Candide - Katie KixmoellerCandideKatie Kixmoeller

CandideVoltaireList of Characters

CandideCunégondeDr. PanglossBaron Thunder-ten-tronckhJacquesMartinCacambo

Plot SummaryHistorical Context

The EnlightenmentGottfried Leibniz and the Theory of OptimismSeven Years WarEarthquake of LisbonThe Spanish Inquisition

Themes, Symbols, and Narrative DevicesOptimismCultivate Your Own Garden

Elements of Voltaire's SatireAdaptations and Relationship to Other WorksWorks Cited

 

 

 

Title page of the first edition, published in 1759, which lists the author as "Mr.

Le Docteur Ralph" (Dr. Ralph)

(http://people.whitman.edu/~iversojr)/Candide/

Candide, ou L'Optimisme (English:  ) is a satire written in French by François-Marie Arouet, better known by his adopted name Candide, or OptimismVoltaire. Because of its subversive nature, Candide was secretively published around Europe in 1759. It was an instant bestseller and was translated into several European languages before the Vatican added it to the Index of forbidden books in 1762. The book was originally published anonymously, but Voltaire was already a well-known writer, and few doubted his authorship.   tells the story of the title character, an illegitimate son who is Candidesuddenly expelled from the castle of the Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh where he spent his childhood. In the Baron's castle, Candide had been educated in metaphysics and philosophy by Professor Pangloss, a firm Optimist. Outside the paradisiacal grounds of the castle, Candide has many adventures that test his naïve Optimism, and he becomes progressively disillusioned.  is generally considered Voltaire's great work, and its popularity has Candide continued to modern times.  is often considered one of the great books of the Western Canon. Candide 

Voltaire

Voltaire, né François-Marie Arouet, was born 21 November 1694 in Paris. As an adult, he  adopted the name Voltaire, which is an anagram of his last name latinized as Arovet and the initials for "the young" (le jeune). Scholars see this name change as a mark of separation from his past and his family. Voltaire was a philosopher and writer, one of the great figures of the Enlightenment period in Europe. He was a member of a group of thinkers dedicated to thinking logically or scientifically in order to explain the world. He is known as an outspoken critic of censorship, the Church, and other European institutions. Voltaire was a Deist, believing in a some sort of supreme being even while he harshly criticized the traditions of organized religion. He also argued against religious intolerance and for civil liberties. Thanks to his views of the Church and censorship, he was imprisoned and exiled multiple times.  is his most well Candideknown work, but he also wrote several plays and poems which were popular and well-received at the time. In 1723 he wrote an epic, , which celebrated Henry IV of France as the ideal of an La Henriadeenlightened ruler.  At the end of his life, Voltaire returned to his native city of Paris after 20 years away to see his latest tragedy,  but died soon after.Irene,

(http://www.deism.com/images1)/Voltaire.jpg

List of Characters

Candide

Candide is the illegitimate son of the sister of Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh. He grew up in the Baron's castle in Westphalia, a region of Germany. He is portrayed as naïve and gullible, having "the most straight-forward of minds," (3). He is in love with Cunégonde and continuously tries to be with her despite many obstacles in his way. After being evicted from the Baron's castle, Candide is kidnapped and trained by Bulgar soldiers. He later travels to Lisbon, where he is flogged in an auto-da-fé and discovers that Cunégonde. He then escapes to the New World with Cunégonde and her maid. He has many adventures with his servant Cacambo and the two eventually happen upon the famed city of El Dorado where everything is made of gold and precious stones. He takes some of the treasure back with him and travels to England along with Martin, a pessimist. There, Candide meets Paquette, the maid who gave Pangloss syphilis. He eventually learns that Cunégonde is a slave in Istanbul. He marries her despite the fact that she has become ugly. Candide finally moves to live on a farm where he settles on the philosophy, stated in the last line of the story, that "we must cultivate our garden," (88). 

Cunégonde

Cunégonde is the daughter of the Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh. One day, she spots Professor Pangloss "giving a lesson in applied physiology to her mother's maid" (having sex with her). This inspired her drop her handkerchief while behind a screen with Candide. He kisses and fondles her, and the Baron catches the two of them in the act. This event is the reason that Candide is kicked (literally) out of Baron's castle. She is later raped and disemboweled by attacking Bulgars but survives and meets Candide again in Lisbon where she is a mistress shared by two men. In Buenos Aires, she becomes the mistress of the governor and Candide must leave her. Candide finally finds Cunégonde in Istanbul. He marries her even though she is now ugly.

Dr. Pangloss

Dr. Pangloss is a philosopher who is the tutor of the Baron's castle. He taught "metaphysico-theologico-cosmo-codology" and "could prove wonderfully that there is no effect without a cause" (4). Pangloss represents the type of metaphysics, specifically Leibnizian Optimism, that Voltaire ruthlessly satirizes. Pangloss believes that the world is the "best of all worlds", and that everything happens for good. Even when he contracts syphilis and is reduced to an "appalling beggar" (9) on the verge of death, he claims that syphilis is "an indispensable part of the best of all worlds, a necessary ingredient. For if Columbus, on an island in the Americas, had not caught this disease which poisons the spring of procreation, which often even prevents procreation, and which is plainly the opposite of what nature intended, we would have neither chocolate nor chochineal," (11). With ridiculous statements such as this, Pangloss is central to Voltaire's criticism by satire of the philosophy of Optimism. Candide believed that Pangloss was hanged at the auto-da-fé in Lisbon, but he later found him alive working as a galley-slave in Constantinople.

Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh

The elder Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh is a powerful nobleman in the German region of Westphalia. He owns the great castle where Candide grows up. The younger Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh is the elder's son and Cunégonde's brother. He was thought to have been killed by Bulgars, but survived and became a Jesuit in Paraguay. The Baron refuses to allow Candide to marry his sister, so Candide takes out his sword and tries to kill the Baron. Candide later finds the Baron alive in Constantinople as a galley-slave.

Jacques

Jacques is an Anabaptist who saved Candide early in the story. He also saved the live of Dr. Pangloss by paying to have him cured of syphilis. Although Jacques disagrees with Pangloss's Optimism, his generosity reinforces Candide's belief in the philosophy. Jacques drowns in the harbor of Lisbon during the storm that came before the earthquake. Pangloss prevents Candide from jumping in to save Jacques, "arguing that Lisbon harbour had been created expressly so that the Anabaptist would be drowned in it," (12). 

Martin

Martin is a poor scholar from Amsterdam living in Buenos Aires who "had been robbed by his wife, assaulted by his son, and abandoned by his daughter," (51). He is a pessimist and a Manichaean, and Candide chooses Martin out of many applications to accompany him on his journey to England because he believed that Martin would effectively amuse him. Manichaeans believed that the world was ruled by competing forces of good and evil whereas Pangloss, following Leibniz, believed that a benevolent God alone controlled the world. In these ways, Martin's character serves as a foil for Pangloss's Optimism, but Voltaire does not seem to endorse pessimism as the correct philosophy. Martin travels with Candide through the rest of the story. 

Cacambo

Cacambo is Candide's loyal manservant. Cacambo is one quarter Spanish and has held many jobs in his lifetime. Cacambo travels with Candide throughout the New World, serving as his friend and servant. Cacambo is familiar with the culture of the New World. He also frequently helps or advises Candide when his master is unsure of what to do.

 

Plot Summary

Chapters 1-6: Candide is kicked out of the castle of Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh for kissing Cunégonde. He is kidnapped and forced to join the Bulgar army but later escapes and flees to Holland where he meets Jacques and Pangloss who is reduced to a beggar suffering from syphilis. Pangloss reveals that Cunégonde and the others from the castle were killed by the Bulgars. Jacques pays to cure Pangloss, and when he goes to Lisbon on business he brings both Candide and Pangloss along. Jacques dies in the storm preceding the Lisbon earthquake. Candide and Pangloss survive both the storm and the earthquake but end up in an where Pangloss is hanged and Candide flogged. auto-da-fé 

 

 

 

Chapters 7-12: Candide meets the old woman, who cares for him and then takes him to see Cunégonde, who managed to survive being raped and disemboweled by the Bulgars. She was enslaved by a Bulgar captain then ended up in Lisbon where she was shared by Don Issacar, a Jew, and the Grand Inquisitor. Candide kills both men when they come to visit Cunégonde, then the two escape on horseback with the old woman. When their money and diamonds are stolen, they are forced to sell one horse. This prompts the old woman to tell the story of how she lost one of her buttocks. She tells the story of an absurd series of misfortunes that caused her, born a Baroness, to be reduced to a servant in the home of Don Issacar. She then suggests that each man often says to himself that he is the most unfortunate man alive, and if there is a single passenger on their ship who doesn't say this, "you can throw me into the sea head first," (29).

Chapters 13-16: Cunégonde, Candide, and the old woman arrive in Buenos Aires where they meet the Governor, Don Fernando d'Ibara y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza who asks to marry Cunégonde despite the fact that Candide claims to be her fiancé. Candide must leave without Cunégonde to escape the alcalde that sought the Grand Inquisitor's murderer. Candide travels with his manservant Cacambo to fight with the Jesuits. They meet the commanding officer who turns out to be Cunégonde's brother who had survived the attack of the Bulgars and was rescued by a Jesuit. The young Baron welcomes Candide but refuses to let him marry Cunégonde. Candide kills the Baron and escapes with Cacambo. They come upon two women being chased by monkeys. Candide kills the monkeys, thinking he is saving the women's lives, but Cacambo explains that the monkeys were actually their lovers. They are then surrounded by the Lobeiros who chant that they want to eat Jesuits. Cacambo saves them by explaining that they are not Jesuits, but are only dressed in that way because Candide killed one. 

Chapters 17-18: Candide and Cacambo set off for Cayenne, but they lose all of their possessions and a river carries them to Eldorado where the roads are paved with gold and gems and food exists in extreme abundance. Eldorado is the former capital of the Incas and is protected by sheer cliffs from European nations who desire the gems that they consider little more than pebbles. Candide inquires about their religion, and an old man states that there is only one God and one religion possible. The people of Eldorado do not ask God for anything, because they have all they need. Candide is shocked by their lack of organized religion, asking "What! You mean you don't have monks to teach and dispute and govern and intrigue and burn people to death who don't agree with them?" (44). Candide and Cacambo are received by the king at his palace. Candide is again shocked that there are no law courts or prisons in Eldorado because there is no crime. They spend a month in Eldorado, but Candide wants to leave and take enough gold and gems to allow him to return to Europe and get Cunégonde back.

Chapter 19-20: Candide and Cacambo travel towards Surinam, but most of their sheep carrying treasure die along the way. They encounter a slave who is missing a hand and a leg who tells them about the horrors of slavery. Candide cries, "O Pangloss! ... this is one abomination you never thought of. That does it. I shall finally have to renounce your Optimism," (48). Candide learns that Cunégonde is the favorite mistress of the governor of Buenos Aires, and he sends Cacambo to retrieve her. Candide pays a large amount of money to a shipmaster, who sets sail with the sheep and without Candide. Candide plunges into gloom and buys his way onto a ship headed to Europe. He seeks a companion for the voyage and chooses Martin, a poor scholar from Amsterdam who is a pessimist and Manichaean. At sea, Candide found one of his sheep after the man who had robbed him was sunk in combat with another boat. Martin and Candide discuss philosophy throughout the voyage. 

Chapters 21-22: Candide and Martin arrive in France and decide to travel to Venice. Martin states that the world was created"to drive us mad" (55). Candide becomes quite sick, and the doctors' treatments only make him sicker. A priest comes to ask for a confessional note before his death, but Candide refuses. Candide recovers and meets an abbé who introduces him to the Marchioness of Parolignac. Candide loses a lot of money gambling. Candide meets a scholar who he calls a second Pangloss and they discuss philosophy. Candide gives the Marchioness his rings after sleeping with her. The abbé writes a fake letter that convinces Candide that Cunégonde is in France, but Candide and Martin are arrested when they arrive at the hotel where Cunégonde is supposedly staying. Candide pays off the officer to release them and get them on a ship to England.

Chapters 23-25: Candide and Martin arrive in England where they observe an admiral executed, supposedly because he didn't kill enough people but actually because "in this country it is considered a good thing to kill an admiral from time to time so as to encourage the others," (65). Candide, shocked, sets off for Venice without going ashore. In Venice, he looks for Cacambo and Cunégonde but can't find them. Assuming Candide is dead, he sinks into depression. Candide spots a happy-looking couple and bets Martin that they are happy. The girl turns out to be Paquette who has turned to prostitution to earn a living and the man is an unhappy monk, so Martin wins the bet. Martin insists that all people have problems. Candide objects that he is "a but hard" and Martin responds, "That's because I've lived," (69). They go to visit Signor Pococurante, a nobleman who has supposedly had no troubles. Pococurante has a beautiful home with wonderful paintings, music played for him when he desires, and a great library. However, he is bored and unsatisfied by these things. He has not read most of the books in his library, and he insults some of the most respected writers. 

Candide is kicked out of the castle by the Baron

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Candide runs through a village destroyed in the war between the

Bulgars and the Abars

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Chapters 26-28: One night, Candide comes upon Cacambo in a restaurant. Cacambo is now a slave and informs Candide that Cunégonde is in Constantinople. Also at the restaurant are six strangers, one of whom is Cacambo's master, Sultan Achmed. Their servants all refer to them as Your Majesty. Candide asks about this strange occurrence, and the six dethroned kings tell their stories of misfortune. Candide and Martin join Sultan Achmed and Cacambo on board a ship headed to Constantinople. Cacambo tells Candide that Cunégonde is now a slave to a prince and has become very ugly. Despite this, Candide says, "I'm a man of honour, and my duty is to love her always," (79). Candide bought Cacambo back and then boarded a galley to search for Cunégonde. Two of the galley-slaves turn out to be Pangloss and the young Baron who had miraculously survived hanging and stabbing respectively. Pangloss insists that despite his unfortunate life, he still believes wholeheartedly in the philosophy of Optimism. 

Chapters 29-30: The whole group tells their stories and debates philosophy until they find Cunégonde and the old woman working at the home of the Prince of Transylvania. Candide recoils upon seeing Cunégonde's ugliness but his good manners prevail. Candide buys both Cunégonde and the old woman free. No one has told Cunégonde that she is ugly. The old woman reminds Candide of his promise to marry her, but the Baron still refuses to allow the marriage. They send the Baron back to the galley, and Candide marries Cunégonde. The whole group goes to live on a small farm, but they are all unhappy and bored. Paquette and the monk show up with no money which prompts even more philosophizing and arguing. The group consults a dervish, the greatest philosopher in Turkey, who asks, "What does it matter whether there's evil or there's good... When His Highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he worry whether the mice on board are comfortable or not?" (86). When Pangloss tries to discuss Optimism with him, the dervish slams the door on them. They then meet an old Turkish man who says, "I have but twenty acres. I cultivate them with my children. Work keeps us from three great evils: boredom, vice, and need," (87). Candide concludes that this Turk is more fortunate than the dethroned kings they met earlier and concludes that "we must cultivate our garden," (88). Pangloss agrees with a philosophical argument. Martin suggests that they stop philosophizing and start working, and the group followed this advice. Each person had their own job and they lived well. Pangloss still believes in Optimism. Candide responds, saying, "That is well put, but we must cultivate our garden," (88). 

The women being chased by their monkey lovers

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Candide and Cacambo talk to a maimed slave in Surinam

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Candide recoils in horror when he sees how ugly Cunégonde has become

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Historical Context

The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment is a period from the mid 17th to the mid 18th century in Europe that is known for its many revolutions of Western art, thought, culture, politics, and science. This period can be seen as the change from medieval European culture to a relatively modern one. The Enlightenment began with the great scientific successes of the 16th and 17th centuries which prompted change in other fields of study as well as in society. Notably, the power of the Church over Europe was threatened during The Enlightenment by new science and thought. Voltaire is a key figure in this movement. The Stanford philosophy entry on The Enlightenment notes that, "D'Alembert, a leading figure of the French Enlightenment, characterizes his eighteenth century, in the midst of it, as 'the century of philosophy par excellence', because of the tremendous intellectual progress of the age, the advance of the sciences, and the enthusiasm for that progress, but also because of the characteristic expectation of the age that philosophy (in this broad sense) would dramatically improve human life," (Stanford). The great progress in philosophy during The Enlightenment can be at least partially credited to René Descartes rational approach to philosophy. Descartes argued for an anthropocentric approach, placing faith in human reasoning instead of in authoritative knowledge (Stanford). He therefore proposed that men should doubt establishments of science and philosophy and long-standing assumptions and instead think for themselves. In this way, Descartes paved the way for progress in not only philosophy but also science and other fields by allowing challenges to accepted truths. The immense progress of The Enlightenment followed in this spirit and greatly changed European society. 

Gottfried Leibniz and the Theory of Optimism

Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716) was a prominent German thinker of the Enlightenment. He is well known for his philosophy but he also worked in mathematics, physics, and history among other fields. Notably, Leibniz developed calculus independently of Newton, and it remains controversial who came up with it first. He was one of the most famous proponents of Optimism, and his philosophy is often targeted by Voltaire in  . Professor Pangloss is a Leibnizian Optimist. Leibniz's philosophical work is Candideextensive, complex, and abstract. He bases his philosophy on a number of fundamental principles. One of the most important is The Principle of the Best, in which Leibniz argues that God is a perfect being and therefore acts for the best (Stanford). This argument naturally relies on the existence of God which is almost axiomatic for Leibniz because his entire philosophy revolves around God. Also very important for 

is The Principle of Sufficient Reason. This principle indicates that "nothing is without a reason Candide (nihil est sine ratione) or there is no effect without a cause," (Stanford). As the Stanford Philosophy entry on Leibniz explains, this "means that nothing happens in such a way that it is impossible for someone with enough information to give a reason why it is so and not otherwise. In the Monadology and elsewhere, however, Leibniz frankly admits that 'most of the time these reasons cannot be known to us.' (G VI 612/AG 217)," (Stanford). Of crucial importance to Voltaire's satire is Leibniz's theory of Optimism. Stanford Philosophy summarizes Leibniz's argument for Optimism with this simple diagram (Stanford):

(1) God is omnipotent   omniscient   benevolent   the free creator of the world. (Definition)and and and

(2) Things could have been otherwise–i.e., there are other possible worlds. (Premise)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3) Suppose this world is   the best of all possible worlds. (I.e., “The world could be better.”)not

(4) If this world is not the best of all possible worlds, then at least one of the following must be the case:

God was not powerful enough to bring about a better world; orGod did not know how this world would develop after his creation of it (i.e. God lacked foreknowledge); orGod did not wish this world to be the best; orGod did not create the world; orthere were no other possible worlds from which God could choose.

(5) But, any one or more of the disjuncts of (4) contradicts (1) or (2).

(6) Therefore, this world is the best of all possible worlds.

In addition, Leibniz believed that this world must be uniquely the best possible, because if there was a tie between two more possible worlds, God, desiring to make the best world, would not have created the world at all. This best of all possible worlds is manifested on at least three levels: moral, metaphysical, and phenomenal. As this diagram shows, the definition of God's nature (1) and the premise of other possible worlds (2), which is a complicated argument in of itself, are crucial to the theory. In  , CandideVoltaire takes the theory out of context and applies it to everyday life in a way that is not entirely faithful to the complexity and plausibility of Leibniz's theory given his assumptions. Voltaire's Pangloss also always "proves" a simple or ridiculous sufficient reason for a certain occurrence, whereas Leibniz freely admits that these reasons, although they certainly exist, are certainly complex and may be unknowable.

Seven Years War

The Seven Years War was a major conflict involving many European powers that occurred from 1756-63. was published in 1759, so the war was going on at the time that Voltaire wrote the story. Like Candide 

the Lisbon Earthquake, the Seven Years War caused much suffering in Europe, so it also contributed to Voltaire's criticism of Optimism. In  , the war between the Bulgar and Abars refers to the Seven CandideYears War but also satirizes war in general. Clinging to his naïve philosophy, Candide admires the weapons that were "sufficient reason" to remove from the earth thirty thousand "ruffians who were poisoning its surface" (7). He also notes the senseless death and suffering inflicted by the "heroes" of each side on various villages "in accordance with international law" (7). In this passage, Voltaire satirizes war  and also presents the first serious challenge to Candide's philosophy.

Earthquake of Lisbon

In 1775 a terrible earthquake struck Lisbon, Portugal while the city's inhabitants were at church praying on the occasion of All Saints Day. The earthquake was immediately followed by a tsunami which was even more devastating. The earthquake was so horrible that Voltaire, among others, wondered how an apparently benevolent God could have caused such misery. The philosophy of Optimism, popular at the time, held that God had created an optimal world, that is one with the minimum of suffering and evil and the maximum of good. Later the same year, Voltaire wrote "Poem on the Lisbon Disaster, or: An Examination of that Axiom 'All is Well'", a serious poem in which he criticized the notion of Optimism. Voltaire received negative responses to this poem from proponents of Optimism including Rousseau. Can

continues the themes of the poem, but it takes a comic rather than somber tone. The Earthquake of dideLisbon also appears in  when Candide is visiting Lisbon. Jacques the Anabaptist drowns in the Candidestorm which proceeds the earthquake. Pangloss briefly struggles to determine the sufficient reason for the destruction of the earthquake, but eventually ties it to a similar earthquake in Lima and concludes that there "must be a vein of sulphur running underground from Lima to Lisbon," (13). 

The Spanish Inquisition

The Spanish Inquisition was a system established in 1478 by which the Catholic church sought out heretics and punished them. In  , Pangloss is questioned by an inquisitor who sees his belief in Candidethe best of all possible worlds as being incompatible with the belief in the original sin and the Fall of Adam and Eve from Eden. An  is then held in order to please God and prevent earthquakes. auto-da-féCandide is flogged and Pangloss is hanged at the  , but the earth quakes again. This scene auto-da-fécontributes to Voltaire's criticism of both religious practices and the flawed European judicial systems. 

 

Gottfried Leibniz

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Engraving depicting the Earthquake of Lisbon

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An auto-da-fé in Lisbon after the Earthquake

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Themes, Symbols, and Narrative Devices

Optimism

Throughout  , Voltaire criticizes Leibniz's theory of Optimism outlined above. Pangloss, the personification of Optimism, is introduced as a Candideprofessor of "metaphysico-theologico-cosmo-codology" who "could prove wonderfully that there is no effect without a cause and that, in this best of all possible worlds, His Lordship the Baron's castle was the most beautiful of castles and Madam the best of all possible baronesses," (4). Pangloss frequently employs Optimism reductio ad absurdum to prove such ridiculous things as that "noses were made to bear spectacles, and so we have spectacles," (4). When the simple-minded Candide applies this theory to his experiences traveling around the world, he slowly starts to question Pangloss's teachings.This transformation is slow, however, and Candide clings to the theory even when the facts of the natural world and of society seem to render is absurd. Voltaire juxtaposes the simplified premise of Optimism against such atrocities as brutal war crimes, the devastation caused by the Earthquake of Lisbon, disease, enslavement, and human cruelty. For example, when Candide suggests that the devil might have created syphilis, Pangloss responds that, "It was an indispensable part of the best of all worlds, a necessary ingredient. For if Columbus, on an island in the America, had not caught this disease which poisons the spring of procreation, which often even prevents procreation, and which is plainly the opposite of what nature intended, we would have neither chocolate nor cochineal," (10-11). This absurd statement is characteristic of Voltaire's satire of Optimism. To "prove" that the horrors of syphilis to not indicate that this world is anything but the best possible, Pangloss points to the relatively minor benefits Europeans gained from the other things Columbus brought from the Americas. By the end of  , it is not entirely clear if Candide has Candidefully abandoned Optimism. However, he seems at least somewhat skeptical of the truth of the philosophy, and chooses again to focus on cultivating his own garden.

Philosophy and Philosophers

Voltaire's satire of philosophy and philosophers is mixed in with that of Optimism. After the Lisbon earthquake, Pangloss absurdly suggests that "there must be a vein of sulphur running underground from Lima to Lisbon," (13). Candide, ever eager, responds that "nothing is more probable" (13) but Pangloss insists that it is not simply probable, but proven. This passage reveals not only the ridiculousness of the philosophy of Optimism itself but also of the philosophers who study it. Pangloss believes that his conclusion is proven, despite no concrete evidence. Voltaire was of the mindset that the world should be studied logically or scientifically, so this passage constitutes a clear criticism of the way philosophers approach the world. Voltaire further suggests that philosophers are cowardly when faced with the reality of the world; for example he characterizes Candide as "trembling like a philosopher" (7) during the battle between the Bulgars and the Abars. Finally, Voltaire suggests that philosophers are inferior to scientists because they refuse to alter their convictions even in the face of overwhelming evidence. At the end of  , although Pangloss admits to having suffered Candidehorribly during his life, he maintains the truth of Optimism because, as he says, "I am a philosopher after all. It wouldn't do for me to go back on what I said before," (83). In this respect, all characters in  are philosophers; they cling to their beliefs and convictions throughout the story even when Candidereality seems to contradict what they think. Only Candide wavers slightly in his belief in Optimism and only at the very end of the story. 

Religion

Voltaire believed in God but frequently criticized organized religion. This criticism is apparent in . When Candide arrives in Holland, he meets Candidean orator preaching about charity. Ironically, the man refuses to help Candide because he doesn't have an opinion about whether or not the Pope is the Antichrist. The orator sends Candide off without food and his wife pours human waste on his head. Here, Voltaire seems to criticize religious fanaticism. Criticism of religion is most apparent when Candide and Cacambo are in Eldorado. The old man explains that there is certainly a religion in Eldorado, but seems confused when Candide asks which religion it is. For him there is only one religion, that of thankfulness to god (43-44). Their only religious tradition is to sing hymns of thanksgiving every morning. The shocked Candide asks, "What! You mean you don't have monks to teach and dispute and govern and intrigue and burn people to death who don't agree with them?" (44). Here it is clear that Voltaire's critique is not of the idea of religion or the existence of God but rather of the institutions of organized religion. He points out the absurdity of monks, followers of a supposedly loving god, who would burn unbelievers.

Money

After Candide's adventures in Eldorado, money is a frequent topic of conversation. The people in the utopia of Eldorado have no real regard for money and are bewildered by foreigners' desire to take away the gold and gems they consider to be little more than dirt. Although Candide and Cacambo lose most of their treasure during their journey to Surinam, they are still left with an immense amount of money. Candide does not know how to manage his money, and his naïveté is taken advantage of. He also holds the idea that money will make people happy. Martin frequently argues with Candide on this point. In Venice, Candide gives money to Paquette and Brother Giroflée, thinking that the money will make them happy. Martin counters that "with these piastres you may make them even more unhappy still," (69). In the end, Paquette and Brother Giroflée turn up at the farm penniless and even more wretched and unhappy than they were before (86). Voltaire criticizes the idea that money is the key to happiness. 

Cultivate Your Own Garden

At the end of  , the characters learn of this idea from a wise old Turk. The old man explains, "I have but twenty acres. I cultivate them with my Candidechildren. Work keeps us from three great evils: boredom, vice, and need," (87). Candide notes that the old man's simple but happy life seems preferable to those of the miserable dethroned kings he met earlier. In the last passage of the book, Candide finally seems to reject Pangloss's Optimism. When Pangloss insists that the whole chain of miserable and absurd events was necessary for Candide to end up at the farm with Cunégonde and the others, Candide responds simply, "That is well put, but we must cultivate our garden," (88). The garden can be seen as an allusion to the paradisiacal Garden of Eden. After the Fall, humans must work and suffer through life; the garden is no longer their birthright. Candide's new philosophy seems to suggest that with work, one can cultivate a garden to mimic the original one, to find happiness in our imperfect world. It is not clear which philosophy Voltaire intended for Candide to adopt, or even if he had a specific one in mind. Regardless of the details of this philosophy, however, it certainly entails an approach to life more concerned with reality than with the abstract metaphysics that Voltaire criticizes. Cultivating your own garden is a very practical philosophy.

Elements of Voltaire's Satire

Characterization

Voltaire's character in  lack depth and barely develop through the story; they are like caricatures. Pangloss is the extreme philosopher, Candideconstantly injecting his philosophy into everyday life and clinging to his beliefs in even the most extreme of circumstances. Candide is the eager but simple-minded student of philosophy, accepting the authoritative knowledge of his teacher without question. Martin is the perfect foil to Candide, providing the opportunity for Candide to defend Optimism. Jacques, the old woman, and other minor characters do little beyond allowing the plot to move forward or providing comic relief. This characterization allows Voltaire's satire to be most effective; this is not a deep well-reasoned argument against the complexities of the philosophy of Optimism. Rather, Voltaire's clever satire is most effective when the philosophy and its proponents to caricatures. In the simplified world of  , it is clear that Optimism is absurd.Candide

Narrative Pace

The plot of  moves at a ridiculous pace, with major plot points passing by in only a few sentences. In the course of 86 pages, Candide visits Candidemany countries and has a dizzying number of adventures along the way. This pace increases the effectiveness of Voltaire's satire. Like his characterization, the narrative pace of  serves to flatten reality, eliminating unnecessary details in favor of a focused satire. Candide

Extreme Violence

Candide contains a great deal of violence, but the violence is played for humor rather than for horror. Voltaire's first attempt to grapple with the horror of the Earthquake of Lisbon was a serious poem that addressed the devastation of the earthquake and used it to criticize Optimism. It was not an effective attack on the philosophy, however. Voltaire's strategy in  was to describe the horror quickly and dispassionately quickly followed by Candideassurances that all of this was necessary in the best of all possible worlds. This style more clearly highlights the disconnect between reality and the philosophy; the focus is not on the death and destruction but on the critique of Optimism.  is not a story about natural disasters, war crimes, Candidedisease, slavery, or anything of the sort. Voltaire portrays this horrors in a way that makes it clear that they are simply tools he is using to support his satire. 

Repetition

The stories contained in  frequently cycle or repeat themselves. Many characters are reported dead only to later reappear with a story of their Candidemiraculous survival and the string of misfortunes that followed. Every time a new horror strikes, Candide or Pangloss is quick to assert that it is part of the best possible world, and every time fortune is favorable it is also cited as proof of Optimism. With each repetition of this storyline, it becomes more and more ridiculous, further convincing the reader of the absurdity of Optimism. Like the other other elements of Voltaire's satire, this flattens reality, making the satire more effective.

Adaptations and Relationship to Other Works

Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver's Travels was published in 1726 by Jonathan Swift. Although the book preceded  and its satire had very different goals, there are Candide some important parallels between the two books. Both feature a naïve protagonist who ventures away from his home and encounters strange realities that change his understanding of the world. Just as Candide drifts away from Optimism and toward a more practical philosophy, Gulliver loses his innocence and learns about reality during his voyages. Voltaire was likely influenced by Swift, but the parallels between  and  Candide  Gulliver's Travelsmay not be intentional. Regardless, the books share important themes because they are both stories very strongly influenced by ideals of individuality and intellectual exploration that were celebrated during the Enlightenment. 

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy was published in 1760 by Lawrence Sterne. At the beginning of the story, where Tristram the narrator provides dedication of his life story to his benefactor, Sterne includes this line: "Bright Goddess, If thou art not too busy with Candid and Miss Cunegund's affairs,—take Tristram Shandy's under thy protection also."  was published only a year after  , so this shows the Tristram Shandy Candideimmediate and incredible fame and popularity of the work throughout Europe.

Bernstein's Operetta

Playwright Lillian Hellman wished to adapt  for the stage and enlisted Leonard Bernstein to write the score. The operetta was first performed Candidein 1956 and was met with mixed reviews. The operetta is still produced with Bernstein's music, but most modern performances use text by Hugh Wheeler instead of that by Hellman because Wheeler's version is more faithful to the original text.

 

Works Cited

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/leibniz/

http://www.egs.edu/library/voltaire/biography/

http://universitypublishingonline.org/cambridge/companions/chapter.jsf?bid=CBO9781139002356&cid=CBO9781139002356A012

http://people.whitman.edu/~iversojr/Candide/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/enlightenment/

http://www.leonardbernstein.com/candide.htm