1. Voltaire on Gender
... . Cunegonde is the daughter of a wealthy German lord. She is described as "extremely beautiful " (Voltaire. 5) and is repeatedly referred to as "the fair Cunegonde. " (39). She is the typical damsel-in-distress: a woman who is completely reliant on male protection and often fainting at the sight of anything the least bit distressing. She is a vapid beauty and completely obsequious to whomever she ... happens to belong to at the time. However, Voltaire does not blame her foolish naiveté on her femininity. Candide himself is terribly innocent and is unable to make decisions without the...
- Word Count: 1038
- Approx Pages: 4
- Grade Level: High School