Voltaire's focus on the horrors of rape and the oppression of women would be considered a progressive literary form or a form of shock value ? ? In Candide, Voltaire highlights the ugly nature of rape culture and the unfortunate normalization of sexual violence as witnessed by several characters. Voltaire not only writes about horrendous scenes of rape experienced by Cunegonde, The old woman and the son of Cunegonde's baron/brother, but also about slavery, pedophilia and the unacceptable daily treatment of women as in Candide and also deeply embedded in modern society which is combined with this normalization. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The normalization of rape is justified as the price you pay for being desired and the proof is the attitude through the speeches of the women directly affected. With no other fault than that of being young and beautiful, Cunegonde is raped and stabbed by an enemy soldier. Cunegonde shares her terrible experience with Candide but “puts to rest” any concerns of multiple attacks by her current oppressors by stating “For even though a person of honor may be raped once, his virtue is only strengthened by experiences. "(14). In other translations “a person of honor” is instead “a modest woman” which leads one to believe that in some cases rape is to be expected, while also treating previous sexual attacks as an experience that brings with it strength. Cunegonda is making a drastic euphemism that undercuts the severity of a life-changing event. The old woman's casual perspective after sharing her similar experiences of rape and slavery further normalizes the frequent rape of women in the 1700s through her casual tone and use of euphemism. “As for me, I was enchanting, I was beauty and supreme grace, and I was a virgin. I didn't stay that way long; the flower that had been saved for the handsome prince of Messa-Carrara was picked by the corsair captain; he was an abominable black man, who thought he was doing me a favor. […] But on with my story; they are such common issues that they are not worth describing” (20). Although the old woman briefly describes a horrible event that happened to her that changed her life, she treats the details as insignificant compared to her overall story because it is so common and almost boring to talk about. Undoubtedly, rape in this story is unacceptably normalized as these two female characters are forced to be defined by their assaults when it comes to their personal depth in the story, yet Voltaire gives these women the courage and strength to reject these horrors as this which defines them, although his approach was through euphemisms and the use of rape as a shock factor. While it seems like rape is the price you pay for being wanted and desired, the true nature of the culture behind rape is primarily a lust for power and dominance. The old woman, continuing to share her story, revisits the reunion of a guardian past, “. I opened my eyes and saw a man with a beautiful clear face, who sighed and muttered these words between his teeth: 'Oh, what a misfortune it is to be without balls!'(33). The man was a eunuch who had taken care of the woman when she was a child, however the worrying phrase 'O what a misfortune to be without balls!', which means 'oh what a shame not to have testicles', serves to demonstrate that the true nature Rape is not sexual desire, but the lust for domination over someone who is vulnerable. This is because a eunuch who has no testicles would therefore have no sexual urges, yet express the desire to violate a personvulnerable must be a lust for power. This then brings attention to the sodomy of the baron/cunegonde's brother, “her body was torn apart by the Bulgarian soldiers, after they had subjected her to as much cruelty as a damsel could survive; […] my poor pupil was served just like his sister;” (14).Even though he is a young boy and not an attractive young woman like his sister, he is still sodomized by numerous soldiers. While the possibility of pedophilia among the soldiers exists, I believe the Baron's sexual abuse is also an example of an exercise of sexual dominance as opposed to sexual lust. Fate that is once again shared between the female characters of the story is slavery. In the old woman's case, she is treated as property since she was sold by the eunuch who had once cared for her as a child: "'I am about to embark at Ceuta and I will take you with me." to Italy. But what a misfortune to be without balls!' «I thanked him with tears of joy, but nevertheless, instead of taking me with him to Italy, he took me to Algiers and sold me to the Dey of that province»(29). One might assume the presence of a heartfelt bond between a person and someone who once cared for that person, but women's perception is identical to that of property and is easily undersold. Cunegonde becomes the slave of the captain who had rescued her as a prisoner of war after her assault and the murders of her family, but game-like, "In three months, having lost all his money at gambling, and having grown tired of me , sold me to a Jew, named Don Issachar,”(18). , he watched me all the time of the service, and when it was all over, he sent word to me that he wanted to speak with me about some private business. He made a proposal to Don Issacar, that he hand me over to His Lordship, Don Issacar, being a banker of court and man of credit, was not easy to persuade. His Lordship threatened him with auto de fe; in short, my Jew was frightened into a compromise, and it was agreed between them that the house and I should belong to both in common. ; that the Jew should have Monday, Wednesday and Saturday to himself; and the Inquisitor the other four days of the week” (19). Despite Cunegonde's free spirit and rejection of the advances of the Jew and the inquisitor, similar to the old woman's past, she is treated as nothing more than a property to be fought over, which is normal for the time. Although Candide is the hero who saves Cunegonde and claims to have only good intentions, in addition to the desire to marry her, he also has a perception of the woman which is that of an object. “Reverend Father, all the quarterings in the world have no meaning. I freed your sister from a Jew and an inquisitor; she has many obligations towards me, and she is determined to give me her hand." imagined Cunegonda exclaiming that dignified human treatment deserves to be repaid in the form of marriage. Unfortunately this is how society has raised Candide, and this is tragically accepted as the norm not only from the men who have these beliefs, but from the women who have to endure this treatment. One might take comfort in the fact that the events that take place in Candide are concerns of the past since the book was written in 1759, however the normalization and the shame victims of sexual assault are still currently alive and thriving In the summer of 2016 a Stanford student was caught in the act of sexually assaulting an intoxicated woman, a crime so horrific that the men who stopped him "became enraged." a lot, to the point that he started crying while recounting the incident." (Kingkade)Although the.