A striking parallel can be drawn between the two central female characters in Voltaire's satirical philosophical thrust, Candide. It is through the tragic conflict and oppression of the Old Woman and then Cunegonde that we see two sagas woven with threads so similar that their resemblance cannot be denied. Perhaps intentionally, the fate of the unfortunate Old Woman foreshadows the dismal fate that awaits Candide's beloved Cunégonde. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay The mystery shrouds our first encounter with the Old Woman, whose name Voltaire omits in the text, thus adding to the curiosity of his character. Over time, she is given a voice, an opportunity that she seizes with the greatest frankness. She is irritated by the ignorance of Candide and Cunégonde who deplore the great misfortunes that have befallen them: “You complain,” she says, “but you have not had misfortunes like mine. (Ch 10, p. 332) Here she begins to recount her own calamitous experience; apparently, she was repeatedly subjected to humiliation, rape, betrayal, mutilation and the misery of her degraded lot. By presenting herself as the daughter of Pope Urban At the age of fourteen, she “lived in a palace so splendid that all the castles of all your German barons would not have served as a stable for her. » (Ch. 11, 333) We learn that his face was not always stained with bloodshot and red-rimmed eyes and that his nose did not always touch his chin. (Ch 11:333) Her interpretation of her physical blessings is far from humble and she states quite frankly that “her womb has been formed – and what a womb! (Ch. 11, 333) She deepens the description of her singular beauty and charm, surpassing those of Cunégonde “fresh, plump and desirable”. The similarities continue. Just as Cunégonde was torn from her lover Candide by a simple kiss that left him expelled from the castle, the Old Woman was also torn from her betrothed prince by a bizarre turn of events that left him poisoned and lifeless. The Old Woman recounts how she was raped – body and mind – by an invading corsair captain who raped and deflowered her in a manner similar to the corruption of Cunégonde by the slaughtering Bulgarian soldier and captain. While the Old Woman saw her mother being violently torn apart, Cunégonde witnessed the brutal slaughter of her own maternal flesh and blood. After being introduced to the horrors that reigned in this "brave all possible world", the Old Woman and Cunégonde both endured the shame of serving as concubines to a number of unbearable male captors. Rape and submission tormented their lives, which grew more horrific with each episode. Both men, however, were hardened by their unfortunate ordeals, not destroyed. Cunégonde states that “even if a person of honor can be raped once, his virtue is only strengthened by experience”. (Ch. 8, 329) After the old woman's "prized" buttock was severed in a desperate cannibalistic attempt to feed the Ottoman janissaries, she toyed with notions of suicide but concluded: "I always loved life more. » (Ch. 12, 337) It must be recognized that the Old Woman exudes a certain pensive character which places her intellect above that of Cunegonde, less sensible. Following his own debate on why clinging to a terrible life is a "ridiculous instinct” which is “perhaps one of the worst instincts [of humanity]”, she believes that everywhere in the world, humans have – at one time or another – cursed their existence. . (Ch. 12, 337) In the bet that follows, the Old Woman bets that the naive young people, Candide and Cunégonde, will not be able to find a single one on board the ship "who has not often said to himself that it is the most miserable of men. (Ch. 12, 337) We see that the Old Woman – for all her cynicism – is indeed philosophical in her own right, and is wiser than her younger companions about the ways of the wayward world. Consistent with this disparity, one aspect in which the female characters decidedly differ is that of resilience. Although both have weathered the storms of life (and more), the jaded Old Woman is able to rationalize and make decisions – perhaps because she has become wise through experience – while the weaker Cunegonde is indecisive and seeks direction in almost all endeavors. Fortunately (and sometimes unluckily), Cunegonde can count on the help of the Old Woman, lest she collapse when faced with the choices that determine her destiny that are presented to her. Yet the Old Woman also relies on Cunégonde, in a symbiotic relationship in which she offers discretion and advice in exchange for the therapy gained in attempting to save Cunégonde from the perils of life. Paths intended for women cross when the Jew Don Issachar employs the old woman in the service of his newly purchased pet, the depraved Baroness. Abandoning the pitfalls of her own destroyed destiny, the Old Woman strives to save the fate of her young counterpart, Cunégonde: “I became attached to your destiny, to the point of worrying more about your fate than mine,” says -She. (Ch. 12, 337) In a sense, the Old Woman lives through Cunégonde. Although not explicitly stated, we can assume, through her wise counsel and role as godmother in guiding Cunegonde's future, that the Old Woman sees in Cunegonde a semblance of herself. She therefore strives to avoid any further adversity which would hinder Cunégonde's path to "happiness". For example, when the governor of Buenos Aires, Don Fernando, is so suddenly struck by Cunégonde's beauty that he declares that he "will marry her tomorrow" (Ch. 13, 338), if she wishes, the Old Woman Woman advises him to accept. the offer because she is currently penniless and the union would ensure her financial security. The Old Woman assures Cunégonde that “misery gives the right to privileges” and that in her place she “would have no scruples about marrying Monseigneur the Governor and making Captain Candide’s fortune”. In addition, he has “a very beautiful mustache”. (Ch.13, 338) Romance is subordinate here and Candide — who had almost left paradise when he left El Dorado to retrieve Cunégonde — is dismissed in a change of wind. While awaiting his imprisonment, Candide flees Buenos Aires and does not find Cunégonde before she and the Old Woman are demoted to the rank of washerwomen of the prince of Transylvania. At this point, we see that the elegant beauty that was once enough to support the gifted couple was only a passing grace that would deteriorate with time and the vagaries of fate. For Candide, Cunégonde had been sufficiently inspiring for him to abandon the attraction of civic perfection and the happiness offered by the utopian El Dorado to seek the “true happiness” found in its arms. However, once he arrives at his sought-after prize, he finds her with “weathered skin, bloodshot eyes, sagging breasts, stitched cheeks, red and scaly arms…” (Ch. 29, 376). echo of that applied to the Old Woman: in essence, destiny has)