Zadig and l'Ingénu

These are two of Voltaire's more beloved short stories. Those who have read his more the more famous Candide (Dover Thrift Editions) will find many of the same traits in these stories; an efervescent cynicism, characters constantly caught in notorious Catch-22 scenarios, love stories gone awry and (most importantly) Voltaire's timeless wit. Zadig takes place in the middle east. The title character is a well-meaning chap (in many ways he is much like Candide himself). He encounters a great many perilous situations which make his demeanor more and more melancholy. In a sort of Deus ex machina (which I'm sure was a deliberate satire in & of itself on Voltaire's behalf) he experiences a reversal-of-fortune. Voltaire singles out those who believe in astrology / fate / divine plans in gently revealing how silly those belief systems are. L'Ingenu is an interesting story about a Huron Indian who ends up (in of all places!) France. The Huron has learned to speak French, but he struggles mightily in trying to understand French customs as well as the way the French think. L'Ingenu is called the "child of nature" as he is so oblivious to the supposed "superior" and more civilized French. Voltaire subtly points out the flaws of French society by juxtaposing the Huron who ends up being unjustly jailed by an oppressive and unjust government. For fans of the French Enlightenment, reading Voltaire is a must. And, for that matter, most Americans SHOULD be fans of Enlightenment thinking as it helped to inspire the American revolution which threw off the yoke of British oppression. The seeds of those revolutionary ideas can be found in the writings of Voltaire. That alone should compel you to read his works (I hope?). One is bound to find Voltaire to be like a historical old friend to us all.