Individual Oral Planning Sheet

Developing a plan for an individual oral:

Global Issue: Morals/Virtues

Passage 1: Excerpt from: The old woman’s story

“We has scarcely disembarked when some blacks of a hostile faction turned up to carry off
my pirate’s booty, of which were the most precious part except for the gold and diamonds. I
then witnessed a fight such as you would never see the like of in European climates.
Northern races are not sufficiently warm-blooded; their lust for women does not reach the
mania that is so common in Africa. It seems that Europeans have milk in their veins, but it’s
fire and vitriol that runs in the veins of those who live on Mount Atlas and round about. They
fought like the lions, tigers, and serpents of their country to decide who should have us. A
Moor seized my mother by the right arm, and my captain’s lieutenant held her by the left; a
Moroccan soldier took her by one leg, while one of our pirates clung to the other. Almost all
of our women were immediately disputed in the same fashion by four soldiers apiece. My
captain kept me hidden behind him, and with his scimitar slew everyone who confronted
him. In the end I saw my mother and all our Italian ladies torn limb from limb, slashed, and
massacred by the monsters that fought for them. All were killed, both captors and captives,
my companions, the soldiers, sailors, blacks, whites, and mulattoes, and finally my pirate
chief; and I myself lay dying on a heap of corpses. Scenes such as these took place all over
that country, as I know full well---and it is three hundred leagues across. Yet they will not
miss one of the five daily prayers prescribed by Mahomet” (52-53)

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):

The author’s attitude towards the global issue of virtue shifts is positive because the woman
who is experiencing this moral change is portrayed as wise by Voltaire. Her ability to develop
her own beliefs regarding controversial issues such as gender inequality and religion is
depicted as admirable by Voltaire as both the impressionable Cunegonde and Candide gain
respect for her. Her ability to spread her newfound teachings is a reflection of Voltaire’s own
beliefs, as he too similarly believes in ideas such as hypocrisy within religion.

Key strategies used in the passage to develop the author’s point about the global issue: (no
more than 5 bullet points)

● Symbolism- Voltaire utilized the old woman as a mode or host to reflect his own
beliefs onto his other ignorant characters, which are Candide and Cunegonde.

● Caricature- The old woman becoming ugly is a reflection of the hardships she
endured.

● Foil/comparison- The old woman and Cunegonde experienced a similar life yet have
 differing outlooks.

● Religion/value shift- “Yet they will not miss one of the five daily prayers prescribed by
the Mahomet” (53). The old woman in this way conveys her shifting ideology on
religion, and acknowledges the hypocrisy of those who follow religion.

● Ridicule/mockery- The old woman in this way conveys her shifting ideology on
religion, and acknowledges the hypocrisy of those who follow religion yet create such
harm.