Candide
Historical Context
According to http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/voltaire3.htm, this is the historical background on Candide. The eighteenth century was a time of new ideas and perspectives. The European intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment changed the way man viewed his world. Reason, not spirituality or intuition, was the road to understanding the world in which he lived. Isaac Newton introduced the notion that the universe was governed by set and discoverable laws. This concept undermined the faith in a personal God. Tolerance of varying religious beliefs was advocated by philosophers such as Voltaire. Churches should not interfere with scientific research. In politics, the authoritarian state, as exemplified by such absolute monarchs as Louis IV of France, came into disrepute. By the end of the 1700's the idea of self-government had resulted in reform in England and revolution in France and America. Europe moved from an agrarian economy to an industrial one. At the close of this century the world had changed dramatically as the advances in science, political democracy, and religious freedom swept away the last vestiges of the Middle Ages. Now the belief that human history was a record of general progress and that the condition of mankind would only get better with each succeeding generation fostered a halo of optimism.
Themes
According to http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/voltaire3.htm, these are some of the themes to consider. Comic invention; loyalty; utopia; satire; war as play; treatment of garden; evil; religion; optimism.
Greed
One of the major themes in Candide is greed. In Candide’s world greed is like an infection that has spread through much of his world. The only place untouched by greed is Eldorado. Almost everyone Candide meets is driven by the need to acquire wealth. These individuals are portrayed are as evil people with no morals.
The merchant Vanderdendur steals Candide’s last two sheep that carry Candide’s jewels. Vanderdendur is one of many characters in the story that is portrayed as being truly evil. Before Candide meets Vanderdendur he meets a slave that was once owned by Vanderdendur. Vanderdendur has cut off this slave’s right hand and left leg and left him on the side of the road.
Candide and Pangloss met a sailor on Jacques’s ship. After a massive earthquake this sailor runs through the ruins looking for anything he can take. His only desire is to gain wealth. As with Vanderdendur this sailor is also shown as being evil beforehand. On Jacques’s ship this sailor attacks Jacques. The violent movements of the ship knock the sailor overboard. Jacques helps the sailor back up. Jacques then falls over the side. The sailor does nothing to help Jacques. He watches as Jacques drowns.
The only place that the disease of greed does not touch is Eldorado. Eldorado is a mythical city filled with gold and jewels. Everyone seeks Eldorado but very few reach it. Greed does not exist here because the gold and jewels have no value. There is so much of the gold that the inhabitants see them as pebbles on the ground. The people of Eldorado live peaceful lives. They are not greedy so they have no need to make war upon each other.
Characters
Candide
A good natured fellow who is in love with Cunégonde. His love for Cunégonde gets him banned from The Baron of Thunder-Ten-Tronckh's castle, for stealing a mere kiss from his beloved crush. It is also important to remember that Candide is the Baron's illegitimate nephew. He seems to have a "black cloud" covering him wherever he goes. This is shown when he starts murdering his beloved's capturers, in order to save her. His choices are easily influenced and they lead him down a path of destruction and dispair wherever he goes.
Cunégonde
The young beautiful daughter of the baron. She is raped and tortured by the Bulgars, while witnessing her family's execution. She is traded may times as a slave. She is given an old slave woman, whom finally reunites her with Candide. While on their journey to South America and out of money, she becomes engaged to the governor of Buenos Aries. It seems that no matter how hard they try, she and Candide cannot seem to get together.
Pangloss
An optomistic philosopher in the Thunder-Ten-Tronckh's castle. He served as Candide and Cunegonde's childhood professor and later as Candide and Jacques' philosopher. His views on life are that everything that happens, whether it be good or bad, was meant to be. He proves his intellect to Candide by reasoning that "the bay of Lisbon had been formed expressly for this Anabaptist to drown in" after Jacques' death (384). Pangloss is finally hanged for his beliefs during a auto-da-fe.
Jacques
The good Anabaptist who rescued Candide from the “cruel and heartless treatment” inflicted by the black-coated man and his scandalous wife (381). He graciously took Candide home and gave him a bath, bread and beer, two florins, and a job. His charitable nature also moved him to take in Candide’s long-lost friend, Pangloss, and have him cured of the pox at his own expense. Two months later his good deeds cost him his life: Jacques drowned during a horrible tempest after aiding a merciless sailor.
The old woman
She was born the daughter of Pope Urban the Tenth. She was the Princess of Palestrina until her ship was taken over by pirates. The old woman's life parallels that of Cunégonde in the way that they were both born into a life of privilege and eventually end up as slaves. Both being tortured and raped many times over and left for dead. The old woman, despite life's challanges, states, "I wanted to kill myself, but always I loved life more" (Moliere 396). She seems real optimistic and seems to hang in there during the trials and tribulations of her life. These two women form a common bond, and the old woman finally reunites Candide and Cunégonde. She remains a servant until she is befriended by Candide and Cunégonde.
Paquette
She is the maidservant to the Baroness. She "caused these torments of hell" from which Pangloss is suffering (383).
Cacambo
He was brought from Cadiz to be Candide's valet. He is honest and speakes many different languages. He even saves Candide from Biglugs, and becomes a valued friend and confidant.
Don Fernando d'Ibaraa y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza
The arrogant governor of Buenos Aries. He finds Cunegonde attractive. Despite Cunegonde and Candide being engaged the governor takes her in as his mistress and plans to marry her.
Martin
A scholar whom Candide meets while traveling. He is very intelligent, but has a pessimistic view of the world. "Martin bends all perceptions of good into a system that makes evil (anxiety, boredom, ect.)the dominate force in the universe" (Campbell 113).
Don Issachar
A wealthy, Jewish man who tries to win the affection of Cunegonde. He shares this fight for affection with The Grand Inquisitor.
Critical Perspectives
Analysis of The Old Woman
The Old Woman is unique in that she is the only character to experience no change throughout the story. She comes into the story "immune to change," and is "an icon of what all will become by the end of the tale" (Marsh). It is the old woman who proves that only true effort and work will rebuild and regenerate these other characters who have suffered so much throughout the story (Marsh).
Resources
Works Cited
Campbell, John. The Book of Great Books. New York: Metrobooks,1997.
Marsh, Leonard. "Voltaire's Candide." Explicator, Spring 2004, Vol. 62 Issue 3, p144-146 [1]
Moliere, Francois "Candide." The Norton Anthology of Western Literature Ed. Hugo, Howard, et al. 8th ed. New York: W W Norton & Company, 2005. 396.
TheBestNotes.com. PinkMonkey.com. 2003. 7 Feb. 2006 [2]