18th Century Europe Class Distinctions
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In 18th century Europe, extraordinary distinctions existed between classes. During this time, Europe divided into two groups, the nobles, those born at the top of the social class and also the landowners, and the peasants, those who work for the landowners and make up about 85% of the population. While a small portion of the people lived contently with power and land, for the average person, or peasant, life was hard and each day was a struggle for survival. The satire Candide, artwork by Hogarth, and the "Social Order Document" all portray the difficult and many times miserable lives of an average person during the 18th century.
The satire Candide by Voltaire provides a glimpse of just how hopeless life was during the 1700s. For example, throughout much of the story Voltaire displays the absurdity of warfare. He exemplifies this absurdity when he speaks of the Seven Years War, and in one scene, the satisfaction of the people knowing that as their city burns down and lives of loved ones are lost it is at the hands of their own soldiers. Voltaire also portrays the hopelessness of organized religion during the 18th century. In Candide, corrupt religious figures, such as the Catholic Inquisitor and the Franciscan Friar operate as thieves and polygamous', yet they still seem safe from all the horrors of the world. On the other hand, everyday moral believers suffer painful and unrewarding lives even when they are the ones who upheld the beliefs upon which their religions were built...