San Jose State University SJSU ScholarWorks Master's Theses Master's Theses and Graduate Research Spring 2010 Voltaire et le sauvage civilisé Christopher J. Barros San Jose State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses Recommended Citation Barros, Christopher J., "Voltaire et le sauvage civilisé" (2010). Master's Theses. 3747. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.883s-xa8q https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/3747 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses and Graduate Research at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. VOLTAIRE ET LE « SAUVAGE CIVILISÉ » A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of World Languages and Literatures San José State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree Master of Arts by Christopher J. Barros May 2010 © 2010 Christopher J. Barros ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Designated Thesis Committee Approves the Thesis Titled VOLTAIRE ET LE « SAUVAGE CIVILISÉ » by Christopher Joseph Barros APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF WORLD LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY May 2010 Danielle Trudeau Department of World Languages and Literatures Jean-Luc Desalvo Department of World Languages and Literatures Dominique van Hooff Department of World Languages and Literatures ABSTRACT VOLTAIRE ET LE « SAUVAGE CIVILISÉ » by Christopher J. Barros This thesis explores Voltaire’s interpretation of human nature, society, and progress vis-à-vis the myth of the “noble savage,” an image that was widespread in the literature, imagination, and theater of the 17th and 18th centuries.