The role of social criticism in art and literature is often controversial. After the publication of Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses - a book that comments on the experience of Muslims in Great Britain - a fatwā was issued calling for the author's death. While contemporary examples of commentators being plagued by difficulties are not uncommon, artists of the past were regularly censored for their opinions and works. Dostoevsky, for example, was sent into exile for years and almost put to death for his ideas. Voltaire was banished from Paris by Louis XV. Both of these writers understood well the impact their works could have on society. As such, comparing their views on the role of art in humanity is useful. Voltaire's play Candide is a satirical commentary on many things, including how to live a fulfilling life. The protagonists of the work face many difficulties and learn, in the end, to avoid boredom, vice and poverty, to be satisfied. Dostoevsky would surely have read Candide and offered his advice for living a fulfilling life in Notes from Underground. Dostoevsky argues that humanity must prove to itself that it is not a purely rational being and that it can only be free by rejecting total rationality. By comparing these works, it becomes clear how these teleological differences impact their views on all things, including the role of art. For Voltaire, nothing is more important in art than provoking an emotional response. This is the primary basis that connects each of his comments on art in Candide. The eponymous protagonist sees a theater show during his stay in Paris. Despite the protests of those around him, he cries almost uncontrollably during parts of the tragedy. Critics who see this react coldly and with hatred Volt... middle of paper.... Dostoevsky might argue that his work was not intended to be informative, but simply became so by avoiding utilitarianism and excessive emotionality. . Voltaire, however, seems to have written a utilitarian work despite his dislike of such things. The comparison of the authors' views on the role of art in society falls away from their overall views on leading a fulfilling life. Voltaire thinks that everyone should cultivate their own garden, and therefore art – just like many entertainments – are useless and perhaps harmful. Dostoevsky believes that it is possible to become free by rejecting existence based on reason. There is hardly a better way to do this than by creating art. Despite their differences, the commentary on society present in both authors' works has caused them great problems and – whether necessary to live a fulfilling life or not – it is clear that great art drastically influences those who view it..