ENGL 2330 Essay: Comparing Faust and Candide, Exploring Good vs. Evil

This essay provides a detailed comparison of the characters Faust from Goethe's work and Candide from Voltaire's novel, analyzing their similarities, differences, and the obstacles they face. The essay explores whether the characters are victims, tragic heroes, or other archetypes, and discusses the role of tragic flaws in their respective narratives. Furthermore, it examines the themes of human emotions, isolation, and alienation in the works of Borowski and Baudelaire, discussing their perspectives on good and evil, and the influence of external factors such as sin and temptation. The essay also delves into the philosophical and religious contexts of these themes, drawing on Christian references and exploring the nature of sin and morality. The analysis highlights how the works have served as lessons to be followed throughout life, providing a foundation for comparing separate works and characters.

[Type the document title] [Pick the date]
English Literature
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note
PART A
Question 1-
The selected characters are Faust from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust and
Candide from Voltaire’s Candide. This part of the paper will compare the two characters
from two separate works, establish whether these characters are the victims, tragic heroes,
villain-heroes, psychopaths, narcissists or anything else having discussed their similarities
and the differences. It will also describe how did they overcome the obstacles and to what
extent the concept of tragic flaw will play a major role in their demise.
The work Faust of Goethe is a classic world literature and also a philosophical and
poetic drama abundant in satire, humour, irony and tragedy. It is translated by Martin
Greenberg who re-creates the varied meter and rhyme of the text along with the diverse styles
and tones. The translation of Martin is faithful, elegantly written and readable. In the story of
Goethe, Faust is whirled into an adventure of deceit and sin. The Faust also follows the devil
as he nears his own demise taking down with him the Gretchen (Clason). Faust also
embodies the nature of a tragic hero as he has both the good and evil within him which
constantly battle against each other. The tragic flaw in him which has made him the tragic
hero is his extreme intelligence and the wish not to be out-witted. He is a man of privilege

[Type the document title] [Pick the date]
and at the same time desperate who yearns for more than he can gain. The tragic flaw or
Hamartia played an instrumental role in the tragic demise of Faust. The tragic flaw that was
his unquenchable thirst for knowledge and power which led him listen to the evil Mephisto
and his temptations ending up at nothing.
Another contrasting character is the character of Candide who is the main protagonist
of the novel. Candide is quite good hearted a person but also a hopelessly naive type of
person. Pangloss is his mentor who teaches him a lesson that “the world is the best of all
possible worlds” (Bottiglia). Candide travels the world and comes across different
misfortunes. The undiluted optimism of Pangloss is tested for several times in the entire
story. It is also seen that the character of candied is a less realistic character in relation to the
events around him. All the opinions and the actions are determined by the outer factors. The
character of Candide approaches the new senseless disaster as the blank canvas. He is
portrayed as an impressionable young man who is willing to take a chance having believed
the inherent goodness of the fellow man.
As painted by Voltaire, the character of Candide never finds happiness and the
ultimate message can be attributed as a slight pessimistic character. Hence, Candid can be
considered as a ‘hero’ having the capacity to view the atrocities with a compassionate and
open mind too. The difference with Faust is that Faust is driven by the quest for power and
Candide stays always perplexed by the misuse of power seen everywhere. Faust maligns his
indomitable spirit of knowledge and intelligence and goes against the innate good character,
whereas, Candide never allows the innate character become drawn into the cruel world and
its unfeeling perspectives. The common factors are such as the audience can learn both from
Faust and Candide. The audience can take lesson from Faust and learn from the tragic flaw
that became the reason of his tragic demise (Majksner, Ivana, and Tina). On the other hand,
Candide can also be the learning source as he has been a pure and simple character

[Type the document title] [Pick the date]
throughout. However, both the characters are masterpieces in their own way and helped in
making the works greatest of all ages.
Question 2
Borowski was born in the year 1922 belonged to the Polish parents in Ukraine. In the
‘This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentleman’ brings the entire Holocaust-related stories
from the early collections of the short stories. This story directly plunges into the horrors of
the Auschwitz with a first sentence that is unflinching. One statement from the work “ an
efficient killer of lice in clothing and of men in gas chambers” suggests right from the start
the point of cruelty. The narrator of Borowski had all the outside world modesty burned
away. The narrator now accepts the facts of Auschwitz instead of the grim and grotesqueness
being the facts of the life. These facts draw plainly and evenly into the world that is far more
effective than the scenario of rage or weeping (Reale).
Borowski has seen the worst a person can do to other person and describes it in an
upsetting mood. There have been many criticisms against Borowski’s use of simile and the
lengthy analyses of the moral position. Since the author had a non-Jewish background, the
views of him towards the fellow prisoners and the captors are quite different than the usual
camp survivors. Moreover, he perceives the entire situation to be evil and he does not make
distinctions between captors and the prisoners. The use of Holocaust leaves a darker and
bleaker effect than the general interpretation of it. It is highly conflicted in the story giving
evidence to a wide range of emotions as exhibited in the story.
On the other hand Charles Baudlaire’ “To the Reader”, the author has depicted a
world that is full of decay, hypocrisy, sin and highly dominated by Satan. He further claims
that Devil controls the human actions like the puppet strings and at the same time vaporize
the free will. Moreover, humans are just the instruments of death and “more ugly, evil and

[Type the document title] [Pick the date]
fouler” than any of the most fierce demon and monster. The poet has suggested that the flesh
and spirit of human become quite weary with all the errors and the sins. People are like lice
and when they try to remorse. Human beings always turn their backs to the filth having given
up all the faith for sin. Satan is there to allure the souls and attracts with his arts. The fact is
that the demon grows in human brain and death fills it properly. The only reason behind not
killing, raping or poisoning is that the spirits do not have the exact nerves. In short,
Baudelaire suggests that the Reader is just a hypocrite.

[Type the document title] [Pick the date]
PART B
One of the best themes in the history of English literature is the conflict between
Good and Evil. These two themes have been repeatedly explored throughout the historical
literature and in philosophy too, these concepts have received special concern. In this regard,
it can be said that evil is the absence of good which can have a broader concept in the
everyday usage for denoting wickedness. It usually takes multiple possible forms such as the
moral evil, the natural evil or in the form of the supernatural evil.
As a contrast, evil can be denoted as the profound immorality but it is not beyond the
understanding of the human condition where suffering and strife are considered to be the real
roots of evil (Majksner, Ivana, and Tina). In philosophy too, evil is studied in three major
study areas such as the meta-ethics, the applied ethics and the normative ethics.
In Goethe’s Faust, there is an abundance of the Christina references functioning as the
background of the story. In the later part of the 18th century, the popularity of the natural
sciences rose and Christian Doctrine was waning. Goethe has used the mythological
references for several times in order to present that Faust is going beyond the Christianity and
going deep down into the heathen lore for searching truth. The mythological character Helena
is driven from the classical references since she is well-known among the readers and the
audience. In the second part of Faust, there are mention of Walpurgisnight for showing what
can sin do (Clason).
The use of symbolism is quite intricate and bends to the level of simple allegory too.
There is a deep influence of Dante on Goethe and like him, Goethe also presented Satan as
responsible for all the sin, evil and destruction. Only Satan is blamed for the corruption,

[Type the document title] [Pick the date]
illness, and temptation to sinful acts. Evil is something men are attracted to commit and their
strives are against Satan.
As per the Christian views the nature of sin in a person makes him rebellious against
the rules of God. When the topic of sin’s nature comes in the front, it is referred that man
always has an inclination towards sin, and man chooses to do what he thinks of his own, no
matter whatever the decisions of God are. According to Bible, there are three types of sin
such as the personal sin, the natural sin and the imputed sin. There is a belief that God has
created human beings and although his creation has been marred by sin, man is still loved by
God. Hence, God determines the nature of sin and the consequences are received in this only
life.
As per the Western morality, the behaviours such as killing, cursing, betraying are
attributed as immoral. The Christian religion properly imposes that the thoughts can easily be
immoral, corrupt and there is logic too. However, when a person’s mind has an immoral
production, it can easily arouse the unethical feelings. Specifically, when the mind can have
immoral productions, some unethical or sinful activity can also be aroused from that. There is
an internal mental process where the thinker becomes most harmed than anyone else and
finds himself / herself unjustifiable in a set of principles of the society. Therefore, it can be
said that immoral is the act of reasoning, the behaviour or reaction which is deemed in an
improper manner in a given society.
On the other hand, as per the theories of applied ethics, when the circumstances are
permitting or an individual is in an alarming situation, the definition of ethics might change.
Taken for example, in a legitimate defence, homicide becomes ethical although it is an
immoral activity. Hence, thoughts can be immoral and only those acts should be considered
immoral which are different from sin. As per the Christian context, Sin is defined as anything

[Type the document title] [Pick the date]
which is against the will of God. Hence, any immortal thought might be sin even if it is not
implemented though the actions. The whole concept varies with contexts.
In contrast, in Baudelaire’s “To The Reader” there is a pessimistic view towards the
humanity. It was written as a preface to the collection called “Flowers of Evil” and derived
from the own opinions of the poet regarding the origins and causes of the said conditions. In
the whole poem, the readers are rebuked for all their sins and the insincerity of their
repentance. The devil is all to be blamed because it tempts the human race in order to control
the souls and the activities (Smith).
The perspectives of Baudelaire are directed towards a universe of hypocrisy, sin and
death, decay that is promoted by Satan. The readers of Baudelaire are well informed that
Devil controls the human actions more than God. Man embraces the fires of hell and fails to
resist himself. In this manner, it is asserted by Baudelaire that all the humanity possesses the
fantasy and falsehood and on the other hand, the boredom of the human lives is exposed too
(Gale).
On a concluding note, it can be said that the works of literature have served as pieces
of lessons to be followed throughout the entire life. Four of the works have functioned as
foundations for the comparing separate works and characters, establishing whether these
characters are the victims, tragic heroes, villain-heroes, psychopaths, narcissists or anything
else having discussed their similarities and the differences.

[Type the document title] [Pick the date]
Works cited
Bottiglia, William F. "Voltaire's' Candide': Analysis of a classic." (2017).
Clason, Christopher R. "Faust: A Tragedy; Parts One and Two, Fully Revised by Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe." Goethe Yearbook 23.1 (2016): 271-272.
Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for Charles Baudelaire's" Invitation to the Voyage".
Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.
Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for Tadeusz Borowski's" This Way To the Gas,
Ladies and Gentlemen". Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.
Majksner, Ivana, and Tina Varga Oswald. "Popularization and/or Trivialization of Philosophy
in Voltaire's Narrative Candide or Optimism." CLEaR 3.2 (2016): 32-39.
Reale, Nancy M. "Deep Silence in the Holocaust Stories of Tadeusz Borowski." Catastrophe
and Philosophy (2018): 253.
Smith, Paul. "Victorine’s Secret: Baudelaire and the Ambiguity of Commodities." Is Paris
Still the Capital of the Nineteenth Century?. Routledge, 2017. 91-112.
Weisler, Mariana. The Redemption of Goethe's Eternal Feminine: Discovering the Reality
and Significance of an Archetypal Phenomenon. Diss. City University of New York,
2018.