Le Connaissance Nouveau de L'Ingenu Francios-Marie Arouet's, assuming the pen-name of Voltaire, L'Ingenu is a satirical story that begins in 1689 when a ship of English merchants are coming This is when the Ingenu is first introduced. The Frenchare most intrigued by his appearance. Because of a picture believed to be thebrother and sister-in-law of the Abbe de Kerkabon and Mademoiselle de Kerkabon,the Kerkabons felt that they saw a resemblance and take him in as their nephew. This is only the beginning. With no set beliefs, the Huron comes to live withthese people of France and is taught to live as they do. Under appearinglyunfortunate circumstances, he becomes imprisoned and able to educate himself. He learns of the French society on a hands-on basis by feeling their cruelty. This Child of Nature symbolizes John Locke's "blank tablet". The Ingenu, alsoknown as the Child of Nature, Becomes enlightened through his experiences withFrench society by having no prior worldly knowledge of his own, being taught bythe French, and disregarding everything they have taught him to learn forhimself the lessons of French society.The Child of Nature comes into the French society with no worldly knowledge ofhis own or beliefs. He is a spontaneous, curious young Huron and is viewed asquite naive. The French feel that they can easily mold him into their society. All he has are his youthful charming looks, "HE was hatless, and hoseless, andwore little sandals; his head was graced with long plaits of hair; and a shortdoublet clung to a trim and supple figure. He had a look about him that was atonce martial and gentle" (Voltaire, 190) and an awkward manner of beingcourteous to the Kerkabons "all with such a simple, natural air that brother andsister both were charmed" (Voltaire, 190). When asked countless questions, "thetraveler's answer would be very much to the point" (Voltaire, 191). Instead ofin a roundabout way in which was inevitable if th...
