Candide, a Novel or Epic

Candide, a Novel or Epic

Daniel J. Dougherty Jr.
English 399, Junior Seminar
12 March 2008

Candide: A Novel or Epic?

There are many different styles and formations of writing, which are organized into systems of particular criteria known as genres. The conception of the genre was an important idea because it directly effects the reader’s perception and can at times influence the author’s writing.   The primary function of a genre is to form a context which is relatable to the reader and allows for a fuller understanding of the text and implications of the author. The indications of a context are at times basic, such as the language the story may be written in. Other times it can be more in depth, such as common social practices of a society. Recognizing the genre of a story acknowledges its affiliation with a specific set of accepted rules for a particular genre, and thus placing the object into context allows for meaning to emerge. This appears simple, but at times problems can occur in which a story may meet the criteria of multiple genres. An example of such a problematic piece is Voltaire’s Candide. It has both the elements of an epic and a novel and for a great period of time has caused lengthy discussions on its genre.
In understanding what an epic and what a novel implies, I feel that Voltaire’s Candide is truly a novel and not an epic. Understanding that Voltaire’s Candide may have elements of an epic laced throughout it, there are many more elements that are very foreign to genre of the epic and are indicative of other genres. One could argue that the elements of the epic are deliberately present as a device through which Voltaire could mock the epic style, which is important in understanding the concept of a novel. A novel uses other genres and intertwines them, and is selective of what criteria it will meet or not meet for that already established genre. “The novel parodies other genres (precisely in their role as genres); it exposes the conventionality of...