Candide Essay Research Paper Candide by Voltaire 2

Candide Essay, Research Paper

Candide

by Voltaire (1694 – 1778)

Type of Work:

Satirical novel

Setting

Europe and frontier South America; mid-eighteenth century

Principal Characters

Candide, a naive young man

Pangloss,Candide’s tutor and philosopher friend

Cunegonde, the beautiful daughter of a baron

Cacambo, Candide’s servant and companion

Martin, a later traveling companion

Story Overview

Candide, the illegitimate son of a Baron’s sister, was sent to live with the Baron at his beautiful castle in Westphalia.

The Baroness weighed about three hundred and fifty pounds, as therefore greatly respected, and did the honors of the house it had digniy which rendered her still more respect. Her daughter Cunegonde, aged seventeen, was rosy-checked, fresh, plump and tempting. The Baron’s son appeared in every respect worthy of his father. The tutor Pangloss was the oracle of the house, and little Candide followed his lessons with all the candor of his age and character.

Pangloss, “the greatest philosopher of the province and therefore of the whole world,” taught Candide that he lived in “the best of all possible worlds.” His theory was that “since everything is made for an end, everything is necessarily for the best end.”

Observe that noses were made to wear spectacles; and so we have spectacles. Legs were visibly instituted to be breeched, and we have breeches …

Over the years at the castle, Candide adopted dear Pangloss’ optimism. However, his bliss was not to be. Candide loon became infatuated with the beauty of Cunegonde, and one day had an intimate encounter with her in the castle. The noble Baron witnessed this scene and drove his daughter’s young suitor out of the house.

With no provisions and no money, Candide quickly found himself recruited into the Bulgar army. But, tiring of army routine, and following Pangloss’ theory that a] I men were free, he simply walked away. He was caught, however, and forced to run the gauntlet. Collapsing after the second round, Candide begged to be killed, but was instead pardoned by the passing Bulgar king.

Later, after surviving a brutal battle and witnessing the repulsive treatment of innocent villagers, Candide once again walked away in disgust. As he wandered through the countryside, he was denied a piece of bread by a preacher who had just finished a sermon on charity. Near starvation, he was finally taken in by a kind Anabaptist.

The following day Candide met up with a wretched beggar who turned out to be his old tutor, Pangloss. Pangloss had shocking news for Candide: his beloved Cunegonde had been stolen away, raped, and disemboweled by Bulgar soldiers. The disheartened young man wept uncontrollably.

Months passed. Pangloss and Candide were appointed accountants to the generous Anabaptist and journeyed with him toward Lisbon. Nearing the city, their ship was caught in a storm and sank. All aboard were drowned except Candide, Pangloss, and a villainous sailor. Just as the three reached shore, a tremendous earthquake and volcanic eruption destroyed the city. The sailor went to work looting and plundering through the town’s wreckage. Even though Candide and Pangloss tried to help the city’s survivors, it was they who were arrested by a supersitious mob and slated to be human sacrifices to quell any further earthquakes.

The appointed day arrived. Pangloss was taken out to be hanged. But Candide, escaping a similar fate, was merely preached at, flogged – then absolved of his sin and blessed!

An old woman treated Candide’s wounds and took him to a lonely house on the edge of town, where he was reunited with his beautiful Cunegonde. Cunegonde told her overjoyed lover that, since surviving the soldiers’ obviously nonfatal mistreatment, she had served as a mistress to numerous men and currently worked for both a Jew and a Grand Inquisitor. Just then the Jew entered the room to find his mistress and Candide entwined on the couch. In self-defense, Candide killed him. As the lovers considered their plight, the Grand Inquisitor also entered, and Candide was forced to take his life as well. (The Jew’s body was later thrown on a dungheap, while the remains of the Inquisitor were given a ceremonial burial at the local church.)

Candide, Cunegonde and the old woman fled on horseback. At last they reached Cadiz, where Candide was once again recruited into the army, this time as a captain. He was sent to Paraguay to purge the Jesuits. During the voyage, Candide frankly admitted that, contrary to Pangloss’ idealistic theory, “regrettable things happen in this world of ours.”

The ship reached Buenos Aires, and the governor sent the trusting Candide out to review the troops. Then, in Candide’s absence, he proposed marriage to lovely Cunegonde.

As Candide was reviewing the troops, the old woman arrived to warn him that a Spanish ship had entered the harbor; officials had debarked to arrest the murderer of the Grand Inquisitor. Clearly unable to save Cunegonde from the governor’s grasp, Candide and a servant, Cacambo, again fled for their lives. They joined with Paraguayan forces; and when Candide was taken to see the colonel, he was overwhelmed to recognize him as the son of the late Baron – Cunegonde’s brother! The

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