ttle somewhere comfortable such as in El Dorado. Candide’s “Tartuffe” would have to be Page 04the reason for his irrationality and the cause for his idocracy, Cunegonde. Cunegonde was his driving force from the beginning until the end of the story. Just as Moliere has Tartuffe appear to be so flawless to Orgon at the beginning of his story, so does Voltaire have Cunegonde. And just as Moliere has Tartuffe exposed and dethroned, so does Voltaire have Cunegonde. “The tender lover Candide, seeing his lovely Cunegonde with her skin weathered, her eyes bloodshot, her breasts fallen, her cheeks seamed, her arms red and scaly, recoiled three steps in horror, and then advanced only out of politeness” (399). Just like Orgon, Candide is shocked to see what his ideal has become. The biggest conflict to arise in these two stories is individual versus self. This conflict leads to many other minor conflicts though. Orgon has a struggle going on within himself whether he realizes it or not. Orgon must fight his own reason and senses to make light of the truth. Even after his son Damis confronts him with Tartuffe’s real intentions, and even after his entire family warns him of putting so much trust into Tartuffe, it takes an entire story and a face to face confrontation for Orgon to reach the truth. He finally reaches peace within himself when he orders Tartuffe out of his house (57). Also Candide must struggle with his self-motives. He isn’t fooled away from the truth as Orgon is, but rather jeopardizes himself with it. In one instance he had, by chance, run across Cunegonde’s brother and befriended him. Now he had not had much luck where he went so far but instead of taking advantage of his good fortune, he proclaimed his love for Cunegonde, enraged her brother and ended ...
