A clear parallel can be drawn between the two central female characters of Voltaire's satirical philosophical thrust, Candide. It is through the tragic conflict and oppression of first the Old Woman and then Cunegonde that we see two sagas woven of threads so similar that their resemblance cannot be denied. Perhaps intentionally, the fate of the unfortunate Old Woman foreshadows the sad fate that awaits Candide's beloved Cunegonde. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Mystery surrounds our first meeting with the Old Woman, whose name Voltaire omits from the text, heightening his character's curiosity. Over time she is given a voice, an opportunity that she seizes with the utmost candor. She is annoyed by Candide and Cunegonde's ignorance as they lament the great misfortunes that have befallen them: "You pity yourselves," she says, "but you have had no misfortunes like mine." (Ch. 10, page 332) Here he begins to tell his own disastrous experience; apparently, she was repeatedly the victim of humiliation, rape, betrayal, mutilation and the misery of her degraded lot in life. Introducing herself as the daughter of Pope Urban that all the castles of all your German barons would not have served him as stables.” (Ch. 11, 333) We learn that her face was not always besmirched with bloodshot, red-rimmed eyes and that her nose did not always touch her chin. (Ch. 11, 333) Her interpretation of her physical blessings is anything but humble and she states quite candidly that her "breasts were formed - and what breasts!" (Ch. 11, 333) He further delves into the description of her singular beauty and charm, surpassing that of the “fresh, plump and desirable” Cunegonde. The similarities continue. Just as Cunegonde was torn from her lover Candide by a simple kiss that got him expelled from the castle, so too the Old Woman was torn from her prince fiancé by a bizarre turn of events that left him poisoned and lifeless. The Old Woman tells of how she was violated – mind and body – by an invading privateer captain who raped and deflowered her in a manner similar to Cunegonde's corruption by the massacre of the Bulgarian soldier and captain. As the Old Woman watched as her mother was brutally torn to pieces, Cunegonde witnessed the brutal slaughter of her own maternal flesh and blood. After being introduced to the horrors that befell this “best of all possible worlds,” the Crone and Cunegonde both endured the shame of serving as concubines to a number of unbearable male captors. Rape and subjugation plagued their lives, which became more and more horrific with each passing episode. The two, however, were hardened by their unfortunate ordeals, not destroyed. Cunegonde states that “although a person of honor may be raped once, his virtue only grows stronger with 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 thoughts of suicide but concluded, "I have always loved life more." (Ch. 12, 337) It must be recognized that the Old Woman exudes a certain thoughtful nature that places her intellect above that of the less sensitive Cunegonde. Following his discussion of why the practice of clinging to a terrible life is a “ridiculous instinct” that is “perhaps one of [humanity's] worst instincts,” he argues that humanseverywhere, at one time or another, they have cursed their existence. . (Ch. 12, 337) In the bet that follows, the Old Woman bets that the naive young men, Candide and Cunegonde, will not be able to find anyone on board the ship "who has not often been told that he 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 young companions about the ways of the rebellious world. In accordance with this disparity, one aspect in which female characters definitely differ is that of resilience. Although both have weathered life's storms (and then some), the weary Old Woman is able to rationalize and make decisions - perhaps because she has grown wise through experience - while the weak Cunegonde is indecisive and seeks direction in almost every way. efforts. Fortunately (and sometimes unfortunately), Cunegonde has the Old Woman to turn to for help, lest she collapse in the face of the fate-defining choices presented to her. Yet the Old Woman also relies on Cunegonde, in a symbiotic relationship in which she offers discretion and guidance in exchange for the therapy obtained by attempting to save Cunegonde from the dangers of life. The women's fateful paths cross when the Jew Don Issachar employs the Old Woman in the service of his newly acquired pet: the depraved baroness. Abandoning the chaos of her shattered fate, the Old Woman seeks to save the fate of her young counterpart, Cunegonde: "I clung to your fate, until I became more concerned with your fate than with my own," she says. (Ch. 12, 337) In a certain sense the Old Woman lives Cunegonde. Although not explicitly stated, we can assume from her wise advice and role as godmother in guiding Cunegonde's future that the Old Woman sees a semblance of herself in Cunegonde. He therefore strives to avoid any further adversity that would hinder Cunegonde's path towards "happiness". For example, when the governor of Buenos Aires, Don Fernando, is so suddenly struck by Cunegonde's beauty that he declares that he "will marry her tomorrow" (ch. 13, 338) if she wishes, the Old Woman advises her to accept the offer because she is currently penniless and the union would guarantee her financial well-being. The Old Woman assures Cunegonda that "poverties give the right to privileges" and that in her place "she would have no qualms about marrying my lord governor, and making the fortune of Captain Candide". He also boasts “a really nice moustache.” (Ch. 13, 338) Romance is subordinated here, and Candide – who had almost abandoned paradise when he left El Dorado to retrieve Cunegonde – is dismissed in a change of wind. With prison awaiting, Candide flees Buenos Aires and is not reunited with Cunegonde before she and the Old Woman are belittled to laundresses for the Prince of Transylvania. At this point, we see that the elegant beauty that was once enough to sustain the gifted couple was only a fleeting grace destined to deteriorate with time and the unexpected twists of fate. For Candide, Cunegonde had been inspiration enough to abandon the allure of civic perfection and happiness offered by the utopian El Dorado to seek the “true happiness” found in its arms. Yet, once he arrives at the longed-for prize, he finds her with “weathered skin, bloodshot eyes, drooping breasts, lined cheeks, red and scaly arms…” (ch. 29, 376). This description is an echo of the one applied to the Old Woman: in essence, fate has dealt her and Cunegonde the same painful blow. In a touching allusion to the ephemeral happiness both women had once enjoyed as royals in sumptuous courts, Candide asks: “But how can it be)