French Language & Literature Worksheet for 15-Year-Olds — Larousse Dictionnaire & Voltaire

Instructions

This worksheet explores three of Voltaire's philosophical tales: Micromégas, Le Monde comme il va, and Jeannot et Colin. Read the questions carefully and answer them in the spaces provided. For Part 1, you will explore key vocabulary. Imagine you have a French dictionary, like Le dictionnaire Larousse du collège, to assist you.

Part 1: Vocabulary from Voltaire

For each French word below, provide its English definition. Then, in a complete sentence, explain its significance within the context of one of Voltaire's tales.

1. un ciron

   English Definition: __________________________________________________

   Significance: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

   
   

2. la sottise

   English Definition: __________________________________________________

   Significance: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

   
   

3. un savant

   English Definition: __________________________________________________

   Significance: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

   
   

4. la vanité

   English Definition: __________________________________________________

   Significance: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Part 2: Analysis of the Tales

Answer the following questions based on your understanding of the stories.

1. Micromégas: The story of Micromégas is a classic example of philosophical relativism. What does Micromégas, the giant from Sirius, learn about knowledge and importance when he finally encounters the tiny humans on Earth?

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2. Jeannot et Colin: Compare the values of Jeannot and Colin at the beginning of the story versus the end. What is Voltaire's main message about the relationship between wealth, social status, and true happiness?

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3. Le Monde comme il va: The angel Ituriel sends Babouc to observe the city of Persepolis to decide if it should be destroyed for its corruption. Babouc finds both great evil and great good. What is his final conclusion about human society, and why does he argue to spare the city?

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Part 3: Voltaire in the 21st Century

Voltaire used satire—humor, irony, and exaggeration—to critique the society of his time. Think about how his critiques still apply today.

Choose one specific target of Voltaire's satire from any of the three tales (for example, the arrogance of intellectuals, the fickleness of high society, the pursuit of useless knowledge, or social climbing). Describe how a modern satirist (like a comedian, a cartoonist, or a writer for a satirical news show) might make fun of a similar behavior today. Be specific in your example.

Target of Satire: __________________________________________________

Modern Example: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Answer Key

Part 1: Vocabulary from Voltaire

1. un ciron

   English Definition: A mite, a tiny insect or arachnid.

   Significance: In Micromégas, the giant protagonist compares the tiny humans to cirons, emphasizing the theme of perspective and how importance is relative to the observer.

2. la sottise

   English Definition: Foolishness, stupidity, nonsense.

   Significance: Voltaire frequently critiques human sottise, such as the foolish wars humans fight over trivial matters, which Micromégas finds absurd.

3. un savant

   English Definition: A scholar, a learned person, a scientist.

   Significance: Voltaire often satirizes the savants of his day, portraying them as arrogant and focused on abstract, useless theories rather than practical wisdom, as seen with the philosophers Micromégas meets.

4. la vanité

   English Definition: Vanity, excessive pride in one's appearance or achievements.

   Significance: The character of Jeannot, in Jeannot et Colin, is consumed by vanité after his family becomes rich, leading him to abandon his true friends and values for a superficial social life.

Part 2: Analysis of the Tales

1. Micromégas learns that intelligence, wisdom, and importance are not related to physical size. He is shocked that the tiny humans, despite their insignificant stature, possess souls and the ability to reason, yet he is also amused by their arrogance in thinking the entire universe was made for them. He learns that perspective is everything.

2. At the beginning, both Jeannot and Colin value their simple friendship. When Jeannot's family becomes wealthy, he adopts the superficial values of high society, prioritizing status and appearance over loyalty. In the end, after losing his fortune, he learns that Colin's steadfast friendship is the only thing of true value. Voltaire's message is that happiness comes from genuine human connection, not from wealth or social status, which are fleeting.

3. Babouc concludes that human society is a mixture of good and bad, and that the virtues and vices are often intertwined and inseparable. For example, he sees that the vanity of women fuels the economy and the arts. He argues to spare the city because if "not all is well, all is passable," meaning that despite its flaws, human society has enough good in it to be worth preserving.

Part 3: Voltaire in the 21st Century

(Answers will vary. The following is a sample answer.)

Target of Satire: Social climbing and superficiality (from Jeannot et Colin).

Modern Example: A modern satirist might create a sketch about a social media influencer who, after gaining millions of followers, suddenly disowns their childhood best friend for not having enough "clout" or an "aesthetic" feed. The influencer would be shown speaking in buzzwords, promoting nonsensical products, and obsessing over their online image, only to be abandoned by their new "friends" and sponsors the moment a scandal hits. They would then have to go back to their real friend, much like Jeannot returns to Colin, learning that online fame is as fleeting and meaningless as the 18th-century Parisian society Voltaire mocked.