Murderous Crimes In Candide

Many murderous crimes are seen throughout the novel. The novel represents the past and how those times have proved to be more violent than times are today. One of the first examples of violence seen in Candide is after Candide kisses Cunegonde and is banished then finds himself in trouble. He ended up having to choose between being flogged thirty-six times by a whole regiment or having his brains blown out with a dozen musket balls. This is an extreme example of the gore and the difference of society in the seventeen hundreds versus today. “At the same time, though, historians, archaeologists and criminologists have started to argue that in most places life was more violent — and more likely to end in murder — in the past than it is today.” …show more content…
This example is perfect for this theory because the captain would face no consequences for his actions, which may have influenced his decision to murder the soldier. I agree with this theory in the sense that if a person is able to murder someone with little to no action taken to punish this heinous crime, then they are more likely to commit it.
The article also discusses the differences between women and men and their actions. “In crude terms, women may in general have better brakes with which to stop a violent impulse and people who are violent may, in general, lack such brakes.” This is perfectly illustrated in Candide simply by the men’s actions versus the women. In the novel women are perceived more as a figure for their children while men take all of the action needed. For example, in chapter three, it is shown that the women are hugging their children to their breast even being stained by blood, being a mother was the