reader's horrified reaction is much stronger than it would be if the narrator expressed indignation or disgust. DOUBLE ENTENDRE:A statement that is deliberately ambiguous, one of whose possible meanings is risque or suggestive of some impropriety. EUPHEMISM:A device in which indirectness replaces directness of statement, usually in an effort to avoid offensiveness. HYPERBOLE (EXAGGERATION): A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion or create a comic effect. While hyperbole does not express the literal truth, it is often used in the service of truth to capture a sense of intensity or to emphasize the essential nature of something. INCONGRUITY: Comedy required that there exist an established set of cultural, human, and societal norms against which incongruities may be found. Three aspects of incongruity include literalization (ex. give me a hand), reversal (irony), and exaggeration (hyperbole). IRONY: A contrast or discrepancy between expectation and realitybetween what is said and what is really meant, between what is expected and what really happens, or between what appears to be true and what really is true. Verbal Irony: when a writer or speaker says one thing but really means something quite differentoften the opposite of what he or she has said. Situational Irony: when what actually happens is the opposite of what is expected or appropriate. Dramatic Irony: when the audience knows something that a character in the play or story doesnt. LITOTES (UNDERSTATEMENT): A figure of speech that consists of saying less than what is really meant, or saying something with less force than is appropriate. Charlie Chaplin's mustache may be described as an understatement in this sense just as his shoes are an exaggeration. MALAPROPISM: The French term mal-a-propos means inappropriate or out of place. It is the misuse of vernacular or using one word for

another due to ignorance. For example: mixing up words such as electrocution for elocution, irritation for irrigation, etc. PUN: A play on the multiple meanings of a word, or on two words that sound alike but have different meanings.

THE COMEDY LADDER Overview of the Different Types of Comedy

(adapted from http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap04_preap_13_strat_e_35969.pdf)
Few comedies are one purely distinct form or another, but rather they include a blend of types. Some mix farce with low comedy and then lurch toward comedy of ideas and back toward comedy of manners. Some television shows and films rely primarily on one type of comedy, but use the others to a lesser degree. Here are some rough categories that can sometimes help focus discussion. COMEDY OF IDEASLaughing at the Implication of Ideas (High Comedy) On this level of comedy, the characters argue about important issues like war, gender, marriage, religion, class, and government. The various characters represent different approaches to these issues, pitting their wits (or lack of them) against the wits of those who view reality differently. Satire focuses on the foolish ideas behind an issue and ridicules the thinking and approach to the debate. Satire is a type of comedy of ideas: it is often irreverent and challenges the conventional thinking on issues. M*A*S*H, Monty Python, George Bernard Shaws plays and, occasionally, The Simpsons explore serious ideas humorously. COMEDY OF MANNERSLaughing at Words (High Comedy) Sometimes defined as the amorous intrigues of the aristocratic classes, this form of comedy emphasizes the mechanisms of language and reduces life and its problems to verbal repartee. Clever insults, put-downs, puns, paradoxes, and epigrams are all types of witticism this comedy uses. Comedy of manners does not hesitate to sacrifice a characters sensitivity to the cause of witty dialogue. Television programs like Cheers, Frasier, and Will and Grace have upper-class characters who fall in and out of love while other characters comment wryly on the action. Often there are three different groups of characters: the true wits, who know themselves; the would-be wits, who trade barbed insults but are not insightful characters, and the witless, who are unaware of, and unfazed by, the true meaning of the lives around them. In Frasier, for example, the father and Daphne are the true wits, Frasier and his brother are the would-be wits, and the mirthless radio station manager is witless. FARCELaughing at Situations The devices that drive the plot identify this form of comedy: mistaken identities, coincidences, and mistimings. The characters become puppets of fate, controlled by action over which they seem to have little control. In farce, characters interested in each other must often struggle to be together as others contrive to keep them apart. There are always coincidence, doublings, or obstaclessuch as twins, busybody parents, unhappy engagements, and marriages that happen at just the wrong time. Money and class figure prominently in the action. Maid in Manhattan, Twins, Austin Powers, and Big Business are farcical films, while Seinfeld, Golden Girls, and That 70s Show are typical televisions farces. LOW COMEDYLaughing at People At the bottom of the comedy ladder the laughter is longest and loudest over the dirty joke or dirty gesture. At this depth, comedy finds the lowest common denominator: the body. Typically, this is the rung of humor in which bodily functions remind us we are a little less than the angels. Physical mishaps, pratfalls, slapstick, and loud collisions are the obvious elements. Here too are the long noses, crossed eyes and dwarfs. Most of us remember The Three Stoogesadd sexual antics to that mix and you have adult low comedy. Beavis and Butthead, Dumb and Dumber, Cyrano de Bergerac, Roxanne, Young Frankensteinthe examples here are endless.

Candide Reading Guide: Philosophical Terms

PHILOSOPHICAL OPTIMISM This is a school of philosophy that believes that everything that happens in the world has some point and, in the end, everything happens for the best. For example, in the event of a disaster, the good end of what seems to be a tragedy may not be apparent at the moment, but there is good that will come out of the disaster. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL The presence of evil in this world is something philosophers, theologians, and average people have long grappled with. Philosophers pose this question: If God is all good and all knowing, how can He allow such terrible, evil things to happen in a world that He has created? DIVINE PROVIDENCE Allied with the belief in Philosophical Optimism was a religious notion that there is a divine will that guides our fate; that is, everything that happens to us is Gods will. Related to the question of Divine Providence is the question of Free Will. If our lives are ordained by God, are we responsible for choosing good or evil in our lives? Do we have any control over our lives, or are we simply pawns of fate? CAUSE AND EFFECT This idea is used by philosophers to prove the existence of God. They argue that for every effect there must have been a cause; in tracing this back we eventually reach the uncaused cause: God. SUFFICIENT REASON In Leibnitzs philosophy, the sufficient reason is that which justifies the existence of things. Like the uncaused cause, the ultimate sufficient reason is God.

Questions for Study and Closer Reading

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE PROVIDED TO ENRICH YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE BOOK. WHILE IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU USE THEM TO FOSTER YOUR DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEXT, THESE QUESTIONS ARE A TOOL, NOT A REQUIREMENT.

Chapter 1
As in most satires, the proper names in this story frequently convey a meaning. What do you think the name Baron Thunder-ten-Tronckh is meant to suggest? 2. List and briefly identify the major characters introduced in this chapter. 3. Although Voltaire was French, he sets his story in Germany with a German family among its central characters. Why Germany? 4. Why does the narrator tell us that the Barons castle had not only a gate, but windows? 5. In the fourth paragraph, Voltaire gets to a principal target of his satire: philosophy. What is his technique in this instance? 6. In the fifth paragraph how does Voltaire make the following basic tenet of philosophical optimism look silly: that things cannot be otherwise than as they are; for all being created for an end, all is necessarily for the best end? 7. Why is Candide driven off from the castle at the end of Chapter 1? Note how often and where philosophical terms are used (even in the description of Cunegondes observation of Pangloss and the maid). Note, also, how in this best-of-all possible world things often go wrong. 1.

Chapter 2
1. 2. 3. What happens to the innocent Candide in this chapter? How is Candide so easily tricked? This chapter is a satire on both the brutality of army training in general and the brutality of the Prussian Army in particular (the boys in blue). But it also satirizes what philosophical question? 4. In this chapter, how free is Candide to choose his punishment?

Chapter 3
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
The first paragraph contrasts the glory and spectacle of marching armies to the realistic result of armed conflict. Through what phrase does Voltaire remind his reader of the absurdity of philosophical optimism in the context of war? What point is Voltaire making when he shows the Arabian heroes behaving as badly as the Bulgarian heroes have? If Voltaire believes war is evil, why does he not he just say that? What aspect of the preacher and his wife is Voltaire satirizing? How does Candide feel about Pangloss philosophical teaching by the end of this chapter?

Chapter 4
1. The sickly beggar we meet at the end of Chapter 3 turns out to be Pangloss. What does Pangloss say caused his illness? 2. What does Pangloss say has happened to Cunegonde and her family? 3. Why do you suppose the phrase cause and effect has been used in this chapter and in others? 4. How does Pangloss argue that the spread of a sexually transmitted disease has happened for the best in this best-of-all-possible worlds? 5. What does James function in the story seem to be?

Chapter 5
1. 2. 3. 4.
As in Chapter 3, Voltaire again raises the problem of evil. What is the terrible evil that happens in this chapter, and how is it different from the evil we see in Chapter 3? What is Pangloss reaction to the disaster? What happens when the very ill Candide begs Pangloss to give him oil and water? What is Voltaires point with this? What happens to James in this chapter, and what is the sad irony in his fate?

Chapter 6
Note: An auto-da-f (act of faith) is a public ceremony held by the Inquisition in which heretics are tried, condemned, and executed by being burned at the stake. After the Lisbon earthquake of 1756, an auto-da-f is held in order to ward off further earthquakes. 1. At the end of Chapter 5, the man in black gives a nod. Although in Chapter 5, we do not know what that nod signifies, who do we learn the man is, and what happens as a result of his nod? 2. The churchs charges against Pangloss reflect one of Voltaires criticisms of the church. Specifically, what is Voltaire criticizing? 3. What other criticisms are implicit in the burnings of the heretics? 4. As Voltaire presents it in the opening paragraph, an auto-da-f is an act of superstition, not faith. Explain how an auto-da-f can be viewed as an act of primitive superstition? 5. What upsets Candide the most about what has happened, and what important question does this raise in Candides mind?

Chapter 7
1. 2. It has been said that in this chapter Voltaire satirizes the conventions found in the adventure-romances of his time. What do you suppose some of those contentions are? Candide asks Cunegonde, Then you have not been ravished? Then they did not rip open your belly as Doctor Pangloss informed me? What is her response? How would you characterize her answer?

Chapter 8
1. In the third-to-last paragraph, Cunegonde concludes that Pangloss has most cruelly deceived her. Why does she arrive at this conclusion? 2. Cunegonde tells us that she has been invited to the auto-da-f by the Grand Inquisitor and has a very good seat. (Pg. 18) At first, this makes her sound like an insensitive monster, but what does she add that convinces us that she is not? 3. How does the second-to-last paragraph point out that she is a most practical person? 4. Cunegonde tells Candide that she has withstood the sexual advances of the Bulgarian captain, Don Issachar, and the Grand Inquisitor. If this is true, do you suppose her motive for turning them down is one of keeping intact her virtue, or is it for a practical reason she turns them down?

Chapter 9
1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. What aspects of the adventure-romance novel are parodied in this chapter? Why does Voltaire take the time to mention what happens to the two bodies when the authorities arrive? When Cunegonde asks how her gentle Candide could kill two men, what is his response? Does this mark a change in him?

Chapter 10
What is humorous in the second paragraph? Why is an army being raised to go to South America, and why is Candide made a captain in this army? In Chapter 5, Voltaire attacks religions intolerance and philosophical issues. What aspect of the church does he attack in this chapter? 4. Candide has given up hope that the Old World (Europe) is the best-of-all possible worlds, but he has hope that the New World may be so. What is Cunegondes response to this? 5. Cunegonde seems to be truly overjoyed to find Candide again, and she tells him that she loves him with all her heart. Yet, at the opening of this chapter as she laments the loss of the jewels, she says, What shall I do? Where shall I find Inquisitors or Jews who will give me more? What is your opinion of Cunegonde? Does she really love Candide?

Chapter 11
1. The old woman tells us, all Italy composed sonnets in my praise, though not one of them was passable. (Pg. 24) In this line and in comments in the first paragraph, what is Voltaire making fun of? 2. What makes the last sentence a surprise? 3. The Old Woman says a number of times that she is surprised by the terrible things the Corsairs do, but she has since learned such actions are standard practice in all civilized nations. What does this say about evil and civilized nations? 4. In the last sentence of the next-to-last paragraph, how does the Old Woman conclude the list of terrible things she sees? What may we infer about Voltaires view of religion from that? 5. What makes the last sentence in this chapter so absurd?

Chapter 12
1. 2. The Old Woman, deceived by the man she trusts, is sold into slavery and has many sordid adventures, including having one buttock cut off, yet she concludes, but still I loved life. How does Voltaire wish us to take this line? In what way might the Old Womans journey foreshadow Cunegondes journey?

Chapter 13
1. What character is satirized in this chapter? For what and in what way is he mocked? 2. After the Governor declares his love for Cunegonde and asks her to marry him, what is her response? What strikes us as
humorous about her response?

3. What advice does the Old Woman give Cunegonde and Candide? Would you have given them the same advice?

Chapter 14
Note: The Fathers are Jesuit priests who are very militant. As missionaries in South America, they have much temporal power and fight against Spain. The Jesuits in Europe are confessors to the same Kings and also have much power. 1. What is Cacambos role in the narrative? What kind of person is he? 2. Who does the chief Jesuit turn out to be?

Chapter 15
Note: Some readers believe that Voltaire is implying that Father Didrie has an unusual attraction for the young baron. That fact that in later editions the author changes the name of Father Didrie to Father Crost, a personal enemy of Voltaires, supports this

belief.

1. In what respect has the Baron not changed at all? 2. What does Candide see as the only solution to the problem caused by his quick temper? What is Cacambos solution? How would you characterize the difference?

Chapter 17
1. Candide and the cynical Cacambo are astonished by the kindness, politeness, and generosity of the people in El Dorado. In the last paragraph what do Candide and Cacambo conclude about human nature? What do they conclude about the country of El Dorado? What does Candide conclude about Westphalia? Some critics use the next-to-last line in this chapter to say that Voltaire is setting El Dorado up as an ideal country. Explain how they could arrive at that conclusion. After reading the last line, however, how can one argue that Voltaire is not setting El Dorado up as an ideal country?

2. 3.

Chapter 18
Note: In literature, Utopias are perfect societies where men live in harmony with each other and nature. 1. Who are the Incas? According to the old man, what happens to the Incas and why? What does the old mans story suggest? 2. What in this chapter suggests that Voltaire is not against religion itself but against the excesses found in religions? 3. Why does the old man find some of Candide and Cacambos questions about religion incredible? 4. Candide and Cacambo ask, What! have you no monks who teach, who dispute, who govern, who cabal, and who burn people that are not of their opinion? What is the answer? 5. Find another example of satire in this chapter. 6. Why do the visitors decide to leave El Dorado?

Chapter 19
1. After having doubted Pangloss philosophy in earlier chapters, what finally causes Candide to denounce it? 2. What news of Cunegonde does Candide get that depresses him? 3. Although he is now a wiser, more worldly man, how is Candide cheated once again?

Chapter 20
1. 2. 1. 2. What does Candides new advisor, Martin the Manichaean, believe? How does he arrive at this belief? Does it appear that Martin represents Voltaires view? In this chapter, at what targets does Voltaire take aim? To what purpose does Martin compare hawks and men? What does Candide say is the difference between hawks and men? In addition to a number of individuals with whom he wishes to settle some scores, who or what else does Voltaire satirize in this chapter? In comparing El Dorado to Europe, what is Candides conclusion? What is the purpose in having someone pretend to be Cunegonde? Who is behind that?

Chapter 21 Chapter 22
1. 2. 3.

Chapter 23
Note: In England, an admiral is shot in the manner described in this chapter and for the same reason. Voltaire, always a crusader for the underdog, had worked for a year to prevent the execution of the admiral but has failed. 1. This chapter seems to be tacked on. For what two reasons does Voltaire appear to include it?

Chapter 24
1. 2. 3. In this chapter, what two predictions does Martin make? The pattern we had seen with the Old Woman we now see repeated with Paquette and perhaps, even Cunegond. What is Voltaire saying about the position of women in this society? Although, like the others, this monk is not a model of morality, Voltaire shows us another side of Friar Girofle. For what reason does Voltaire seem to have some pity for the Friar?

Chapter 25
1. Although Martin shares many of the opinions of Pococurante, how does Martin respond when Candide says of Pococurante, This is the happiest of mortals? 2. Although Pococurante seems to mouth some of Voltaires opinions about some writers, how do we know that Voltaire sees much wrong in Pococurante? 3. About what one thing is Candide still very happy and optimistic? 4. One thing that Voltaire seems to admire in Pococurante is that Pococurante thinks for himself. Voltaire tells us that Candide has never been taught to think for himself. What is a related quality Voltaire seems to admire about England?

Chapter 26
1. 2. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. What news does the returning Cacambo give Candide about Cunegonde? What fact of life do the six deposed kings represent? Martin says that there are millions of people on earth who are unhappier than the deposed kings. He seems to suggest that human misery is universal. Do you suppose Voltaire shares this view? What additional news does Candide receive about Cunegondes appearance, and what is his response? After Candide ransoms the Baron and Pangloss, how do their reactions show that neither one has changed much? While Candides faith in optimism is shaken whenever he is in danger, how steadfast is Pangloss faith in optimism when things are not good for him? What does his faith or lack of faith reflect? What is absurd about the topic that Pangloss and the Baron have continually disputed while galley slaves? What does this dispute always result in? In Chapter 15, Candide is very polite and defers to the Baron; nevertheless, when the Baron slaps him, Candide becomes angry and stabs him. What is Candides response in this chapter when the Baron refuses to consider Candides offer of marriage? What kind of change does this make in Candide?

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29
1.

Chapter 30
1. 2. By the end of this chapter how does the narrator tell us Pangloss has changed in regard to optimism? What is Candides response when the Old Woman asks, Which is worseto go through all the miseries we have undergone, or to stay here and have nothing to do? (Pg. 85) What does this say at this point about their life on the farm? 3. When Pangloss questions the wise Dervish about the horrible evil in the world, how does the Dervish respond? 4. Why does the Dervish slam the door in Pangloss face? 5. In the slamming of the door, what point is Voltaire making about philosophy? 6. What is the secret of life that Candide learns from the old man at his farm? What phrase does Candide use to encapsulate this philosophy? 7. Some people argue that the phrase cultivate our garden means that instead of philosophizing, we should all work to make our own little garden (or our little corner of the world) a better place than it is. What is your opinion on the meaning of the phrase?