Individual Oral Planning Sheet

Developing a plan for an individual oral: 

 
Global Issue:  
Wealth and class determine the freedoms and abilities people can exercise in 
society, and the less money one has, the lesser their capability to exert control 
over their own life. 
Passage 1: “The Baron called Candide his brother and saviour, and embraced him 
times without number. ‘My dear Candide,’ he said, ‘I feel sure that we shall ride in 
triumph through the town and rescue my sister, Cunégonde.’ ‘That is what I am 
longing for,’ said Candide, ‘because I was expecting to marry her; and indeed I still 
hope to.’ ‘You insolent fellow!’ exclaimed the Baron. ‘You have the impudence to 
think of marrying my sister, who has seventy-two quarterings in her coat of arms, 
and you dare to talk to me of such a hot headed notion? Have you no sense of 
shame?’ Candide was dumbfounded at this outburst: ‘Reverend father,’ he replied, 
“all the quarterings in the world would make no difference. I rescued your sister 
from the arms of a Jew and an Inquisitor. She is under the deepest obligations to 
me, and she wants to be my wife. My master Pangloss used to tell me that all 
men are equal; and I shall marry her without any hesitation.’ ‘We shall see about 
that, you rascal,’ said the Jesuit Baron von Thunder-ten-tronckh; and with those 
words he struck him across the face with the flat of his sword. Candide instantly 
drew his own and plunged it up to the hilt in the Baron’s stomach, but as he 
withdrew the dripping blade he began to weep, and cried: ‘O God! What have I 
done! I have killed my old master, my friend, and my brother-in-law! I am the best 
tempered man there ever was, yet I have already killed three men, and two of 
them were priests!” (Voltaire 66-67). 
Author’s attitude toward the global issue (remember to include how the issue is 
portrayed in the passage itself AND how this passage relates to the work as a 
whole): 
 
Voltaire feels as though the disparities between the higher and lower classes are 
unfair, unjust, but however, inevitable. Despite the injustices the lower classes 
have to endure and despite them being morally wrong, like Candide’s inability to 
marry whomever he pleases through the lenses of social hierarchy, it is 
something unchanging and unable to be changed within society. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Key strategies used in the passage to develop the author’s point about the global 
issue: (no more than 5 bullet points) 
 
● Repetition of “all men are equal” throughout the book: Voltaire’s ​Candide 
functions as a vessel to deconstruct the idea of optimism, its alternative 
title. The use of Pangloss, a character so denounced by Voltaire, and his 
repeated phrase highlights the hollowness of the statement. As all of 
Pangloss’ philosophies have been accredited as untrue and unreasonable, 
the reader is to assume the use of this phrase in this context his untrue as 
well, supporting that all men are not equal, due to certain distinctions in 
society such as wealth and class. 
● Juxtaposition of “brother and saviour” to “insolent fellow” and rascal: As the 
Baron is learning of Candide’s heroic measures that rescued Cundegonde 
from her unfortunate situation, the Baron, in all his gratefulness and 
appreciation, feels the need to address Candide as his brother and his 
saviour, both heavily connective words that indicate an unmatched level of 
trust and indebtedness. In the event of a marriage, Candide and the Baron 
would be brothers, but when that opportunity actually presents itself, the 
Baron quickly reacts in frustration paired with an immediate refusal. This 
180 degree transition happens so quickly only at the thought of being 
related to Candide, and the thought of his sister marrying into a poor family. 
● 72 quarterings - purports as an example of absurdity, as some of the most 
noble families at this time period would have under 10 quarterings. A 
quartering is essentially a connection to a noble family for a potential 
marriage. The fact that Cunegonde technically has an absurd number of 
potential suitors in marriage, and there’s none of which who reach out to 
Cundegonde or her brother seeking her hand, is a comment on how little 
respect and nobility the Thunder-ten-tronckh name rakes in, yet still, 
because they are technically a family of nobility, it is absolutely 
unfathomable for the Baron to think about his sister being wed to Candide, 
who is technically the Baron’s cousin.  
● “Have you no sense of shame” said by the Baron to Candide example - 
serves as an example and a manifestation of the power social status and 
wealth has over people, as even an attempt at bending one of the complex 
rules determined by social status and wealth should result in a sense of 
shame, embarrassment, and humiliation 
● Candide ends up [attempting to ] kill the Baron over his inability to allow 
Candide and Cunegonde get married, and this shows both how immovable 
the Baron was on the subject, and how infuriating and frustrated Candide 
 was, as he felt he had earned Cunegonde’s hand in marriage through his 
endless devotion to her, and felt he had proved himself to both her and the 
Baron through his slaying the Spanish Inquisitor and the Jew for her. This is 
a concept repeated throughout the novel, as a mirrored happening occurs 
again later in the book when Candide proves himself immensely once more 
and saves not only Cunegonde but the Baron as well, and even as 
Cunegonde becomes an ugly maid, but the Baron still refuses to consider 
allowing their marriage.