Candide by Voltaire and the Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Put in Question Human Nature?

How do the works, Candide by Voltaire and The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, put in question human nature?

Humans have a highly particular and complex way of being, as everything in nature they seem to follow some type of pattern, tendency, or better yet, nature. The knowledge and information of the history of mankind demonstrates a tendency towards certain ways of thinking, feeling and acting, which have led to the idea of humans as the superior and supreme specie. What exactly is this nature? There seems to be an obvious impulse towards progress and the improving of life conditions, which can easily be displayed in the development of concepts such as language and agriculture. However, there’s also a tendency towards a destructive and violent appetite. From stories such as that of Cain and Abel to history itself, there is a constant reminder of the evil nature of humans.

Literature as all arts, serves various and different purposes. Among them are: the emotional and aesthetic function to move the reader, the use of this medium as form of evasion where both writer and reader can escape reality, the attempt for immortality and imperishable glory, or the announcement and critique of society. The works, Candide by Voltaire and The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, present all these roles, but particularly the last one, the critique of society. Both productions manage to put human nature into question. They do so through both similar and different techniques, such as the depiction of society, the implementation of a particular logic, and the use of time and space.

Having lived and seen the cruelty of the Inquisition and the atrocities of World War Two, Candide and The Visit, published in 1759 and 1956, respectively, introduce a demoralized and dehumanized portrait of society. There are some differences between the reality presented by the French author to that of the Swiss playwright, mainly due to the difference in the historical and social context of each. For instance, Voltaire stresses the influence of the religious institutions and nobility, both concepts that were reaching their decadence during his time and lost relevance during Dürrenmatt’s. Nevertheless, the depiction of society in the two compositions settles the same concepts; greed, murder, thievery and demoralized sex. In the Visit, Claire Zachanassian declares: “The world turned me into a whore. I shall turn the world into a brothel.” In Candide Cunegonde’s bother explain how he became commandant: “I was very pretty; but I grew prettier, and the reverend Father Didrie, Superior of that House, conceived the tenderest friendship for me (…)” These two quotes demonstrate how in both works, sex is conceived as a tool for survival and satiating greed. Also, the importance and valorisation of human life is reduced due to wealth as the supreme value. In both works we find that death is justified as long