Critiquing Political Systems Through Satire Voltaire and Jonathan Swift, two of the greatest satirist known to mankind, include effective examples of satire in their works Candide and “A Modest Proposal,” respectively. These men discovered the power of writing as a tool to make social and economic problems known to the masses through the use of satire. Satire itself has two divisions: Horatian satire and Juvenalian satire. Horatian satire focuses on a gentle tone of satire in which the writer ridicules their victim in a humorous way. Juvenalian satire, on the other hand, represents a darker form of satire where the purpose of the writing is to primarily attack particular people or ideas. This type of satire usually has a harsher tone when compared to Horatian satire. Horatian satire tends to emphasize laughter, while Juvenalian satire focuses more on harsh criticism and a sharp attack. Voltaire’s Candide lends itself to Horatian satire through its attacks on authoritarian groups and political systems, while Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” directly attacks rich land owners, along with the English imperial authority over Ireland, through dark Juvenalian satire involving eating children. In reference to Alexander Pope’s comment on good satire, both Voltaire and Swift choose to specifically critique the political systems in society and they each instruct people to break their connection with their abusive rulers and oppressors for a better life. Alexander Pope, an English poet known for his satire, claimed that, “good satire should not butcher a person but should, like an extremely sharp sword, slice entirely though the neck, leaving the head in place.” Pope believed that in order for a satirist to write an effective piece of satire, he or she must attack only a specific part of their victim in a systematic fashion. For example, butchering an animal consists of random slices and jabs that would cause a mess. However, a single sharp slice would cleanly and effectively slide through the neck and as a result minimize pain while still killing the animal. Likewise, a satirist should aim only for the “neck” of a larger problem they would like to point out in their writing in order to make the problem clear to the reader. Pope’s satire uses the human body as a metaphor for the government system of a country. The head of a human body symbolizes the rich and land owning authority, along with the government of a country, while the body symbolizes the rest of society that is under control of the head. When Pope suggests a good satirist should sever the connecting piece (neck) between the head and the body, metaphorically he may be saying that satire should inspire the people of a country (body) to slice through their connection (neck) with their rulers (head) and revolt if they are being oppressed. Voltaire uses several humor-filled examples of Horatian satire throughout Candide to explain that kings do not always want the best for their people and that it may be necessary for people to separate from malicious rulers. Candide focuses on a naïve character named Candide whose journeys and experiences point out problems with political systems present in many countries. After being kicked out of the Baron’s home, Candide is helped by Bulgarians who offer him food. To Candide’s dismay, however, “they handcuffed him, and carried him away to the regiment” (19). Most readers would not predict this forced recruitment because the Bulgarians offer Candide food— a sign of friendliness rather than aggressiveness. As a result, this scene can be classified as situational irony. The incongruity of the situation induces Horatian laughter in the reader, but Voltaire points out to a more serious problem in politics: young men are being captured and drafted into the army with the promise of food. Once Candide joins the war, he realizes that the Bulgarian and Avarian kings allowed thousands of people to die for no effective cause. Voltaire tells us that, “the first place he [Candide] came to was a neighboring village, in the Avarian territories, which had been burned to the ground by the Bulgarians, agreeably to the laws of war” (21). After visiting Avarian territories, Candide “made all the haste he could to another village, which belonged to the Bulgarians, and there he found the heroic Avars had enacted the same tragedy” (21). Voltaire uses mock encomium when he calls the Avarians heroic, because the Avarians lost everything they had and apparently that makes them heroic. Labeling people in such misery “heroes” suggests blame on these men for not escaping the war to save themselves, and more importantly places blame on the Avarian and Bulgarian kings for allowing their people to perish for no valuable cause: since both the Avarians and Bulgars lost everything. This type of satire should be classified as Horatian satire because Voltaire does not directly ridicule the kings. Instead, he chooses to indirectly ridicule the kings through his mockery on the soldiers. This situation can also be interpreted as mock encomium because Voltaire praises the murderers and rapists by calling them heroes even though he actually intends to blame the soldiers for their horrifying actions. Furthermore, Voltaire uses Jacques the Anabaptist to explain that men were not born to kill each other— contrary to the beliefs of the kings. These uses of Horatian satire point to a specific problem in society: the failure of kings to allow their people to enjoy life and the problems of an authoritative government. Voltaire explains through these Horatian satirical devices that people should disconnect themselves from their rulers in a situation where the ruler does not try to help his or her people-- symbolizing Pope’s claim which stated that good satire should cut through the neck to disconnect the body and the head. Voltaire uses Candide’s experiences with Martin to further emphasize the malice of an authoritative government through Horatian satire because of the lack of logic present in the actions of the kings. During a discussion with Martin involving warfare, Candide is told, "You know that these two nations are at war about a few acres of barren land in the neighborhood of Canada, and that they have expended much greater sums in the contest than all Canada is worth” (86). Martin’s opinion on the wars that kings involve themselves in reflects Voltaire’s perspective. The lack of logic in the actions of the kings allows readers to laugh at the fact that kings spend more money on war than the value of the land. Candide then views the execution of a man and naturally asks, “who was that lusty man who had been sent out of the world with so much ceremony” (87). A French soldier responds to his question and Candide is told that a French admiral was executed by his own countrymen. When Voltaire uses the phrase “sent out of the world” instead of “died,” he invokes euphemism because the word “died” is substituted with a less offensive phrase. However, the flawed logic that the French soldier uses stimulates laughter in the reader makes the reader think twice about the legitimacy of the murder of the admiral. This unjust murder uses Horatian satire to explain that authoritative governments can prove to be detrimental to the people in a society and that people should rid themselves of such rulers. Through his adventures, Candide finds an opportunity to have supper with kings where he learns that sometimes, kings hurt their countries significantly more than they are able to help. When Candide meets the six monarchs, he hears stories about how each king was robbed of the wealth of their kingdom through war. While sharing stories of their life, one king says, “I have twice lost my kingdom” (100). This statement displays the incompetency of rulers and suggests that people should cut their connection with these incapable rulers. Furthermore, when Candide donates one hundred times more sequins than the rest of the kings, we view an example of situational irony because generally the kings would donate more money than a civilian like Candide would be able to. Moreover, this situation affects the reader greatly because it helps them to understand the weakness of aristocratic and monarchial power in Europe while still being able to laugh at the irony involved in this situation. Through these examples of Horatian satire, Candide invokes laughter in his readers’ minds while expressing Pope’s idea that satire should be clear and specific. By attacking the ideology of having a monarchial society that only cares for war, Voltaire agrees with Pope because they both believe that satire should separate the people (body) from their selfish monarchs (head). In his work “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift uses Juvenalian satire to present an utterly disgusting and inhumane solution to the hunger and poverty in Ireland in order to convince people to break their connection with the landholding English. By selling the flesh of poor Irish babies to the rich English, Swift claims that the Irish will have more money. However, Swift does not literally advise the Irish to kill their children: he wrote this piece to inspire the Irish to get rid of the authoritative English people taking over their land—making the entire essay a form of verbal irony because Swift says the opposite of what he means in his pamphlet. To Swift, eating babies is not the solution; rather it is what needs to be avoided. “A Modest Proposal” reflects Pope’s because it promotes segregation between the people of Ireland and the rich landholders who represent the economic and political head of Ireland. Swift’s writing is directed at rich English land holders in Ireland, meaning that his “sword of satire” is sharp and specifically aiming for them. Several examples of Juvenalian satire are used by Swift in “A Modest Proposal” to try and convince the Irish to take action and get rid of the rich English who had imperial authority over Ireland. Readers begin to assume that this piece is of satire upon noticing Swift’s detached tone throughout the piece. Swift says, “I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled” (2). This statement makes it seem that Swift views killing children to be a beneficial and moral thing to do, even though such an act is extremely immoral. The dark subject matter involving roasting children makes this piece Juvenalian in satirical style. Swift also states that, “this kind of commodity will not bear exportation, and flesh being of too tender a consistence, to admit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country, which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it” (6). This is a direct and clear attack at the English occupying Ireland because it claims that the English will “eat up” all of Ireland. This statement is also an example of euphemism because Swift uses the phrase, “eat up,” to serve as an inoffensive substitute for the phrase, “will violently murder our children.” Through the use of several clear examples of Juvenalian satire, Swift attacks the English imperial authority over Ireland and satisfies Pope’s definition of good satire when he slices through the “neck” or connection between the rich authoritative English and poor Irish through his sharp satirical sword. The use of sharp and well-focused satire allows both Voltaire and Jonathan Swift to attack authoritative rulers and oppressors in their works Candide and “A Modest Proposal,” respectively. Voltaire uses Horatian satire filled with comic relief to point out several reasons why rulers are not always beneficial to citizens of a country, while Swift uses dark and serious examples of Juvenalian satire to do the same. Voltaire ends his novel Candide after stating that the best place to live is on a garden: a place where people have free will and there is no authoritative figure controlling people’s lives. With accordance to Alexander Pope’s thoughts on good satire, both satirists attempt to cut through the link (neck) between the authoritative rich classes (head) and the poorer classes (body) by taking clear and focused jabs at the detrimental actions of authoritative governments through their writing. _______________________________________ The Cry of the Innocent In an ever-changing society, the depravities and follies of humankind are apparent. To incite the mending of these failings through the pen, satire is used. To write an effective satire, the English poet Alexander Pope expressed that “good satire should not butcher a person but should, like an extremely sharp sword, slice entirely through the neck, leaving the head in place.” Satire must be sharp and to the point, and cleverly ridicule a subject, instead of being vehemently condemning about it. Furthermore, Pope’s opinion of a good satire includes pointing out and criticizing the flaws of its victim, while inducing the mind of the reader, without attacking him. Two literary examples that utilize satire are Voltaire’s Candide, translated by Lowell Bair, and Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” Both works mock the corrupted institutions and specific people at their time. However, Voltaire applies satire in an elegant way through the experience of the frank and childish Candide while Swift employs satire in a critical and biting manner. Through Candide’s naive and innocent remarks and reactions, Voltaire’s cutting criticisms are tagged along with a sense of sympathy unlike Swift’s blunt, detached hacking, suggesting that the cry of the pure and innocent leaves a greater impact than the attacks of the objective and unemotional. Both Voltaire and Swift expose flawed systems harming human lives, yet Voltaire uses the experience of Candide while Swift directly places blame on his victims. After being put into a dungeon by four Bulgar soldiers for being misconstrued as a deserter, Candide is presented with two punishments that he must decide to endure: “With proper legal procedure, he was asked which he would prefer, to be beaten thirty-six times by the whole regiment, or to receive twelve bullets in his brain. It did him no good to maintain that man’s will is free and that he wanted neither: he had to make a choice” (Voltaire 19). Grotesque is utilized here due to the gruesome options “to be beaten thirty-six times by the whole regiment” or “to receive twelve bullets in his brain.” Candide is given two punishments in which he must select one or the other. However, both options will result in death. The humor comes from Candide’s decision to choose the least painful punishment, even though both options will result in death. Although Candide is presented with two options, it is inevitable that Candide will receive a great deal of pain, revealing how cruel and violent the army is and how inhumane its system is to punish deserters. Because “he had to make a choice” and experience the punishment and the fact he is misconstrued as a deserter even though he is taking a stroll all along, sympathy for the innocent Candide is created. Also, sympathy builds as Candide’s childish attempt to deny both options is overruled by the army. In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift addresses the landlords’ treatment of the farmers. After calculating the number of viable offspring, Swift declares that cooked infants will be quite suitable for landlords: “I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title for the children” (Swift). Swift utilizes grotesque to assert that the landlords “devoured most of the parents,” suggesting that they charge unnecessarily high rents. Swift critically attacks the landlords, accusing them to be the cause of the anguish for their tenants, and therefore their cruelty will lead to the anguish of the Irish children as well. Detached tone is also present in these lines. With a neutral tone, Swift suggests that the children shall be most appropriately eaten by the landlords, horrifying the readers. Contrasting to Voltaire, Swift directly mentions his target, the landlords, and attacks them for their injustice. Voltaire, on the other hand, mocks the way the army treats deserters through Candide’s experience of cruel torture. By reading Candide’s experience, one can express sympathy for him and learn the horrors of the army, contrasting with Swift’s attack on landlords since he is presenting his own view. In addition to exposing the wrongs of their present systems, both Voltaire and Swift reveal the follies of a nation, yet Voltaire highlights it through speaking as Candide about the people as a whole while Swift expresses it through a specific group. After bribing the officer with diamonds to escape arrest, Candide expresses his view on France: “What!? Can such horror occur among a people who sing and dance? I’m eager to get out of this country where monkeys harass tigers. I’ve seen bears in my country, but I’ve seen men only in Eldorado” (Voltaire 85). Disguised as Candide, Voltaire uses incongruity to emphasize the French as uncivil and wild. He wonders why such a refined group of people who “sing and dance” can be so barbaric and unnatural as “monkeys harass tigers.” Voltaire calls his fellow French “bears,” evincing the belligerence and savageness of the French. Sympathy is created through Candide’s distress and bewilderment of the behavior of the French people contrasting with his earlier thoughts about them as great performers. In “A Modest Proposal” Swift also discloses the horrors of a nation. After digressing, Swift then discusses the advantages of his proposal: For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number of papists, with whom we are yearly overrun, being the principal breeders of the nation, as well as our most dangerous enemies; and who stay at home on purpose with a design to deliver the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their advantage by the absence of so many good Protestants, who have chosen rather to leave their country, than stay at home and pay tithes against their conscience to an episcopal curate. (Swift) Swift uses the incongruity “being the principal breeders of the nation, as well as our most dangerous enemies” to show how the Catholics are promoting life by reproducing yet they are considered dangerous and harmful. Swift maliciously attacks the Roman Catholics in Ireland, calling them papists and accusing them for oppressing Protestants and causing them to leave Ireland to avoid paying tithes to the episcopal curate. In essence, Swift reveals the abusiveness of Catholics on Protestants in Ireland. Through accusation of the Catholics, Swift makes his point, but Voltaire ridicules the French through the innocence and distress of Candide. Comparing Voltaire’s Candide and Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” it is overt that Swift utilizes satirical devices in a constant attacking manner, lacerating his victims, while Voltaire uses a childish character, Candide, to point out the flaws of his victims. Thus, Voltaire’s method would be considered as “good satire” based from Pope’s comment on satire for it has mock his targets without ripping them apart. Moreover, Candide can garner compassion, thus having quite an influence, like a young child. Candide is pure and innocent, yet once he starts crying, he gains the sympathy and support of others. __________________________________ Reality Bites Alexander Pope once observed that “good satire should not butcher a person but should, like an extremely sharp sword, slice entirely through the neck, leaving the head in place.” This remark suggests that effective satire is clear in its intent and should shock the reader. It should be simple yet sharp. Voltaire’s Candide, translated by Lowell Bair, is a satire of the picaresque novels popular in Voltaire’s day, which have one-dimensional heroes who always succeed. The naive Candide is propelled on a journey full of misadventures and suffering while he clings to Pangloss’ philosophy that he is in “the best of all possible worlds”. Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” satirizes the British attitude towards the Irish. Swift makes a suggestion in jest that the Irish people can solve all their problems by selling their children at a year old to be eaten. “A Modest Proposal” fulfills Pope’s statement better than Candide because it adds a sickening element of realism that horrifies the reader, while Candide invokes hyperbole that makes the story less plausible and therefore less shocking and sharp. Voltaire and Swift both utilize the grotesque, detached tone, and incongruity, but to different effect. Voltaire and Swift both use grotesque scenes to send a message, but Swift’s more realistic satire is clearer and sharper. Voltaire describes a series of sufferings of the old woman: “Imagine the situation of a pope’s daughter, fifteen years old, who, in the space of three months, had undergone poverty and slavery, been raped almost every day, seen her mother cut into quarters, experiences hunger and war, and was now dying of the plague” (Voltaire 43). Voltaire goes on to relate a grotesque scene in which the old woman has one buttock cut off so the men starving with her can eat. This grotesque scene creates a tension between laughter and revulsion, but the revulsion is not so great because the situation is so exaggerated that it seems absurd. The reader finds it hard to truly imagine such a great series sufferings actually happening to a person, and therefore cannot identify easily with the old woman. Swift’s satire in “A Modest Proposal” has a more clear and horrifying effect because it puts the reader in a situation that seems closer to reality. Swift describes revoltingly how people shall eat children: “I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs” (Swift). This grotesque image leans more towards revulsion than laughter because it seems more likely to unfold in the context of a real life situation. In Ireland, a country long oppressed and with a history of famines and starvation, it was not so crazy to think that people would actually become so desperate that they would find themselves in such a situation. In fact, when Swift handed out his proposal, many people did not realize it was in jest. Swift’s grotesque satire describes a situation that the reader could actually imagine taking place if circumstances became drastic enough, while Voltaire’s exaggeration of situations to the point of absurdity results in more lighthearted satire that is not nearly as sharp and shocking. Voltaire and Swift both use detached tone to emphasize their points against institutions and the need to rally, respectively, but Swift’s is more effective because he seems to be talking about something plausible. Voltaire describes Candide being beaten by the Bulgars: “With proper legal procedure, he was asked which he would prefer, to be beaten thirty-six times by the whole regiment, or to receive twelve bullets in his brain. It did him no good to maintain that man’s will is free and that he wanted neither: he had to make a choice…His punishment was so far composed of four thousand strokes” (Voltaire 19-20). Voltaire describes Candide’s punishment matter-of-factly, even throwing in a bit about man’s free will to show the absurdity of the situation. While he effectively conveys that this façade of law and justice is pointless, the reader does not feel truly shocked because Candide’s punishment is so extreme that is becomes unbelievable. It is unlikely that he could even survive four thousand strokes. Swift, on the other hand, suggests that the people of Ireland eat their children, and makes his entire dismaying proposal in a detached tone. Well into the piece the reader cannot even tell that his proposition is a satire and not real. Swift’s use of detached tone chills the reader because one does not truly believe people would support his idea, but there remains a nagging concern that people could actually get so desperate that they might take Swift seriously. Voltaire’s satire seems more light-hearted and absurd, while Swift’s is sharper and has a greater effect on the reader. Voltaire and Swift both utilize incongruity, but Voltaire uses it to comic effect to relieve the reader from difficult scenes while Swift uses it to cause maximum shock to the reader. After the old women watches an awful massacre and a man comes by, the reader expects another awful event to happen. However, the man says, “’O che sciagùra d’essere senza coglioni!’” (Voltaire 41), meaning, “Oh, what a misfortune to be without testicles!” This unexpected interruption in the sequence of events is extremely comic in nature. It allows the reader to breathe a sigh of relief for a moment after hearing atrocious stories. Swift uses incongruity to the opposite effect, horrifying the reader out of a sense of normalcy. He begins his proposal sounding perfectly sane and real. It starts to seem a bit strange when he wonders why young children are not able to support themselves under the age of six. Suddenly, he offers an unnerving statement: “A young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout” (Swift). This grotesque statement shows how Swift uses incongruity to sharply jolt the reader out of their sense of normalcy and prepare them for a good dose of sharp satire. Voltaire uses incongruity to reassure and relax the reader and make the story more lighthearted, while Swift uses it to exactly the opposite effect. Voltaire and Swift both utilize a number of satirical devices, but Voltaire’s give his story a lighthearted tone, while Swift intends to shock the reader into action. However, this is not an insult to Voltaire, because he did not necessarily intend for his satire to have as chilling an effect. Voltaire’s agenda while writing Candide was to criticize what was happening in the Enlightenment era, when philosophers were not fully thinking out what they were writing and were oversimplifying the world, and the institution of the Church was extremely corrupt. Voltaire plans to inspire societal and cultural reform, and therefore his satire is less sharp than Swift’s, who has a different, more urgent goal in mind. Swift’s proposal is intended to rally the Irish people against their British oppressors; it will not be a revolution easily carried out. Swift’s satire is sharper because of its necessity and immediacy to prove a point, while Voltaire’s is lighter because it is trying to make people think. Both writings effectively use satirical devices to convey their message, showing that there is more than one way to use satire to inspire reform. __________________________________ Satire: The Excalibur of Literature Satire has always been a strong weapon in the world of literature. As Alexander Pope puts it, good satire should “not butcher a person but should, like an extremely sharp sword, slice entirely through the neck, leaving the head in place.” We see great examples of this in Both Voltaire’s Candide, translated by Lowell Bair, and Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” And yet these works are different in the way they portray satire. Swift’s “Proposal” has a light bantering tone, which is the distinguishing characteristic of Horatian satire, but if you get past the grotesque content, the message hits the reader hard. Voltaire’s Candide, on the other hand, builds the levels of satire up higher and higher until all it becomes is a thinly-veiled bitter criticism of reality, which is typical of Juvenalian satire. Despite these differences of how satire is used however, the effect is the same: all uses of the pieces enhance the pieces and become a critical element in what makes the pieces what they are. Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” is set in Ireland during the time of British occupation. Swift wrote the pamphlet after the Penal Laws had been enforced, in which the people of Ireland were restricted from anything that might give them power. Swift’s pamphlet, at first glance, is a piece that happily suggests that, to solve both world hunger and poverty, adults should breed children to be eaten. When looked at more deeply, however, if the reader knows the historical background of this piece, they would be able to catch the hidden message behind this piece. The Irish people are the children who are being devoured by the British adults. By portraying the oppressed Irish people as defenseless one-year-old babies, Swift creates a powerful metaphor. Babies have no rights and cannot speak up for themselves. They are defenseless and vulnerable, which is why the detached, even bright and happy tone that Swift uses in his piece is even more sickening, which is shown when he writes in what seems to be a proud voice “…they [the children] will contribute to the feeding…of many thousands.” Unfortunately, while the tone, which is used because the piece was written with a British mindset, enforces the actual message, it is because of the tone that Swift was kicked out of numerous bars and pubs, even by his own people, who, of all people, should have found the hidden message quickly. Swift does not attack only the British, however. In two parts of the pamphlet, Swift explicitly mentions American friends of his who assured him that “a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food….” Swift is obviously referring to the large amount of Native American and African slaves that were being forced to work in American colonies at the time. By writing in this way and making it clear that he was writing in the British mindset, Swift engages the reader in emotions of disbelief, disgust, and horror in a way they would not have felt if he had written with the dramatic Irish views in mind. Voltaire’s Candide, on the other hand, focuses more on the world in a broader sense rather than just one country, as Swift did. Candide focuses more on the bad things that are found in this world and how they impact us by creating an optimistic and sheltered character, Candide, who is forced through many unfortunate mishaps. By reading about his journey, the reader can easily detect the many sarcastic comments about society and ironical situations that are much too common in our world. While Swift uses satire to create a metaphorical world, Voltaire uses satire to barely conceal the intended target of that particular section, but he does not hide it to the point where nobody can tell who the intended target is. Voltaire’s criticisms are everywhere; even the protagonist himself is one. Candide is a naïve innocent who goes about his life while believing in a theory that the world he lived in was the best of all possible worlds, a theory presented to him by the foolish philosopher Dr. Pangloss, who is a parody of Leibniz, a writer from Voltaire’s time who had come up with the theory. Voltaire not-so-subtly hints at the foolishness of the man as he suggests that anybody who has lived long enough would know that this is not the best possible world: “Pangloss admitted that he had always suffered horribly, but, having maintained that all was for the best, he still maintained it, without believing it” (110). Voltaire is also unhesitant to create intentionally grotesque images, as opposed to Swift, who stuck with flowery images to emphasize the uncaring inhumanity of the person speaking. Voltaire’s vivid images and sharp words are placed in to provoke pity and guilt in the reader, as with the scene with Candide and the slave: As they approached the town they saw a Negro lying on the ground. His only garment was a pair of short blue trousers, and they had been half torn away. The poor man’s left leg and right hand were missing. “If we get a finger caught…they cut off the whole hand; and if we try to run away, they cut off one of our legs. That’s the price of the sugar you eat in Europe… The Dutch fetishes, who converted me, tell me every Sunday that we’re all children of Adam, black and white alike. I’m no genealogist, but if those preachers are telling the truth, we’re all cousins, and you must admit that no one could treat their relatives more horribly” (68). To a continent that cherished sugar like gold and did everything in the name of religion, this came as a great wound in both their pride and conscience. Satire is a weapon in the hands of someone who knows how to wield it skillfully. It cuts through so cleanly that no mark is left, yet the impression it leaves is very deep. Both Swift and Voltaire use tone and imagery with satire to create images in our heads and stir up strong emotions of sympathy, pity, disgust, and disbelief in us. They craft pieces that make us laugh at the hinted-at absurdities and yet make us think at the messages they bury within layers of irony and sarcasm. That shows that they have mastered the art of satire: the reader laughs, recoils, and most importantly, thinks. That was all Voltaire and Swift ever wanted.

Critiquing Political Systems Through Satire

Voltaire and Jonathan Swift, two of the greatest satirist known to mankind, include effective examples of satire in their works Candide and “A Modest Proposal,” respectively. These men discovered the power of writing as a tool to make social and economic problems known to the masses through the use of satire. Satire itself has two divisions: Horatian satire and Juvenalian satire. Horatian satire focuses on a gentle tone of satire in which the writer ridicules their victim in a humorous way. Juvenalian satire, on the other hand, represents a darker form of satire where the purpose of the writing is to primarily attack particular people or ideas. This type of satire usually has a harsher tone when compared to Horatian satire. Horatian satire tends to emphasize laughter, while Juvenalian satire focuses more on harsh criticism and a sharp attack. Voltaire’s Candide lends itself to Horatian satire through its attacks on authoritarian groups and political systems, while Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” directly attacks rich land owners, along with the English imperial authority over Ireland, through dark Juvenalian satire involving eating children. In reference to Alexander Pope’s comment on good satire, both Voltaire and Swift choose to specifically critique the political systems in society and they each instruct people to break their connection with their abusive rulers and oppressors for a better life.

Alexander Pope, an English poet known for his satire, claimed that, “good satire should not butcher a person but should, like an extremely sharp sword, slice entirely though the neck, leaving the head in place.” Pope believed that in order for a satirist to write an effective piece of satire, he or she must attack only a specific part of their victim in a systematic fashion. For example, butchering an animal consists of random slices and jabs that would cause a mess. However, a single sharp slice would cleanly and effectively slide through the neck and as a result minimize pain while still killing the animal. Likewise, a satirist should aim only for the “neck” of a larger problem they would like to point out in their writing in order to make the problem clear to the reader.

Pope’s satire uses the human body as a metaphor for the government system of a country. The head of a human body symbolizes the rich and land owning authority, along with the government of a country, while the body symbolizes the rest of society that is under control of the head. When Pope suggests a good satirist should sever the connecting piece (neck) between the head and the body, metaphorically he may be saying that satire should inspire the people of a country (body) to slice through their connection (neck) with their rulers (head) and revolt if they are being oppressed.

Voltaire uses several humor-filled examples of Horatian satire throughout Candide to explain that kings do not always want the best for their people and that it may be necessary for people to separate from malicious rulers. Candide focuses on a naïve character named Candide whose journeys and experiences point out problems with political systems present in many countries. After being kicked out of the Baron’s home, Candide is helped by Bulgarians who offer him food. To Candide’s dismay, however, “they handcuffed him, and carried him away to the regiment” (19). Most readers would not predict this forced recruitment because the Bulgarians offer Candide food— a sign of friendliness rather than aggressiveness. As a result, this scene can be classified as situational irony. The incongruity of the situation induces Horatian laughter in the reader, but Voltaire points out to a more serious problem in politics: young men are being captured and drafted into the army with the promise of food. Once Candide joins the war, he realizes that the Bulgarian and Avarian kings allowed thousands of people to die for no effective cause. Voltaire tells us that, “the first place he [Candide] came to was a neighboring village, in the Avarian territories, which had been burned to the ground by the Bulgarians, agreeably to the laws of war” (21). After visiting Avarian territories, Candide “made all the haste he could to another village, which belonged to the Bulgarians, and there he found the heroic Avars had enacted the same tragedy” (21). Voltaire uses mock encomium when he calls the Avarians heroic, because the Avarians lost everything they had and apparently that makes them heroic. Labeling people in such misery “heroes” suggests blame on these men for not escaping the war to save themselves, and more importantly places blame on the Avarian and Bulgarian kings for allowing their people to perish for no valuable cause: since both the Avarians and Bulgars lost everything. This type of satire should be classified as Horatian satire because Voltaire does not directly ridicule the kings. Instead, he chooses to indirectly ridicule the kings through his mockery on the soldiers. This situation can also be interpreted as mock encomium because Voltaire praises the murderers and rapists by calling them heroes even though he actually intends to blame the soldiers for their horrifying actions. Furthermore, Voltaire uses Jacques the Anabaptist to explain that men were not born to kill each other— contrary to the beliefs of the kings. These uses of Horatian satire point to a specific problem in society: the failure of kings to allow their people to enjoy life and the problems of an authoritative government. Voltaire explains through these Horatian satirical devices that people should disconnect themselves from their rulers in a situation where the ruler does not try to help his or her people-- symbolizing Pope’s claim which stated that good satire should cut through the neck to disconnect the body and the head.

Voltaire uses Candide’s experiences with Martin to further emphasize the malice of an authoritative government through Horatian satire because of the lack of logic present in the actions of the kings. During a discussion with Martin involving warfare, Candide is told, "You know that these two nations are at war about a few acres of barren land in the neighborhood of Canada, and that they have expended much greater sums in the contest than all Canada is worth” (86). Martin’s opinion on the wars that kings involve themselves in reflects Voltaire’s perspective. The lack of logic in the actions of the kings allows readers to laugh at the fact that kings spend more money on war than the value of the land. Candide then views the execution of a man and naturally asks, “who was that lusty man who had been sent out of the world with so much ceremony” (87). A French soldier responds to his question and Candide is told that a French admiral was executed by his own countrymen. When Voltaire uses the phrase “sent out of the world” instead of “died,” he invokes euphemism because the word “died” is substituted with a less offensive phrase. However, the flawed logic that the French soldier uses stimulates laughter in the reader makes the reader think twice about the legitimacy of the murder of the admiral. This unjust murder uses Horatian satire to explain that authoritative governments can prove to be detrimental to the people in a society and that people should rid themselves of such rulers.

Through his adventures, Candide finds an opportunity to have supper with kings where he learns that sometimes, kings hurt their countries significantly more than they are able to help. When Candide meets the six monarchs, he hears stories about how each king was robbed of the wealth of their kingdom through war. While sharing stories of their life, one king says, “I have twice lost my kingdom” (100). This statement displays the incompetency of rulers and suggests that people should cut their connection with these incapable rulers. Furthermore, when Candide donates one hundred times more sequins than the rest of the kings, we view an example of situational irony because generally the kings would donate more money than a civilian like Candide would be able to. Moreover, this situation affects the reader greatly because it helps them to understand the weakness of aristocratic and monarchial power in Europe while still being able to laugh at the irony involved in this situation. Through these examples of Horatian satire, Candide invokes laughter in his readers’ minds while expressing Pope’s idea that satire should be clear and specific. By attacking the ideology of having a monarchial society that only cares for war, Voltaire agrees with Pope because they both believe that satire should separate the people (body) from their selfish monarchs (head).

In his work “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift uses Juvenalian satire to present an utterly disgusting and inhumane solution to the hunger and poverty in Ireland in order to convince people to break their connection with the landholding English. By selling the flesh of poor Irish babies to the rich English, Swift claims that the Irish will have more money. However, Swift does not literally advise the Irish to kill their children: he wrote this piece to inspire the Irish to get rid of the authoritative English people taking over their land—making the entire essay a form of verbal irony because Swift says the opposite of what he means in his pamphlet. To Swift, eating babies is not the solution; rather it is what needs to be avoided. “A Modest Proposal” reflects Pope’s because it promotes segregation between the people of Ireland and the rich landholders who represent the economic and political head of Ireland. Swift’s writing is directed at rich English land holders in Ireland, meaning that his “sword of satire” is sharp and specifically aiming for them.

Several examples of Juvenalian satire are used by Swift in “A Modest Proposal” to try and convince the Irish to take action and get rid of the rich English who had imperial authority over Ireland. Readers begin to assume that this piece is of satire upon noticing Swift’s detached tone throughout the piece. Swift says, “I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled” (2). This statement makes it seem that Swift views killing children to be a beneficial and moral thing to do, even though such an act is extremely immoral. The dark subject matter involving roasting children makes this piece Juvenalian in satirical style. Swift also states that, “this kind of commodity will not bear exportation, and flesh being of too tender a consistence, to admit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country, which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it” (6). This is a direct and clear attack at the English occupying Ireland because it claims that the English will “eat up” all of Ireland. This statement is also an example of euphemism because Swift uses the phrase, “eat up,” to serve as an inoffensive substitute for the phrase, “will violently murder our children.” Through the use of several clear examples of Juvenalian satire, Swift attacks the English imperial authority over Ireland and satisfies Pope’s definition of good satire when he slices through the “neck” or connection between the rich authoritative English and poor Irish through his sharp satirical sword.

The use of sharp and well-focused satire allows both Voltaire and Jonathan Swift to attack authoritative rulers and oppressors in their works Candide and “A Modest Proposal,” respectively. Voltaire uses Horatian satire filled with comic relief to point out several reasons why rulers are not always beneficial to citizens of a country, while Swift uses dark and serious examples of Juvenalian satire to do the same. Voltaire ends his novel Candide after stating that the best place to live is on a garden: a place where people have free will and there is no authoritative figure controlling people’s lives. With accordance to Alexander Pope’s thoughts on good satire, both satirists attempt to cut through the link (neck) between the authoritative rich classes (head) and the poorer classes (body) by taking clear and focused jabs at the detrimental actions of authoritative governments through their writing.

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The Cry of the Innocent

In an ever-changing society, the depravities and follies of humankind are apparent. To incite the mending of these failings through the pen, satire is used. To write an effective satire, the English poet Alexander Pope expressed that “good satire should not butcher a person but should, like an extremely sharp sword, slice entirely through the neck, leaving the head in place.” Satire must be sharp and to the point, and cleverly ridicule a subject, instead of being vehemently condemning about it. Furthermore, Pope’s opinion of a good satire includes pointing out and criticizing the flaws of its victim, while inducing the mind of the reader, without attacking him. Two literary examples that utilize satire are Voltaire’s Candide, translated by Lowell Bair, and Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” Both works mock the corrupted institutions and specific people at their time. However, Voltaire applies satire in an elegant way through the experience of the frank and childish Candide while Swift employs satire in a critical and biting manner. Through Candide’s naive and innocent remarks and reactions, Voltaire’s cutting criticisms are tagged along with a sense of sympathy unlike Swift’s blunt, detached hacking, suggesting that the cry of the pure and innocent leaves a greater impact than the attacks of the objective and unemotional.

Both Voltaire and Swift expose flawed systems harming human lives, yet Voltaire uses the experience of Candide while Swift directly places blame on his victims. After being put into a dungeon by four Bulgar soldiers for being misconstrued as a deserter, Candide is presented with two punishments that he must decide to endure: “With proper legal procedure, he was asked which he would prefer, to be beaten thirty-six times by the whole regiment, or to receive twelve bullets in his brain. It did him no good to maintain that man’s will is free and that he wanted neither: he had to make a choice” (Voltaire 19). Grotesque is utilized here due to the gruesome options “to be beaten thirty-six times by the whole regiment” or “to receive twelve bullets in his brain.” Candide is given two punishments in which he must select one or the other. However, both options will result in death. The humor comes from Candide’s decision to choose the least painful punishment, even though both options will result in death. Although Candide is presented with two options, it is inevitable that Candide will receive a great deal of pain, revealing how cruel and violent the army is and how inhumane its system is to punish deserters. Because “he had to make a choice” and experience the punishment and the fact he is misconstrued as a deserter even though he is taking a stroll all along, sympathy for the innocent Candide is created. Also, sympathy builds as Candide’s childish attempt to deny both options is overruled by the army. In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift addresses the landlords’ treatment of the farmers. After calculating the number of viable offspring, Swift declares that cooked infants will be quite suitable for landlords: “I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title for the children” (Swift). Swift utilizes grotesque to assert that the landlords “devoured most of the parents,” suggesting that they charge unnecessarily high rents. Swift critically attacks the landlords, accusing them to be the cause of the anguish for their tenants, and therefore their cruelty will lead to the anguish of the Irish children as well. Detached tone is also present in these lines. With a neutral tone, Swift suggests that the children shall be most appropriately eaten by the landlords, horrifying the readers. Contrasting to Voltaire, Swift directly mentions his target, the landlords, and attacks them for their injustice. Voltaire, on the other hand, mocks the way the army treats deserters through Candide’s experience of cruel torture. By reading Candide’s experience, one can express sympathy for him and learn the horrors of the army, contrasting with Swift’s attack on landlords since he is presenting his own view.

In addition to exposing the wrongs of their present systems, both Voltaire and Swift reveal the follies of a nation, yet Voltaire highlights it through speaking as Candide about the people as a whole while Swift expresses it through a specific group. After bribing the officer with diamonds to escape arrest, Candide expresses his view on France: “What!? Can such horror occur among a people who sing and dance? I’m eager to get out of this country where monkeys harass tigers. I’ve seen bears in my country, but I’ve seen men only in Eldorado” (Voltaire 85). Disguised as Candide, Voltaire uses incongruity to emphasize the French as uncivil and wild. He wonders why such a refined group of people who “sing and dance” can be so barbaric and unnatural as “monkeys harass tigers.” Voltaire calls his fellow French “bears,” evincing the belligerence and savageness of the French. Sympathy is created through Candide’s distress and bewilderment of the behavior of the French people contrasting with his earlier thoughts about them as great performers. In “A Modest Proposal” Swift also discloses the horrors of a nation. After digressing, Swift then discusses the advantages of his proposal:

For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number of papists, with whom we are yearly overrun, being the principal breeders of the nation, as well as our most dangerous enemies; and who stay at home on purpose with a design to deliver the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their advantage by the absence of so many good Protestants, who have chosen rather to leave their country, than stay at home and pay tithes against their conscience to an episcopal curate. (Swift)

Swift uses the incongruity “being the principal breeders of the nation, as well as our most dangerous enemies” to show how the Catholics are promoting life by reproducing yet they are considered dangerous and harmful. Swift maliciously attacks the Roman Catholics in Ireland, calling them papists and accusing them for oppressing Protestants and causing them to leave Ireland to avoid paying tithes to the episcopal curate. In essence, Swift reveals the abusiveness of Catholics on Protestants in Ireland. Through accusation of the Catholics, Swift makes his point, but Voltaire ridicules the French through the innocence and distress of Candide.

Comparing Voltaire’s Candide and Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” it is overt that Swift utilizes satirical devices in a constant attacking manner, lacerating his victims, while Voltaire uses a childish character, Candide, to point out the flaws of his victims. Thus, Voltaire’s method would be considered as “good satire” based from Pope’s comment on satire for it has mock his targets without ripping them apart. Moreover, Candide can garner compassion, thus having quite an influence, like a young child. Candide is pure and innocent, yet once he starts crying, he gains the sympathy and support of others.

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Reality Bites

Alexander Pope once observed that “good satire should not butcher a person but should, like an extremely sharp sword, slice entirely through the neck, leaving the head in place.” This remark suggests that effective satire is clear in its intent and should shock the reader. It should be simple yet sharp. Voltaire’s Candide, translated by Lowell Bair, is a satire of the picaresque novels popular in Voltaire’s day, which have one-dimensional heroes who always succeed. The naive Candide is propelled on a journey full of misadventures and suffering while he clings to Pangloss’ philosophy that he is in “the best of all possible worlds”. Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” satirizes the British attitude towards the Irish. Swift makes a suggestion in jest that the Irish people can solve all their problems by selling their children at a year old to be eaten. “A Modest Proposal” fulfills Pope’s statement better than Candide because it adds a sickening element of realism that horrifies the reader, while Candide invokes hyperbole that makes the story less plausible and therefore less shocking and sharp. Voltaire and Swift both utilize the grotesque, detached tone, and incongruity, but to different effect.

Voltaire and Swift both use grotesque scenes to send a message, but Swift’s more realistic satire is clearer and sharper. Voltaire describes a series of sufferings of the old woman: “Imagine the situation of a pope’s daughter, fifteen years old, who, in the space of three months, had undergone poverty and slavery, been raped almost every day, seen her mother cut into quarters, experiences hunger and war, and was now dying of the plague” (Voltaire 43). Voltaire goes on to relate a grotesque scene in which the old woman has one buttock cut off so the men starving with her can eat. This grotesque scene creates a tension between laughter and revulsion, but the revulsion is not so great because the situation is so exaggerated that it seems absurd. The reader finds it hard to truly imagine such a great series sufferings actually happening to a person, and therefore cannot identify easily with the old woman. Swift’s satire in “A Modest Proposal” has a more clear and horrifying effect because it puts the reader in a situation that seems closer to reality. Swift describes revoltingly how people shall eat children: “I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs” (Swift). This grotesque image leans more towards revulsion than laughter because it seems more likely to unfold in the context of a real life situation. In Ireland, a country long oppressed and with a history of famines and starvation, it was not so crazy to think that people would actually become so desperate that they would find themselves in such a situation. In fact, when Swift handed out his proposal, many people did not realize it was in jest. Swift’s grotesque satire describes a situation that the reader could actually imagine taking place if circumstances became drastic enough, while Voltaire’s exaggeration of situations to the point of absurdity results in more lighthearted satire that is not nearly as sharp and shocking.

Voltaire and Swift both use detached tone to emphasize their points against institutions and the need to rally, respectively, but Swift’s is more effective because he seems to be talking about something plausible. Voltaire describes Candide being beaten by the Bulgars: “With proper legal procedure, he was asked which he would prefer, to be beaten thirty-six times by the whole regiment, or to receive twelve bullets in his brain. It did him no good to maintain that man’s will is free and that he wanted neither: he had to make a choice…His punishment was so far composed of four thousand strokes” (Voltaire 19-20). Voltaire describes Candide’s punishment matter-of-factly, even throwing in a bit about man’s free will to show the absurdity of the situation. While he effectively conveys that this façade of law and justice is pointless, the reader does not feel truly shocked because Candide’s punishment is so extreme that is becomes unbelievable. It is unlikely that he could even survive four thousand strokes. Swift, on the other hand, suggests that the people of Ireland eat their children, and makes his entire dismaying proposal in a detached tone. Well into the piece the reader cannot even tell that his proposition is a satire and not real. Swift’s use of detached tone chills the reader because one does not truly believe people would support his idea, but there remains a nagging concern that people could actually get so desperate that they might take Swift seriously. Voltaire’s satire seems more light-hearted and absurd, while Swift’s is sharper and has a greater effect on the reader.

Voltaire and Swift both utilize incongruity, but Voltaire uses it to comic effect to relieve the reader from difficult scenes while Swift uses it to cause maximum shock to the reader. After the old women watches an awful massacre and a man comes by, the reader expects another awful event to happen. However, the man says, “’O che sciagùra d’essere senza coglioni!’” (Voltaire 41), meaning, “Oh, what a misfortune to be without testicles!” This unexpected interruption in the sequence of events is extremely comic in nature. It allows the reader to breathe a sigh of relief for a moment after hearing atrocious stories. Swift uses incongruity to the opposite effect, horrifying the reader out of a sense of normalcy. He begins his proposal sounding perfectly sane and real. It starts to seem a bit strange when he wonders why young children are not able to support themselves under the age of six. Suddenly, he offers an unnerving statement: “A young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout” (Swift). This grotesque statement shows how Swift uses incongruity to sharply jolt the reader out of their sense of normalcy and prepare them for a good dose of sharp satire. Voltaire uses incongruity to reassure and relax the reader and make the story more lighthearted, while Swift uses it to exactly the opposite effect.

Voltaire and Swift both utilize a number of satirical devices, but Voltaire’s give his story a lighthearted tone, while Swift intends to shock the reader into action. However, this is not an insult to Voltaire, because he did not necessarily intend for his satire to have as chilling an effect. Voltaire’s agenda while writing Candide was to criticize what was happening in the Enlightenment era, when philosophers were not fully thinking out what they were writing and were oversimplifying the world, and the institution of the Church was extremely corrupt. Voltaire plans to inspire societal and cultural reform, and therefore his satire is less sharp than Swift’s, who has a different, more urgent goal in mind. Swift’s proposal is intended to rally the Irish people against their British oppressors; it will not be a revolution easily carried out. Swift’s satire is sharper because of its necessity and immediacy to prove a point, while Voltaire’s is lighter because it is trying to make people think. Both writings effectively use satirical devices to convey their message, showing that there is more than one way to use satire to inspire reform.

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Satire: The Excalibur of Literature

Satire has always been a strong weapon in the world of literature. As Alexander Pope puts it, good satire should “not butcher a person but should, like an extremely sharp sword, slice entirely through the neck, leaving the head in place.” We see great examples of this in Both Voltaire’s Candide, translated by Lowell Bair, and Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” And yet these works are different in the way they portray satire. Swift’s “Proposal” has a light bantering tone, which is the distinguishing characteristic of Horatian satire, but if you get past the grotesque content, the message hits the reader hard. Voltaire’s Candide, on the other hand, builds the levels of satire up higher and higher until all it becomes is a thinly-veiled bitter criticism of reality, which is typical of Juvenalian satire. Despite these differences of how satire is used however, the effect is the same: all uses of the pieces enhance the pieces and become a critical element in what makes the pieces what they are.

Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” is set in Ireland during the time of British occupation. Swift wrote the pamphlet after the Penal Laws had been enforced, in which the people of Ireland were restricted from anything that might give them power. Swift’s pamphlet, at first glance, is a piece that happily suggests that, to solve both world hunger and poverty, adults should breed children to be eaten. When looked at more deeply, however, if the reader knows the historical background of this piece, they would be able to catch the hidden message behind this piece. The Irish people are the children who are being devoured by the British adults. By portraying the oppressed Irish people as defenseless one-year-old babies, Swift creates a powerful metaphor. Babies have no rights and cannot speak up for themselves. They are defenseless and vulnerable, which is why the detached, even bright and happy tone that Swift uses in his piece is even more sickening, which is shown when he writes in what seems to be a proud voice “…they [the children] will contribute to the feeding…of many thousands.” Unfortunately, while the tone, which is used because the piece was written with a British mindset, enforces the actual message, it is because of the tone that Swift was kicked out of numerous bars and pubs, even by his own people, who, of all people, should have found the hidden message quickly. Swift does not attack only the British, however. In two parts of the pamphlet, Swift explicitly mentions American friends of his who assured him that “a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food….” Swift is obviously referring to the large amount of Native American and African slaves that were being forced to work in American colonies at the time. By writing in this way and making it clear that he was writing in the British mindset, Swift engages the reader in emotions of disbelief, disgust, and horror in a way they would not have felt if he had written with the dramatic Irish views in mind.

Voltaire’s Candide, on the other hand, focuses more on the world in a broader sense rather than just one country, as Swift did. Candide focuses more on the bad things that are found in this world and how they impact us by creating an optimistic and sheltered character, Candide, who is forced through many unfortunate mishaps. By reading about his journey, the reader can easily detect the many sarcastic comments about society and ironical situations that are much too common in our world. While Swift uses satire to create a metaphorical world, Voltaire uses satire to barely conceal the intended target of that particular section, but he does not hide it to the point where nobody can tell who the intended target is. Voltaire’s criticisms are everywhere; even the protagonist himself is one. Candide is a naïve innocent who goes about his life while believing in a theory that the world he lived in was the best of all possible worlds, a theory presented to him by the foolish philosopher Dr. Pangloss, who is a parody of Leibniz, a writer from Voltaire’s time who had come up with the theory. Voltaire not-so-subtly hints at the foolishness of the man as he suggests that anybody who has lived long enough would know that this is not the best possible world: “Pangloss admitted that he had always suffered horribly, but, having maintained that all was for the best, he still maintained it, without believing it” (110). Voltaire is also unhesitant to create intentionally grotesque images, as opposed to Swift, who stuck with flowery images to emphasize the uncaring inhumanity of the person speaking. Voltaire’s vivid images and sharp words are placed in to provoke pity and guilt in the reader, as with the scene with Candide and the slave:

As they approached the town they saw a Negro lying on the ground. His only garment was a pair of short blue trousers, and they had been half torn away. The poor man’s left leg and right hand were missing. “If we get a finger caught…they cut off the whole hand; and if we try to run away, they cut off one of our legs. That’s the price of the sugar you eat in Europe… The Dutch fetishes, who converted me, tell me every Sunday that we’re all children of Adam, black and white alike. I’m no genealogist, but if those preachers are telling the truth, we’re all cousins, and you must admit that no one could treat their relatives more horribly” (68).

To a continent that cherished sugar like gold and did everything in the name of religion, this came as a great wound in both their pride and conscience.

Satire is a weapon in the hands of someone who knows how to wield it skillfully. It cuts through so cleanly that no mark is left, yet the impression it leaves is very deep. Both Swift and Voltaire use tone and imagery with satire to create images in our heads and stir up strong emotions of sympathy, pity, disgust, and disbelief in us. They craft pieces that make us laugh at the hinted-at absurdities and yet make us think at the messages they bury within layers of irony and sarcasm. That shows that they have mastered the art of satire: the reader laughs, recoils, and most importantly, thinks. That was all Voltaire and Swift ever wanted.