Candide is a phenomenal story published in 1759 that was written by the famed Enlightenment thinker Voltaire. A thought-provoking tale that pokes fun at the Leibnitzian assertion that this is the best of all possible worlds, Candide is a fantastic classic to ponder.
Candide’s protagonist is a good-natured but foolish young man named Candide. He grew up in the country of Westphalia and was raised by a noble known as the Baron. It was rumored that Candide was the son of the Baron’s sister, and that his mother, who is never mentioned again, didn't marry his biological father due to his salary not being large enough. Thus, “the rest of the genealogical tree belonging to the family … [have] been lost through the injuries of time.” The Baron was one of the most powerful people in Westphalia and was married to the Lady Baroness, who weighed a whopping three hundred and fifty pounds and was good-natured. Her daughter, Cunégonde, was a beautiful seventeen-year-old, “fresh-colored, comely, plump, and desirable.” Candide fancied Cunégonde, expectedly, and had a tutor known as Pangloss, a philosopher who “taught metaphysico-theologo-cosmolonigology. He could prove to admiration that there is no effect without a cause; and, that in this best of all possible worlds … ‘that things cannot be otherwise than as they are; for as all things have been created for some end, they must necessarily be created for the best end.’” Pangloss as a Panglossian optimist maintains that everything in the world was created for the sole use of humanity. For instance, pigs exist to be slaughtered and consumed by Homo sapiens. Candide, who was very inexperienced, admired Pangloss and believed everything he said without reservation. Cunégonde heard a lecture of Pangloss herself, and decided that if this is the best of all possible worlds, she existed for Candide and Candide existed for her. The next day they kissed in secret but was caught by the Baron: when the Baron saw them, he kicked (literally and figuratively) Candide out of the castle. Candide, who found himself in the outside world for the first time, was shocked and melancholy. Candide faced freezing temperatures and came across two men who planned to kidnap him and sell him as a soldier to the king of the Bulgarians, whom Candide had never seen in his life. Candide was initially tricked into thinking that they genuinely wanted to help him, seeing that he was obviously in bad shape, and remarked in a foolhardy manner that Pangloss was right and this is the best of all possible worlds. However, he was eventually forced into military service, where he proved himself to be a capable soldier, for on the first day his march was punished with thirty blows from a cane, the second day with twenty blows, and the third day with a measly ten blows. A few days after being shanghaied, Candide wanted to go on a walk. However, his fellow soldiers believed he was deserting and threw him into prison. He was then put on trial, and was asked whether he would “run the gauntlet six and thirty times through the whole regiment” “or to have his brains blown out with a dozen musket-balls”. Candide desired to live and opted for the former option. The regiment had a total of 2,000 soldiers, and they lashed him 4,000 times, “which laid bare all his muscles and nerves from the nape of his neck to his stern. As they were preparing to make him set out the third time our young hero, unable to support it any longer, begged as a favor that they would be so obliging as to shoot him through the head; the favor being granted, a bandage was tied over his eyes, and he was made to kneel down.” Before he could be executed, the king of the Bulgarians came across the scene and learned from Candide that he was punished for being too innocent, for he was “a young metaphysician, entirely ignorant of the world”. After sparing Candide, the king of the Bulgarians was praised for his clemency. As for Candide, he recovered after being cared for by a surgeon who practiced the medicine detailed by the ancient doctor Dioscorides.
Candide soon participated in a battle due to his still being technically in the Bulgarian army. Voltaire brilliantly mocks the institution of war, for he shows that it is horrible and not to be desired—at the time of the writing and even today, war has and still has been glorified by foolish militarists for the sole sake of accumulating power and prestige. Voltaire describes, “Never was anything so gallant, so well accoutred, so brilliant, and so finely disposed as the two armies. The trumpets, fifes, hautboys, drums, and cannons made such harmony as never was heard in Hell itself. The entertainment began by a discharge of cannon, which, in the twinkling of an eye, laid flat about 6,000 men on each side. The musket bullets swept away, out of the best of all possible worlds, nine or ten thousand scoundrels that infested its surface. The bayonet was next the sufficient reason of the deaths of several thousands. The whole might amount to thirty thousand souls. Candide trembled like a philosopher and concealed himself as well as he could during this heroic butchery.” Candide, horrified by all he has soon, succeeded in sneaking away. He then came across an Abarian village that had been devastated by Bulgarian forces: “Here lay a number of old men covered with wounds, who beheld their wives dying with their throats cut, and hugging their children to their breasts, all stained with blood. There several virgins, whose bodies had been ripped open, after they had satisfied the natural necessities of the Bulgarian heroes, breathed their last; while others, half-burned in the flames, begged to be dispatched out of the world. The ground about them was covered with the brains, arms, and legs of dead men.” Candide soon encountered a Bulgarian village that was annihilated by the Abares in a way akin to the first town. He resolved to go to Holland, for he heard that they were inhabited by charitable Christians. However, when he found himself there, he was callously told to stop begging and to acquire his own livelihood. He soon came across an orator who had just given an hour-long lecture on charity. When he requested aid, the man asked him whether he believed the pope is the fabled anti-christ. Candide honestly replies by informing him that he doesn’t care, for he is starving. The orator, hearing this, calls Candide a wretch. His wife, who was horrified at how Candide didn't believe in their fanaticisms, dumped some water onto his head, causing Voltaire to remark, “Good heavens, to what excess does religious zeal transport womankind!” Fortunately for Candide, there was a charitable and honest man in the crowd, an Anabaptist named James. James, sympathetic to Candide, brought him to his house, provided him with food, gave him two florins, and encouraged him to weave Persian silks due to their being popular in Holland and the surrounding areas. Candide, utterly moved by James’s generosity, proclaims that Pangloss was right and that this is the best of all possible worlds. The next day, Candide came across a dilapidated beggar who was suffering from syphilis and other ailments. Candide gave the beggar his two florins, and the beggar reveals himself as Pangloss. Pangloss informs Candide that not long after he left, Bulgarian soldiers invaded the castle, slaughtered Cunégonde’s family, and assaulted her: “‘her body was ripped open by the Bulgarian soldiers, after they had subjected her to as much cruelty as a damsel could survive; they knocked the Baron, her father, on the head for attempting to defend her; My Lady, her mother, was cut in pieces; my poor pupil [Cunégonde’s’s brother] was served just in the same manner as his sister; and as for the castle, they have not left one stone upon another; they have destroyed all the ducks, and sheep, the barns, and the trees; but we have had our revenge, for the Abares have done the same very thing in a neighboring barony, which belonged to a Bulgarian lord.’” Candide fainted, and when he awoke he asked how Pangloss was reduced to his current condition. Pangloss concedes that he copulated with Pacquette, a pretty servant of the Baron who apparently had syphilis. Voltaire hilariously yet seriously has Pangloss describe that “‘in her arms I tasted the pleasures of Paradise, which produced these Hell[ish] torments with which you see me devoured. She was infected with an ailment, and perhaps had since died of it; she received this present of a learned Franciscan, who derived it from the fountainhead; he was indebted for it to an old countess, who had it of a captain of horse, who had it of a marchioness, who had it of a page, the page had it of a Jesuit, who, during his novitiate, had it in a direct line from one of the fellow adventurers of Christopher Columbus; for my part I shall give it to nobody, I am a dying man.’” Candide remarks that the existence of syphilis is terrible and cannot be the work of a good deity, but Pangloss, staying true to his brainless character, refutes his point, claiming that syphilis has to exist in this world, for this world is the best of all possible ones. To be specific, Pangloss states that while it is true that if Columbus had never reached America syphilis would’ve been deprived of many victims, that would also mean the Columbian exchange would never have happened, which necessitates that Europeans wouldn’t have acquired delights as fabulous as chocolate or dyes for their clothing (cochineal).
Candide tells Pangloss he must receive treatment for his syphilis, and Pangloss says that he can’t, for he has no money. Candide then begs James to help him, and he does so without hesitation upon learning of Pangloss’s tragic story. While Pangloss recovered, he lost an eye and an ear. He repaid James by being a bookkeeper, for he had good handwriting and was a skilled accountant. After two months, James, Candide, and Pangloss left on a commercial journey that involved maritime travel. While on the ship, James remarks that it is a shame that humans frequently treat each other so savagely. Pangloss affirms that this is for the best, as “‘private misfortunes are public benefits; so that the more private misfortunes there are, the greater is the general good.’” At that precise moment, a violent storm struck the ship, which was then near the city of Lisbon. The storm was so powerful that all on board knew they were in peril. James drowned when he tried to help a malevolent sailor who had just previously physically assaulted him: when he found himself in the ocean, the sailor could’ve returned the favor by saving him, but declined to. Candide was heartbroken and wished to help James, but was stopped by Pangloss due to it being too dangerous and too late, “who demonstrated to him that the roadstead of Lisbon had been made on purpose for the Anabaptist to be drowned there.” The ship was eventually consumed by the ocean and everyone drowned save Pangloss, Candide, and the cruel sailor. Pangloss and Candide went to Lisbon, which was then struck by the infamous Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 that saw the destruction of most of the city and the deaths of tens of thousands. After the ordeal, “The sailor … rushed into the midst of the ruin, where he found some money, with which he got drunk, and, after he had slept himself sober he purchased the favors of the first good-natured wench that came in his way, amidst the ruins of demolished houses and the groans of half-buried and expiring persons.” Pangloss and Candide helped the victims of the earthquakes as best as they could, and were treated to a dinner by hosts whom they had given aid. While eating, Pangloss tried to demonstrate that this is the best of all possible worlds. Unfortunately, a member of the Inquisition was present, and informed Pangloss that his view was false due to the Catholic conception of original sin, which maintains that all humans are born in danger of being condemned to Hell for supposedly being related to Adam and Eve. Pangloss responds to the inquisitor by saying that he is a believer in free will, but before he can finish his response, he and Candide were promptly seized. The Lisbon Earthquake had leveled three-fourths of Lisbon. Due to the people at the time being very superstitious, fearful, and cruel (which is still true in numerous areas today), they decided that the Judeo-Christian God had punished Lisbon for its sinfulness. Thus, God must be appeased by arresting, torturing, and publicly executing innocent people. In Voltaire’s own words, “the sages of that country [Portugal] could think of no means more effectual to preserve the kingdom from utter ruin than to entertain the people with an auto-da-fe, it having been decided by the University of Coimbra, that the burning of a few people alive by a slow fire, and with great ceremony, is an infallible preventative of earthquakes.” For the auto-da-fe the Inquisition acquired a Biscayan for marrying his godmother, two Portuguese for not eating bacon, Pangloss for being honest in his heretical thoughts, and Candide “for seeming to approve what he [Pangloss] had said.” Candide and Pangloss were locked in deep dungeons, described euphemistically by Voltaire as “separate apartments, extremely cool, where they were never incommoded with the sun.” Eight days of imprisonment later, they were taken outside to be punished. The Biscayan and the two men who refused to eat bacon were burned alive, Pangloss was hanged, and Candide was savagely whipped. Ironically, while the auto-da-fe was underway, another earthquake struck Lisbon, leading to even more confusion. “Candide, amazed, terrified, confounded, astonished, all bloody, and trembling from head to foot, said to himself, ‘If this is the best of all possible worlds, what are the others?’” Candide, after being punished, was released, for all he was guilty of was appearing to agree with what Pangloss was saying. An old woman went to him and took him to a house where he was given medical care and good treatment. She then took him to see Cunégonde, who was in fact alive. When Candide saw her, he was ecstatic while she fainted.
Upon her waking, Candide proceeded to tell Cunégonde his story, and then she told him hers. When the Bulgarians invaded her home, she was asleep. A six-foot tall Bulgarian soldier tried to rape her, but she resisted. Incensed, he dealt her a blow that left a scar on her left leg. A Bulgarian captain entered the room and saw the scene, and felt personally insulted when the soldier didn't pay him any respect and continued to try to force himself on Cunégonde. Thus, he stabbed him to death and brought Cunégonde under his guard as his maid. Cunégonde remarks, “‘This captain took care of me, had me cured, and carried me as a prisoner of war to his quarters. I washed what little linen he possessed, and cooked his victuals: he was very fond of me, that was certain; neither can I deny that he was well made, and had a soft, white skin, but he was very stupid, and knew nothing of philosophy: it might plainly be perceived that he had not been educated under Dr. Pangloss. In three months, having gambled away all his money, and having grown tired of me, he sold me a Jew, named Don Issachar, who traded in Holland and Portugal, and was passionately fond of women.’” Issachar tried to convince Cunégonde to be intimate with him, but she refused. One day, when she attended Mass, she drew the lust of the Grand Inquisitor himself. He threatened Issachar that if he refused to surrender Cunégonde, he would have him executed in an auto-da-fe. A compromise was eventually reached: Isacchar will enjoy her company on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday while the Grand Inquisitor will have the other four days of the week. Things went like this for almost six months, and she refused to concede herself to either of them, and she credits their continued interest in her due to her strong will. The Grand Inquisitor soon invited her to attend the auto-da-fe, where she witnessed three men being burned at the stake, the hanging of Pangloss, and the flagellation of Candide. Upon seeing Candide, she had her servant, the old woman, bring him to her as soon as possible. After telling Candider what had happened to her, they ate dinner and spoke with each other on a sofa. Unfortunately, Isacchar entered the room, for it was the Sabbath and his turn to enjoy the company of Cunégonde. Upon seeing Candide, he drew his sword and tried to kill him, but was promptly slain by him despite Candide being a “very gentle and sweet-tempered” individual. He and Cunégonde then turned to the old woman for advice. While that was happening, the Grand Inquisitor entered the room for it was his day and was shocked to observe the scene. Candide, knowing that he would have him and maybe even Cunégonde executed, and desiring personal vengeance for the treatment inflicted upon him and the others, murdered him. The old woman informs the two that there are three Andalusian horses in the stables and that they should leave for Cadiz due to its good weather. She also encourages Cunégonde to bring moidores (coins) and jewels with her to potentially pay for services, and she reveals that she has lost one buttock (to be explained later). The three immediately left and traveled thirty miles without stopping. It was fortunate they did so, for the authorities quickly entered the apartment. Upon seeing what had happened, the Grand Inquisitor was given a magnificent burial while Issachar due to his being Jewish was thrown into a pile of filth. Candide, Cunégonde, and the old woman soon reached an inn in Avacena, a town in the Sierra Morena mountains. Unfortunately, while they rested in the inn, a Franciscan monk robbed Cunégonde of her jewels. To continue their journey, they were forced to sell their horse at a very cheap price to a Benedictine friar, leaving them with only two. Before they could leave, however, some soldiers arrived who planned to incite the Jesuits to rebel against the authorities. Candide, who had been trained to march under the Bulgarians, marched splendidly, so much so that he was immediately appointed the rank of captain. As captain he took Cunégonde, the old woman, and the horses with him.
As they departed on a boat, the old woman tells Candide after his statement that this is the best of all possible worlds that he wouldn’t say so if he had suffered half as much as she had. She then explains her story: she was originally the daughter of Pope Urban X and the Princess of Palestrina. As she grew up in her castle she enjoyed a fantastic life and enjoyed much happiness. She originally planned to marry the prince of Massa Carrara, a person who suited her, but before they were married, the mistress of the prince, desiring to prevent him from leaving her, poisoned his chocolate, causing him to die in less than two hours of violent convulsions. To deal with her grief, she left with her mother to one of their foreign estates, only to be captured by pirates who probed their bodies, including their genitals, to ascertain the existence of any hidden jewels. The old woman noted that the practice of doing so “‘had been established since time immemorial among those civilized nations that scour the seas. I was informed that the religious Knights of Malta never fail to make this search whenever any Moors of either sex fall into their hands. It is a part of the law of nations, from which they never deviate.’” While captured by the pirates, the old woman, who at the time was gorgeous and still a virgin, was sexually assaulted by the captain of the ship. When they arrived at Morocco to be sold as slaves, they found themselves amid a civil war, for the fifty sons of the Emperor Muley Ishmael were fighting for control over the kingdom. Upon spotting the valuables the pirates had, including the women, whom they viewed as mere sexual objects, they tried to grab them. The ensuing battle was vicious, for when the soldiers were fighting the pirates over who would keep the women, they slaughtered not only each other but their prisoners in the process: “‘A Moor seized my mother by the right arm, while my captain’s lieutenant held her by the left; another Moor laid hold of her by the right leg, and one of our corsairs held her by the other … My captain kept me concealed behind him, and with his drawn scimitar cut down everyone who opposed him; at length I saw all our Italian women and my mother mangled and torn in pieces by the monsters who contended for them. The captives, my companions, the Moors who took us, the soldiers, the sailors, the blacks, the whites, the mulattoes, and lastly, my captain himself, were all slain, and I remained alone expiring upon a heap of dead bodies.’” Though severely wounded, the old woman was still alive, and was nursed back to health by one of her previous teachers who was a eunuch. Unfortunately, he didn't keep his promise of protecting her and instead sold her into slavery. The plague then struck, which the old woman noted as being much more devastating than an earthquake, for it lasted for a much longer time and could return repeatedly. She detailed that she was only fifteen when she became ill with the disease herself: in less than three months all her innocence had been obliterated. At Algiers she didn't perish from the disease, though she was close to doing so, and she was sold by a variety of merchants until she found herself in the possession of a janissary. The janissary’s comrades were fighting the Russians at the time, and she, along with two eunuchs and twenty soldiers, remained in a small fort, for the janissary bought the old woman and other females for the sole sake of sexual gratification. Not long after, the Russians made various gains on the Islamic forces, so much so that the situation became dire, with the old woman and the others completely trapped in the tower they were hiding in. Furthermore, the Russians slaughtered anyone they could get their hands on without remorse and burned the city to ashes. They eventually laid siege to the tower and decided to starve out the inhabitants. After some time, the inhabitants were suffering from so much hunger that the twenty soldiers murdered and consumed the two eunuchs. A while later, they considered eating the women. However, a “‘very pious and humane man’” in the tower convinced the soldiers to not kill the women, but to instead cut off a buttock from each, for that would spare their lives. Furthermore, if they do have to eat them, they still could. The soldiers were pleased to hear this, and cut a buttock off each female prisoner. However, this proved to be in vain, for scarcely had they consumed them than did the Russians finally break into the tower by utilizing flat-bottomed boats. They slew all the janissaries and some doctors looked after the female prisoners, with one of them, a French man, helping the old woman recover. The French surgeon told the female prisoners to not take what they had experienced too seriously, for what they had gone through is fairly mundane in war: “‘the like had happened in many sieges; and that it was perfectly agreeable to the laws of war.’” The old woman was sold to a Boyard, a Russian aristocrat who made her work in his garden and whipped her twenty times a day. Two years later, he was broken on the wheel with thirty others for treason, causing her to utilize the opportunity to escape. She then became a servant in a variety of inns. The old woman remarks the following regarding her misfortunes: “‘I have grown old in misery and disgrace, living with only one buttock, and having in perpetual remembrance that I am a Pope’s daughter. I have been a hundred times upon the point of killing myself, but still I was fond of life.This ridiculous weakness is, perhaps, one of the dangerous principles implanted in our nature. For what can be more absurd than to persist in carrying a burden of which we wish to be eased? To detest, and yet to strive to preserve our existence? In a word, to caress the serpent that devours us, and hug him close to our bosoms till he has gnawed into our hearts?’”
The old woman continues discussing her past by remarking that as an innkeeper who had much worldly experience she met a gargantuan number of people who loathed their lives, yet only twelve followed through with their convictions by bringing their lives to an end, among them “‘three Negroes, four Englishmen, as many Genevese, and a German professor named Robek.’” She eventually found herself in the employment of Don Issachar and became acquainted with Candide and Cunégonde, which brings her to the present. She tells her two companions that if they are bored, they can ask each passenger on the ship to tell them their tale, and that they could throw her into the ocean if even a single one of them “‘has not cursed his existence many times, and said to himself over and over again that he was the most wretched of mortals’”. The old woman’s challenge proved to be in her favor. Eventually, the ship docked at Buenos Ayres. The governor of the area, whose name—Don Fernando d’Ibaraa y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza—gave away his arrogance. He was overconfident and didn't hide his disdain for others whom he viewed as below him. He was also very lustful, and when he saw Cunégonde, he hurriedly asked Candide whether he was married to her. Candide, still being an honest and mostly good individual, tells the governor that they are not married, but will be so soon. The governor told Candide to check on his company of soldiers, and when he did, he was left alone with Cunégonde, whom he then proposed to. Cunégonde asked the old woman for some advice, and she told her that she should marry the governor, for doing so would grant both her and Candide financial security as well as protection from enemies, for the governor is one of the foremost officials of the area. At that moment some soldiers trying to find the murderer of the Grand Inquisitor appeared. It turned out that the Franciscan who stole Cunégonde’s jewels and money was exposed for his theft. Before being hanged, he admitted to stealing them and described the people he had taken the valuables from. Upon learning the location they were in, soldiers were immediately dispatched. The old woman tells Cunégonde that she’ll be safe, for she didn't murder the Grand Inquisitor and also has the protection of the governor. She tells Candide to leave at once, for if he is captured he will be burned at the stake. Candide obeyed and left with his servant whom he had bought from Cadiz, who was “the fourth part of a Spaniard, of a mongrel breed, and born in Tucuman. He had successively gone through the profession of a singing boy, sexton, sailor, monk, peddler, soldier, and lackey. His name was Cacambo; he had a great affection for his master, because his master was a very good man.” Cacambo led Candide to the Jesuits of Paraguay, for they are needing soldiers, and will desire Candide due to his combat experience and prodigious skill at marching. Cacambo goes on a little rant in which he describes the ridiculousness of war and religious intolerance, for at the time Christian rulers attacked each other for the sake of land but masked their true motives by citing religion and oppressed the commoners through severe taxation. Candide and Cacambo were given an audience by the Jesuits by being arrested for being of the wrong nationality, but were spared upon telling them they were German. They talked with one of the chief Jesuits, the Baron (no relation to Cunégonde’s’s father), who later turned out to be Cunégonde’s brother, who was thought to have been stabbed to death by the Bulgarians. Upon reuniting with each other, Candide and the Baron happily spoke with each other. The Baron tells Candide that when he awoke, he found his parents dead and his sister missing. Falling unconscious, “the bodies of my father, mother, and myself, with two servant maids and three little boys … were thrown into a cart to be buried in a chapel belonging to the Jesuits, within two leagues of our family seat.” When a Jesuit sprinkled him with salty holy water, he awoke, and joined their military forces and quickly rose to a powerful position due to being handsome. Candide tells the Baron that Cunégonde is alive and in Buenos Aires, but before they left to retrieve her, he admits that he wishes to marry her. Upon learning of this, the Baron became incensed, for he felt she was too good for him due to his not being very rich. Candide responds by telling him that he saved her sister from Issachar and the Grand Inquisitor and that she wants to marry him as well, but the Baron would have none of it, going so far as to strike his face with the flat side of his sword. Candide then drew his sword and stabbed the Baron, seemingly killing him. Cacambo, to ensure his and Candide’s survival, stripped the Baron of his clothing and put it on Candide. They then mounted their horses and successfully escaped on the pretense that the Baron was going on a ride. They eventually entered a tropical area and spotted two young women who were chased by two monkeys that tried to bite them. Candide, interpreting the sounds they produced as screams, “saved” them by shooting the two monkeys. After performing what he believed to be a valorous deed, he was shocked to see the young women weeping, for the monkeys were their lovers: Cacambo tells Candide that many interesting things exist in the world, as well as the interbreeding of humans and other species, seen in the mythological existence of creatures like centaurs, fauns, and satyrs.
Candide and Cacambo moved on, wishing to leave the dreadful scene, and came to rest. However, fifty Oreillons, members of a tribe that loathed the Christians for their attempts at trying to convert them, upon spotting Candide, who was still dressed in the Baron’s clothes, believed him to be one. They seized Candide and Cacambo and prepared to boil them alive and eat them, but Cacambo understood their language to some extent and told them that their anger is understandable and that they had misunderstood the situation: Candide had just killed a Jesuit and was only wearing his clothing. He then proclaims the following: “‘take the habit he has on and carry it to the first barrier of the Jesuits’ kingdom, and inquire whether my master did not kill one of their officers. There will be little or no time lost by this, and you may still reserve our bodies in your power to feast on if you should find what we have told you to be false. But, on the contrary, if you find it to be true, I am persuaded you are too well acquainted with the principles of the laws of society, humanity, and justice, not to use us courteously, and suffer us to depart unhurt.’” The Oreillons, who believed their proposal to be reasonable, sent two of their number to investigate the affair. They quickly discovered that Cacambo was telling the truth. Thus, they not only freed them but paid them various honors, including offering them women, providing them with food, and heaping praise on them. Candide remarks that Pangloss was right and that the world is indeed fair and good, for if he didn't stab Cunégonde’s brother, then he would’ve been devoured. Candide and Cacambo eventually left, resolving to return to Cayenne. They discovered a river that was surrounded by extreme landscapes that capsized their boat. When this occurred, they proceeded by moving on foot, and went up a rugged, inaccessible mountain, finding after much turmoil a marvelous land: “The country appeared cultivated equally for pleasure and to produce the necessaries of life. The useful and agreeable were here usually blended. The roads were covered, or rather adorned, with carriages formed of glittering materials, in which were men and women of a surprising beauty, drawn with great rapidity by red sheep of a very large size; which far surpassed the finest coursers of Andalusian Tetuan, or Mecquinez.” They soon reached El Dorado, a mythological area that is a paradise and is of unfathomable wealth. That is, the ground itself was formed of gold, diamonds, and various other jewels. The society of El Dorado is an utter utopia, for everyone within it is happy and not one individual within it experiences suffering, poverty, or deprivation, for everything is provided for free. Furthermore, El Dorado does not need armies or priests, for they are only required in imperfect societies that see turmoil and require law and order to prevent people from committing dastardly crimes. When Candide and Cacambo arrived at El Dorado, they were given fantastic foods, were treated cordially by their hosts, and were informed that the gold which most of humanity desires so much as to be willing to kill for it is worthless in El Dorado. An old man in El Dorado who was one hundred and seventy-two informed Candide that El Dorado was the homeland of the Incas, who foolishly left it and were annihilated by the Spaniards. The king of El Dorado mandates that no one can leave to prevent the previous incident from occurring again, for the outside world is harsh and most of the inhabitants of the earth are capable of great evil. El Dorado is given solid geographical protection by the almost impassable mountains around it. Although El Dorado has no priests, it does practice deism, for every individual believes in a single benevolent deity and worships Him by giving thanks regularly, seeing that they have all they want. Candide and Cacambo were then taken to see the king, for travelers from the outside world were extremely rare in El Dorado. Voltaire humorously writes, “When they drew near to the presence-chamber, Cacambo asked one of the officers in what manner they were to pay their obeisance to His Majesty; whether it was the custom to fall upon their knees, or to prostrate themselves upon the ground; whether they were to lick the dust off the floor; in short, what was the ceremony usual on each occasions.” The officer informs Cacambo that all he and Candide have to do is to hug the king and to kiss him on each cheek. The king, like all the others of El Dorado, was a kind and just man who treated Candide and Cacambo with the utmost respect. The king informs them that El Dorado has no parliament, prisons, or executive officials, for no one commits crimes there. Candide was astounded by the Palace of Sciences, which included “a gallery two thousand feet long, filled with the various apparatus in mathematics and natural philosophy.”
Candide and Cacambo enjoyed a life of bliss for a month. However, Candide desired to meet Cunégonde, for he missed her greatly. Furthermore, even if they leave El Dorado, they will be extremely rich if they bring only a dozen of El Dorado’s sheep, each carrying bags with the pebbles (gold) of the ground of El Dorado. Cacambo, who enjoyed traveling, agreed to Candide’s request to depart. This supports the notion that El Dorado represents the impossibility of utopias if humans are to remain how they are, for humankind desires change and new sensations, not just satisfaction. When they informed the king of their desire to leave, he told them that while what they are planning to do is, quite frankly, stupid, seeing all they’re leaving behind. However, he did not stop them from leaving, for they have the right to do as they will. The king also tells them that trying to leave is almost impossible due to the harsh terrain: “‘It is impossible to ascend that rapid river which runs under high and vaulted rocks, and by which you were conveyed hither by a kind of miracle. The mountains by which my kingdom are hemmed in on all sides, are ten thousand feet high, and perfectly perpendicular; they are above ten leagues across, and the descent from them is one continued precipice.’” The king, staying true to his benevolent nature, told them that he will assist their leaving by having the engineers of his kingdom construct machinery that will allow them to leave. When Cacambo begged the king for permission to bring some of the pebbles of El Dorado back with them, the king laughed at the strange obsession most of humankind has with wealth and gladly permitted them to take away as much of it as they wanted. Voltaire describes, “Three thousand good machinists went to work and finished it in about fifteen days, and it did not cost more than twenty millions sterling of that country’s money. Candide and Cacambo … took with them two large sheep, bridled and saddled, to ride upon, took with them two large red sheep, bridled and saddled, to ride upon, when they got on the other side of the mountains; twenty others to serve as sumpters for carrying provisions; thirty laden with presents of whatever was most curious in the country, and fifty with gold, diamonds, and other precious stones. The King, at parting with our two adventurers, embraced them with the greatest cordiality.” Candide and Cacambo set out to Buenos Aires to retrieve Cunégonde from the governor. However, they soon lost all but two of their sheep to the treacherous conditions. When they neared a town, they came across a slave who stated that his white masters would treat him and the other slaves with extreme callousness and brutality, cutting off their hands and legs when they respectively got wounded and tried to escape. The slave reveals that his mother sold him into slavery for ten patacoons and that if it is true that all humans are related, the whites are guilty of patricide. Candide, hearing the dreadful news, knew he could no longer defend the notion that this was the best of all possible worlds and renounced his Panglossian optimism. Cacambo tearfully separated from Candide, as he planned to negotiate with the governor of Buenos Aires for Cunégonde on his behalf, for he was still a wanted man. Voltaire notes that Candide wholeheartedly trusted Cacambo, for their relationship was akin to that of friends, not owner and master. Candide, after waiting for a few days, decided to check on Cacambo, hiring a ship to take him to Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, the person in command of the ship correctly ascertained that Candide was very rich due to how willing he was to pay for the fare, and seeing how his only property was two sheep, knew that they probably had valuables hidden on their figure. He proceeded to steal the sheep. Candide, heartbroken for the umpteenth time, demanded a magistrate to restore justice. The magistrate was very calm about the whole matter, so much so that Candide became even angrier: “it is true, he had suffered misfortunes a thousand times more grievous, but the cool insolence of the judge, and the villainy of the skipper raised his choler and threw him into a deep melancholy. The villainy of mankind presented itself to his mind it all its deformity, and his soul was a prey to the most gloomy ideas.” After some time, he embarked on a ship by paying the regular price.
Although robbed of almost all his money, he still had a little left, enough so that before the ship was to set out, he decided to set up a challenge: he would pay for the fare of the single person who is unhappiest with their life and will present them with ten thousand piastres. After making his announcement, so many people showed up that Candide decided to listen only to the twenty who appeared to be the most melancholy. He swore to them that he would be fair in his judgment and would reward all of them for their honesty, though only one would receive the initial prize. Candide eventually decided on a certain individual who is described as such: “a poor scholar, who had labored ten years for the booksellers at Amsterdam: being of opinion that no employment could be more detestable. This scholar, who was in fact a very honest man, had been robbed by his wife, beaten by his son, and forsaken by his daughter, who had run away with a Portuguese. He had been likewise deprived of a small employment on which he subsisted, and he was persecuted by the clergy of Surinam, who took him for a Socinian. It must be acknowledged that the other competitors were, at least, as wretched as he; but Candide was in hopes that the company of a man of letters would relieve the tediousness of the voyage.” To appease the others, Candide paid them each hundred piastres. Voltaire notes that the scholar was also a philosopher whose name was Martin. Martin and Candide had many interesting discussions on their voyage, and Martin tells Candide that he’s one of the few Manichaeans left. Martin, a pessimist, bluntly speaks of the nature of the world: “‘when I cast my eye on this globe, or rather globule, I cannot help thinking that God has abandoned it to some malignant being. I always except El Dorado. I scarce ever knew a city that did not wish the destruction of its neighboring city; nor a family that did not desire to exterminate some other family. The poor in all parts of the world bear an inveterate hatred to the rich, even while they creep and cringe to them; and the rich treat the poor like sheep, whose wool and flesh they barter for money; a million of regimented assassins traverse Europe from one end to the other, to get their bread by regular depredation and murder, because it is the most gentlemanlike profession. Even in those cities which seem to enjoy the blessings of peace, and where the arts flourish, the inhabitants are devoured with envy, care, and inquietudes, which are greater plagues than any experienced in a town besieged. Private chagrins are still more dreadful than public calamities.’” At that moment a naval battle that didn't involve the boat they were on commenced, and it ended with more than a hundred people of a Dutch vessel drowning. One of the sheep of Candide swam to him, causing him to feel more joy in its retrieval than despair at losing the others. It is then noted that the victorious boat belonged to Spain while the defeated vessel was that of a Dutch pirate, the same one that cheated Candide of his due and swindled his property. Candide, learning of this, became ecstatic, for he viewed justice as having been dealt. Martin informs Candide that he shouldn’t be too joyous, for while the thief met a bad end, numerous others were slain in the process: “‘God had punished the knave, and the Devil has drowned the rest.’” Fourteen days later, their voyage came to an end, and during those fourteen days they intensely debated the world, so intensely so that they didn't make any progress. Martin tells Candide that when he traveled in the past, he met with misfortune, as when he went to Paris he was repeatedly robbed until he had nothing left and was thrown into prison due to being suspected of being a pickpocket. Candide informs Martin that after seeing the beauty and perfection of El Dorado, all he wants to see again is Cunégonde, for no other city could match the quality of El Dorado. Candide asks Martin whether he believes the earth was once covered with ocean (which is true today from a scientific perspective), and Martin responds by asserting that he doesn’t believe it, for he views the world as designed to torment its inhabitants. He tells Candide that he wasn’t surprised at all of the story of the two young women who had monkeys as lovers, for he had witnessed so many bizarre things that few things could shock him further. Martin confesses to Candide that he believes that humankind has always been miserable since its inception, for nature has designed people to survive, not to be happy. Upon arriving at Paris, Candide fell ill, and due to having a diamond ring, was surrounded by people who tried to ingratiate themselves to him. Hilariously, a priest offered him an indulgence in exchange for the diamond, only to be turned down by an angry Martin who tried to defend Candide from the onslaught of people around him. Upon Candide’s recovery, he and Martin witnessed a play and was informed by a critic that while he witnessed five to six thousand plays, he only came across fifteen or sixteen truly good ones. Later, he was informed by a scholar that the critic they had just spoken to desired to tear others down due to his not having any talent himself: he is a person “‘who gets his livelihood by abusing every new book and play that is written or performed; he dislikes much to see anyone meet with success, like eunuchs, who detest everyone that possesses those powers they are deprived of; he is one of those vipers in literature who nourish themselves with their venom; a pamphlet-monger.’”
Candide and Martin spent some time with an actress who had performed in the tragedy they had just witnessed. The next morning, Candide received a letter from Cunégonde that revealed that Cacambo had reached her and that she was sick, for “‘The Governor of Buenos Ayres has taken everything from me but your heart, which I still retain. Come to me immediately on the receipt of this. Your presence will either give me new life, or kill me with the pleasure.’” Unfortunately, this letter was a fraud, for some people, including a person he had dined with the night before, strongly desired his valuables, so much so as to be willing to conspire towards a stranger who was also their benefactor. After being tricked into giving a fake Cunégonde his valuables, Candide and Martin’s betrayers called in the police, for foreigners were not allowed in the area. Martin, quickly realizing he and Candide had been deceived, utilized his quick wits to offer the officer who had come to arrest them three diamonds, each worth three thousand pistoles. The officer, humorously referred to as “the understrapper of justice,” told Candide that even if he committed the worst crimes, he would be declared innocent by the members of the law court if he had such valuables on him. Furthermore, he proclaimed that he is ready to die for his sake if given the three diamonds. He informs Candide that he has a brother at Dieppe, Normandy, and that he will take him there in exchange for the diamonds. His brother, in exchange for a diamond, will help them as much as they can. The officer then “ordered Candide’s irons to be struck off, acknowledged himself mistaken, and sent his followers about their business, after which he conducted Candide and Martin to Dippe, and left them to the care of his brother.” After that, Candide and Martin embarked on a Dutch ship. The officer’s brother, “whom the other three diamonds had converted into the most obliging, serviceable being that ever breathed, took care to see Candide and his attendants safe on board this vessel, that was just ready to sail for Portsmouth in England.” Candide and Martin left for Venice to find Cunégonde as soon as possible, but before they arrived there in a few days, they witnessed barbarism in Portsmouth, England, for an admiral was put to death for not being harsh enough and to serve as encouragement for the other soldiers to fight harder. Indeed, Candide was so horrified to witness such an atrocity that he paid for the skipper of his boat to leave the area immediately. Upon arriving at Venice, Candide and Martin didn't succeed in finding Cunégonde. Candide cursed his decision to leave El Dorado, for it is a paradise while the rest of the world is a literal hell. Martin informed him that he was indeed foolish to have done so, and that Cacambo is unlikely to obey his orders if he acts like a regular person, that is, selfishly, for “‘with five or six millions in his pocket … he will take her for himself; if he does not, he will take another. Let me advise you to forget your valet Cacambo, and your mistress Cunegund.” Candide became depressed for a while, made all the worse by Martin’s incessant attempts to demonstrate that “there is very little virtue or happiness in this world; except, perhaps, in El Dorado, where hardly anybody can gain admittance.” Not soon after, they saw a seemingly happy couple: a young Theatin friar and a pretty girl who was singing a song. Candide declared that they must be very happy only to be informed by Martin that they weren’t, for appearances could be deceiving. Candide offered both of them a fine meal, which they accepted. The pretty girl revealed himself to be Paquette: not long after Candide left, she was seduced by her Franciscan confessor and was forced to leave. Suffering from syphilis, a doctor treated her, but this proved to be bad, for “his wife, who was a very devil for jealousy, beat me unmercifully every day … The doctor himself was the most ugly of all mortals, and I the most wretched creature existing … Incensed at the behavior of his wife, he one day gave her so affectionate a remedy for a slight cold she had caught that she died in less than two hours in most dreadful convulsions. Her relations prosecuted the husband, who was obliged to fly, and I was sent to prison. My innocence would not have saved me, if I had not been tolerably handsome. The judge gave me my liberty on condition he should succeed the doctor … I was soon supplanted by a rival, turned off without a farthing, and obliged to continue the abominable trade which you men think so pleasing, but which to us unhappy creatures is the most dreadful of all sufferings.’” Paquette reiterates that she loathes her job, for many of her clients are of bad temper and are unattractive due to their advanced age. Martin, after hearing this, tells Candide that he has already won one half of the bargain. Candide retorts by stating that the friar had not told his story yet. Candide then asked Pacquette that she appeared to be so happy just moments ago, and she responds by informing him that that is yet another misery of her job, for she must appear in a good mood to please her clients: “‘yesterday I was stripped and beaten by an officer; yet today I must appear good humored and gay to please a friar.’”
As they ate their dinner, Candide informs the friar (whose name is Giroflee) that he appears to be a person of the utmost gaiety. The friar concedes that he loathes his position in life, for he was forced to become a friar at the age of fifteen by his parents due to the practice of primogeniture, which mandates that the eldest son of a family will be given the entire inheritance. The friar cursed his older brother, for he detested life in a monastery. While “‘It is true I have preached often paltry sermons … at night, when I go hence to my monastery, I am ready to dash my brains against the walls of the dormitory; and this is the case with all the rest of our fraternity.’” Candide admitted to losing his wager with Martin and gave two thousand piastres to Pacquette and a thousand to the friar. Martin confesses to Candide that he believes that even if he reunites with Cunégonde, he wouldn’t be as happy as he would expect to be, for people’s hopes are frequently exaggerated in how much pleasure they expect from achieving a certain goal. Candide then pointed out to Martin the apparent joy of some gondoliers, only to be informed by Martin that their domestic lives may be unhappy, for their children may behave terribly. Candide cites the name of Senator Pococurante, a wealthy man who is rumored to be good towards guests and is a satisfied individual. When Candide and Martin met Pococurante, they found out that he lived in luxury. However, it becomes apparent that he is bored and disillusioned, for he has everything a person is supposed to need to be happy, yet he is extremely dissatisfied. For instance, he has paintings by Raphael but views them as drab, beautiful maidens whom he views with indifference, moving music that he grew sick of after some time, and greatly decorated books that he views as boring and stupid. For the last point, while he has a luxurious book involving Homer, he views the plot as ridiculous, for they are fighting a war over a single person and the battles are convoluted, soporific, and didactic. When they left Pococurante, Candide stated that he is the happiest of all people, for he has everything he wants. Martin corrects him for informing him that he is not so, for he is very restless due to not enjoying anything, seeing how he criticizes all his privileges and pleasures. As the weeks passed, there was still no news of Cacambo, causing Candide to become sad, so much so that he didn't feel unhappy about how Pacquette and the friar didn't thank him for his kind treatment towards them. Soon enough, however, Cacambo showed up, and informed Candide that Cunégonde is in Constantinople. Cacambo tells Candide that he has become a slave. Candide is happy to see him but is shocked to see his state of servitude; he resolves to free him when given the opportunity. Sometime later, Candide and Martin dined with some deposed kings who lost their power and territories due to the whims of fortune, such as betrayal and war. Martin, Candide, and Cacambo then left for Constantinople, and Martin tells Candide that their meal with the deposed rulers was a mere coincidence and that many powerful people like the kings have likewise been stripped of their former glory, making their fates not uncommon. Cacambo informs Candide that Cunégonde has met an ignominious fate, for she “‘washes dishes on the banks of the Propontis, in the house of a prince who has very few to wash. She is at present a slave … she is turned horribly ugly.’” Candide, learning of this, still resolves to meet her again and asks Cacambo how he could’ve been turned into a slave despite having much money on him. Cacambo informs him that he paid two million sterling to the governor and was then kidnapped with Cunégonde by pirates, who proceeded to sell them into slavery. Candide paid Cacambo’s master, a deposed Sultan, for his freedom. They then boarded a ship rowed by galley slaves. Two of the slaves did a poor job and were brutally punished by the overseer. Candide, feeling great sympathy, noted upon closer imagination that “Their features, though greatly disfigured, appeared to him to bear a strong resemblance with those of Pangloss and the unhappy Baron Jesuit, Miss Cunegund’s brother. This idea affected him with grief and compassion: he examined them attentively than before.” He remarked to Martin that if he didn't see Pangloss and the baron dead in front of him, he would believe the two men were they. The two slaves, upon hearing Candide’s words, rushed forward to him, for they were indeed Pangloss and the baron. Candide, ecstatic to see them, told the Turkish captain that he would pay for their freedom. The Turkish captain informed Candide that since “‘these two dogs of Christian slaves are barons and metaphysicians, who no doubt are of high rank in their own country, thou shalt give me fifty thousand sequins.’” Candide accepted the captain’s offer and asked him to take him to Constantinople. Upon reaching there, he sent for a Jew to whom he had sold a diamond worth one hundred thousand sequins for fifty thousand due to his claiming it was all he could afford. Once he received his payment, he gave the money to the Turkish captain, presenting Pangloss and the baron with their freedom. Voltaire notes that Pangloss “flung himself at the feet of his deliverer, and bathed him with his tears” while the baron “thanked him with a gracious nod, and promised to return him the money the first opportunity.”
Thus, Candide, Martin, Pangloss, Cacambo, and the baron went via another galley to see Cunégonde. While going there, the baron told Candide that while he was indeed stabbed, he survived. Furthermore, he was given medical treatment, but scarcely had he recovered than Spanish troops attacked the area, took him prisoner, and sent him to Buenos Aires. He then asked to go to Rome to serve as an ambassador, and when he got there he ‘“happened to meet one evening a young Icoglan, extremely handsome and well-made. The weather was very hot; the young man had an inclination to bathe. I took the opportunity to bathe likewise. I did not know it was a crime for a Christian to be found naked in company with a young Turk. A cadi ordered me to receive a hundred blows on the soles of my feet, and sent me to the galleys.’” As for Pangloss, while he was hanged, he was initially supposed to be burned at the stake. Fortunately, the storm at the time made it difficult for a fire to be lit, forcing the inquisitors to resort to hanging. After his “death,” a doctor purchased his cadaver to dissect. When the doctor made the first incision from his navel to his collarbone, Pangloss was resuscitated by the pain, for the person responsible for his execution, a subdeacon, was highly skilled in burning people alive at the stake but was an amateur at hanging them due to not receiving enough practice. The weather also contributed to his survival, for the noose wasn’t as tough as it should’ve been due to being soaked by the rain. The doctor was shocked to hear Pangloss scream, and when his wife heard his shrieks, she informed him that dissecting the bodies of heretics is dangerous, for the devil possesses them. Pangloss begged to be given kindness and was promptly provided it by the doctor and his wife: he recovered not long after. He became a servant of a knight, but it soon became apparent that his master couldn’t pay him a wage, causing him to work under a Venetian merchant who then took him to Constantinople. Once there, he entered a mosque, where he saw an old man and a beautiful young female. Unfortunately for him, when one of the flowers she wore around her neck fell to the ground, he retrieved it for her in a respectable fashion, but the old man believed that he had taken too much time to do so, and upon noting that he was a Christian, had him arrested. The cadi ordered his feet to be struck one hundred times and for him to be sold into slavery. He was then “‘chained in the very galley and to the very same bench with the Baron … We were continually whipped, and received twenty lashes a day with a heavy thong, where the concatenation of sublunary events brought you on board our galley to ransom us from slavery.’” Candide then asks Pangloss whether he still believes this world is the best of all possible ones, and Pangloss asserts that he still does, for he doesn’t want to admit that the evidence goes against his hypothesis, as that would mean he was wrong: “‘it would not become me to retract my sentiments; especially as Leibnitz could not be in the wrong; and that preestablished harmony is the finest thing in the world, as well as a plenum and the materia subtilis.’” Candide, Pangloss, Martin, Cacambo, and the baron soon reached the place where Cunégonde and the old woman were working as slaves. Candide saw to his horror that she had indeed lost her beauty, as she was “all sunburned, with bleary eyes, a withered neck, wrinkled face and arms, all covered with a red scurf”. Regardless, Candide was still an honorable human, and acted as though nothing was wrong. After purchasing her and the old woman’s freedom, the latter suggested that they all live on a farm in the neighborhood until they have a better destination in mind. At the same time, Cunégonde didn't know the state of her physical appearance, and continuously asked Candide when he would marry her. Filled with sympathy and a sense of duty, Candide told the Baron that he was going to wed Cunégonde. The baron, hilariously, still felt his sister to be too good for Candide due to her being born to an aristocratic family and for him not having a suitable rank. Cunégonde, hearing this, wept at his feet. Candide, incensed at his arrogance, informs him all he has done for him and Cunégonde. He also tells the baron that he’s so angry he wants to kill him, and he responds by telling him that he is fine with being struck down, for “‘thou shalt not marry my sister while I am living.’”
Candide didn't want to marry Cunégonde, but after the Baron’s intemperate and unjust behavior, he became ever more determined to do so. He turned towards Pangloss, Martin, and Cacambo for advice, and they decided to sell him back to the Turkish captain. When it came to the plan, “the old woman approved of it, and not a syllable was said to his sister; the business was executed for a little money; and they had the pleasure of tricking a Jesuit, and punishing the pride of a German baron.” Candide settled down on his farm, but he struggled financially, for virtually all of his wealth had been either lost or stolen. Furthermore, Cunégonde became more and more unattractive every day, for she became uglier and was a shrew. The old woman struggled with bad health and was more unlikeable than even Cunégonde. “Cacambo, who worked in the garden, and carried the produce of it to sell in Constantinople, was above his labor, and cursed his fate. Pangloss despaired of making a figure in any of the German universities. And as to Martin, he was firmly persuaded that a person is equally ill-situated everywhere. He took things with patience.” After a while, Candide and the others became quite bored with the farm, leading the old woman to ask which was better: suffering or boredom. Candide says the question is difficult to answer. Martin answered by hypothesizing that “man was born to live in the convulsions of disquiet, or in the lethargy of idleness.” As for Pangloss, he continued to believe that this was the best of all possible worlds while not doing so wholeheartedly, for he knew on some level that he was wrong. Pacquette and the friar arrived at their farm one day, for they had squandered their three thousand piastres, had been imprisoned, and escaped. Furthermore, the friar abandoned his previous position and became a Turk. As for Pacquette, she tried to continue to do her job, but she made little money from it. Pacquette and the friar resolved to stay at the farm and to perform certain tasks to earn their keep. After some time, the inhabitants of the farm heard of a dervish who was said to be the best philosopher in Turkey. They decided to consult him, yet he was arrogant and slammed the door in their faces upon hearing Pangloss’s assertion that this is the best of all possible worlds. They then learned that two viziers and the mufti had been strangled at Constantinople, and some of their comrades had been impaled as a blanket punishment. Candide and the others soon came across a seemingly happy old man with a little farm. The old man told them that he doesn’t concern his attention with the state of the world, for it is beyond his control, and focuses only on cultivating his garden. “After saying these words, he invited the strangers to come into his house. His two daughters and two sons presented them with diverse sorts of sherbet of their own making; besides caymac, heightened with the peels of candied citrons, oranges, lemons, pineapples, pistachio nuts, and Mocha coffee unadulterated with the bad coffee of Batavia or the American islands. After which the two daughters of this good Mussulman perfumed the beards of Candide, Pangloss, and Martin.” The Turkish farmer, in response to Candide’s question as to how much land he owned, informed him that he has only twenty acres that he faithfully tends to with the help of his children to keep away the “three great evils’” of humanity—idleness, vice, and want. Candide notes after he and his companions left that the old man appeared to be happier and more content with his lot than many they had encountered, and Pangloss informs him that the accumulation of power and worldly wealth can be dangerous, for many important and powerful people have lost their lives to their enemies. Candide and the others decided to make the most out of their fates and to cultivate their own garden, which represents their safe haven in a tumultuous and indifferent world. As Martin put it, doing a certain amount of work makes life bearable. Voltaire describes, “The little society, one and all … set themselves to exert their different talents. The little piece of ground yielded them a plentiful crop. Cunégonde indeed was very ugly, but she became an excellent hand at pastrywork: Pacquette embroidered; the old woman had the care of the linen. There was none, down to Brother Giroflee, but did some service; he was a very good carpenter, and became an honest man.” As for Pangloss, he continued to philosophize, and would occasionally tell Candide of his opinion that everything is for the best, informing him, “‘had you not been kicked out of a fine castle for the love of Miss Cunégonde, had you not been put into the Inquisition; had you not traveled over America on foot; had you not run the Baron through the body; and had you not lost all your sheep, which you brought from the good country of El Dorado, you would not have been here to eat preserved citrons and pistachio nuts.’” Candide, hearing this, answered calmly, knowing that Pangloss isn’t be reasoned with and that while his opinion is somewhat valid, that shouldn’t stop them from making the most of their lives in a state of peace and stability: “‘let us cultivate our garden.’”
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Candide by Voltaire is a fantastic story, for it addresses real-world issues, possesses much humor, is imaginative to a high degree, and is fast-paced in a way that prevents boredom while giving the audience time to breathe. Voltaire’s usual fantastic literary style is extremely apparent here, for Candide is one of his most famed works. I greatly enjoyed this book due to his blunt language and the understandable characters, for many can find characters they may relate to—I personally find Martin an especially likable character due to his calmness and his willingness to analyze and deal with whatever situation he finds himself in, seeing the vastness of the world and the minuteness of the individual. I greatly appreciate the way Voltaire organized this book, for he divides it into thirty chapters that each has a subtitle that informs the reader of what’s going to happen beforehand. Furthermore, the subtitles are usually hilarious, keeping the text thought-provoking and enjoyable. Voltaire’s extensive use of euphemisms never stops in adding to the ironic tone of the book, for they stand out in relation to the rest of the text. As for the lessons to be learned from the book, I firmly believe, given all the evidence, that one of the main ones to be learned is how to deal with the world in a personalized way that is sustainable, for wishing for a better world, though completely understandable, does little for the individual. Furthermore, one can easily spot the theme of compassion, tolerance, and understanding in the text, for Voltaire never compromises his opinions regarding the stupidity and cruelty of things like war, religious persecutions, and corrupt institutions that tyrannize large numbers of its population. I highly recommend Candide to anyone interested in satires, Voltaire’s works, texts addressing serious topics, and fast-paced fiction.
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