A comparison of Candide's satire and Gulliver's TravelsAn impartial observer has the ability to make the most critical and objective observation on society and human behavior. This impartial observer would see the truth as it is. This same premise can be applied to literary works. A naïve character or narrator can be used as an impartial observer, who reveals social truths to the audience through their naïveté. As Maurois noted, writing about Candide, by Voltaire, "It was a novel of apprenticeship, that is to say of the formation of an adolescent's ideas through brutal contact with the universe" ( 101). Jonathan Swift also takes this approach in his work Gulliver's Travels, where Gulliver, the main character, provides an impartial point of reference. The satires Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift, and Candide, by Voltaire, both use naivety to convey satirical attacks. on society. In both works, the litotes [euphemisms] are made up of extremely absurd situations, which further highlights the ridiculous nature of a situation. The characters in each novel are made vulnerable by their overconfident nature. This is taken advantage of and these characters are exploited by corrupt people in society. Attacks are also being launched against authority figures around the world. This is seen in the characters' reactions to authority. Finally, both works are travel stories, which expose the main characters from numerous perspectives. This allows authors to satirize many aspects of society. These two satirical works make a multitude of absurd situations, thus highlighting the absurdity in question. This is a particularly effective technique because a character or narrator finds themselves involved in a ridiculous situation. The reader, of a...... middle of paper...... Morals and ideas of the French novelist. New York: D Appleton and Company, 1929. “Introduction to Gulliver's Travels.” » Norton Anthology of English Literature, Principal Authors. Ed. MH Abrahams et al. Sixth ed. New York: WW Norton and Company, 1995. Lawler, John. “The evolution of the character of Gulliver.” Norton Critical Editions. Maurois, André'. Voltaire. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1932. Mylne, Vivienne. The French novel of the 18th century. Manchester: University of Manchester Press, 1965. Pasco, Allan H. Novel Configurations A Study of French Fiction. Birmingham: Summa Publications, 1987.Quintana, Ricardo “Situation as a satirical method”. Norton Critical Editions: The Gulliver Travels of Jonathan Swift. Ed. Robert A. Greenberg. New York: WW Norton and Company Inc., 1961. Van Doren, Carl. Swift.New York: The Viking Press, 1930.