Candide is a reflection of the philosophical values of the Enlightenment. Voltaires novel is a satire of the Old Regime ideologies in which he critiques the political, social, and religious ideals of his time.A common intellectual characteristic of the Enlightenment was anti-feudalism. Philosophers were against the separations in the Old Regime and pushed for equality among human beings. Voltaire parodies the pompousness of the nobility several times throughout his novel. As we are introduced to the Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh, Voltaire describes his castle as luxurious, even though it is inferred that Westphalia is only a moderate estate. Although the name may sound important, Thunder-ten-tronckh lacks the luxury of nobility. The Baron lives off of the labor of others, justifying it by his birth into the right of power. Furthermore, the Barons sister refuses to marry Candides father because he has one less quarterling than she on his coat of arms. The difference in their lineage is minute; however, the Baroness refuses to marry someone that is less important than she is. Candide himself also experiences a similar incident. The Barons son refuses to allow Candide to marry his sister, Cunegonde. Although Candide rescues Cunegonde from several misfortunes, the Baron feels that he is unworthy of someone with such status. In his display of noble arrogance, Voltaire suggests that the accident of birth is meaningless. He continues his parody of the nobility by introducing Don Fernando, the governor of Buenos Ayres. Don Fernando carries with him a long list of names to accentuate his power and wealth. In the days of the Old Regime, this was custom in order to recognize nobility. However, Voltaire portrays Don Fernando as a predator, a liar, and a cheat. He shows that even though Don Fernando may be characterized as wealthy and powerful, he is not superior to others. Finally, Candides experiences in the army suggest Voltaires bitterness toward ...
