Candide: Difference between revisions

In the 18th century new ideas and philosophies were popping up everywhere. An intellectual movement in Europe known as as the Enlightment started to change the way man viewed his world. Also known as the age of reason, this was the road to understanding in which Voltaire lived. Isaac Newton introduced the idea that the universe was governed by setlaws that were also able to be discovered. This concept was detremental to the way people had prevously thought because it undermined the faith in a personal God. It was believed by many philosphers, such as Voltaire, that churches should not interfere with scientific research. By the end of the 1700's, the idea of self-government had changed in England and started a revolution in France and America. Europe moved from an rural farming economy to an industrial one. At the end of this century the world had changed dramatically as the advances in science, political democracy, and religious freedom swept away the last traces of the Middle Ages (Gunnels & Sutton).

Candide is another example. He went through some hardships as well. Candide says "The enormous riches which this rascal had stolen were sunk beside him in the sea, and nothing was saved but a sheep" (Voltaire 413). He was talking about the man who had robbed him of his possessions. He said very optimistic things about the fate of this man and the sheep that was his was saved.

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 there 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.

The religion of [[http://litmuse.maconstate.edu/litwiki/index.php/Candide#Candide]] and [[Voltaire]] is Deism, an eighteenth century belief that God made the universe, but then left it to run on its own, rather like a watchmaker who makes a clock and then leaves it to run on its own. Voltaire thought there were rational grounds for believing that the universe was created and governed by "a necessary eternal supreme intelligent being....Although Voltaire did not think one could prove the existence of God, he thought the order and harmony of the universe strongly suggested that it had been created by a supreme intelligence, not by random events." (Ayer, 110)  

As we all know the world of ''Candide'' is full of absurd/ridiculous events and the existence of the mysterious land, El Dorado and its myth of being "a land of gold somwhere in Central or South America" (406) suggests that there could be something better if men were more in harmony with the nature of the world and of God. God is rather like the Lord described by the [http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/Dervish] (the 172 year old man, p.406) who sends a ship full of goods to another country, but doesn't worry about the condition of the mice in the hold. But the ship is in good condition, and the voyage has a purpose, to the lord, if not to the mice.  

"So, even if this world seems utterly mad, no suggestion exists that it lacks a final arbiter of order and sanity. Even the most pessimistic figure, [[http://litmuse.maconstate.edu/litwiki/index.php/Candide#Martin]], never denies God, espousing rather a philosophy according to which the Devil seems on level terms with Him." (Mason, 64)

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 Don Fernando d'Ibaraa y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza, the governor of Buenos Aries. It seems that no matter how hard they try, she and Candide cannot seem to get together.  However, in the end all the determination of Candide pays off when the two are finally reunited for good.

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.

She is the maidservant to the Baroness. She "caused these torments of hell" from which Pangloss is suffering (383).

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.

The Grand Inquistor is in a high position with in the Catholic Church.  He also shares Cunegonde with Don Issachar. The Inqusitor uses his position to initiate an auto de fate in an abusive manor.  He threatens to use the auto de fate where individuals are burned to death against Don Issachar(389).  This is a clear abuse of his power and position as an official of the church.

* Gunnels, Claire & Sutton, Bettye. [http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/voltaire3.htm <u>kclibrary.edu</u>.]Kingwood College Library. 1999. 13 Feb. 2006