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Navrose Gill

Navrose Gill on Chapter 11:
March 14, 2010 at 3:48 pm

In this passage, the Moroccan soldiers strip, rape, and tear to pieces the old woman, her mother, and other ladies simply to satisfy their sexual urges. Voltaire is once again attacking the hypocrisy and pretense of religion as these men who commit these vile acts upon these women, have “never missed the five prayers a day ordained by Mahomet.” No matter the amount of bloodshed or traumatic effects these soldiers leave behind, they never fail to pray to their God. This is yet another testimony to Voltaire’s belief that religious leaders are unable to practice what they preach.

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Navrose Gill on Chapter 11:
March 14, 2010 at 3:29 pm

In this passage, Voltaire is once again criticizing an ideal that he was very much against: hypocrisy. The old woman says, “I am the daughter of Pope Urban X,” a statement that in itself is extremely ironic. Through this statement, Voltaire is attacking the insincerity of religious leaders who don’t practice what they preach. The Pope, a man who pledges to be celibate for life, is in fact father to an illegitimate daughter.

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