| Author |
Voltaire, 1694-1778 |
| Title |
Zadig, ou la Destinée, histoire orientale
|
| Note |
Reading ease score: 75.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
|
| Summary |
"Zadig, ou la Destinée" by Voltaire is a philosophical tale written in the mid-18th century. The narrative follows the protagonist, Zadig, a young nobleman in ancient Babylon, as he navigates the complexities of fate, love, and societal expectations, all while encountering various challenges that test his character and wisdom. At the start of the story, we are introduced to Zadig, who is portrayed as a well-educated and virtuous young man, worthy of admiration within Babylonian society. Just as he is on the verge of marrying the beautiful Sémire, he faces a tragic encounter with Orcan and his armed men, who attempt to abduct Sémire. In a fierce struggle, Zadig defends her but suffers a severe injury, leading to a tragic turn of events where Sémire ultimately marries Orcan out of societal expectations. This opening establishes not only the character of Zadig as honorable and courageous but also sets up themes of love, societal pressure, and the often-unpredictable nature of destiny. The intertwining of philosophical musings with the plot highlights Voltaire's intent to explore the essence of human existence and the understanding of fortune. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
|
| Language |
French |
| LoC Class |
PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
|
| Subject |
Manners and customs -- Fiction
|
| Subject |
French fiction -- 18th century
|
| Subject |
Political fiction, French
|
| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
4647 |
| Release Date |
Nov 1, 2003 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Feb 7, 2024 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
156 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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