Doctor Pangloss- the optimistic revolutionizer

A key component of optimism would be the involvement of Doctor Pangloss, Candide's teacher and mentor.

"All is for the best and the best of all possible worlds."

In chapter I, this was the quote was used often to show how optimism was expressed in Candide. Candide's mentor, Professor Pangloss, expressed this infamous quote so many times. He says this to explain the method of sufficient reason, everything has a reasoning for why it needed to happen.

Chapter 1

The premiere chapter in Candide expressed naivete in terms to the main character, Candide. Candide had no idea how the outside world was. He lived in Westphalia, or "the best of all possible worlds". Candide never has to leave anywhere, but later in the story he will see the faults in his optimistic beliefs.

The third, and final, branch of optimism that solves the problem of evil would be Compensatory Optimism.
This says that there’s evil but it simply balances out the picture. The good compensates for the evil. Overall, the good outweighs the existence of evil.
Example from the story would be the sudden "revival" of the many characters in the story: Pangloss, Cunegonde, the Baron. They were killed off just to come back and it seems that there was no talk about it, as if they were not dead in the first place.

Another branch of optimism that solves the problem of evil would be Instumentalistic Optimism. This says that every single instance of evil results in an instance of good in the long run.
This was what Candide expressed throughout the most of the story. The Lisbon Earthquake, the big storm while they were on the sea, and the Bulgarian/Abarian War was supposed to happen in this world because this is "the best of all possible worlds”

The first type of optimism that solves the problem of evil is Absolutistic Optimism. This type of optimism completely abolishes the problem of evil. It says there are degrees of good, instead of instances of evil.
Examples of this optimism are:
Anabaptist helping Candide (high level of good)
                versus
Candide being hanged  (low level of good)

As the story progresses and Candide matures, he does not seem to have the same optimistic beliefs that he had during the beginning

Starting to doubts

If this is the best of possible worlds, what then are the others? Well, if I had been only whipped I could put up with it, for I experienced that among the Bulgarians; but oh, my dear Pangloss! thou greatest of philosophers, that I should have seen you hanged, without knowing for what! Oh, my dear Anabaptist, thou best of men, that thou should‘st have been drowned in the very harbour! Oh, Miss Cunegonde, thou pearl of girls! that thou should’st have had thy belly ripped open!”  (Voltaire 13-14)

After being challenged and a promise he made to himself, he married Cunegonde. They seemed to live somewhat happy after that.

That concludes the theme Love is Blissful (until you become ugly, then it's not. But, when I am challenged, it's back.)

But then the Baron, Cunegonde brother of whom Candide killed earlier, strangely revived as well. He was killed for telling Candide that he was not going to marry his sister. He said that again.

And the challenge was on.

Cunegonde was later revealed to be still alive after serious medical treatment, which still befuddles me to this day. Candide, who seems to be overjoyed by the news, goes out to Constantinople where it was said that she was a worker. He was ready to find her and eventually marry her until he saw that she looked like this...

Candide's reaction was not that of love...

Of course, Candide was absolutely devastated by this tragic news. This is the part in the story where Candide really starts to become a realist, one who is inclined to believe in the real. This is related to love because he cared about this woman so much that, when she was killed, he can't cope with being the optimist that he once was.

That's some sad stuff right there.

After his exile, Candide later learns from Pangloss that his love, Cunegonde, was brutally killed by the Bulgarians after an invasion.

After being caught kissing Cunegonde, Candide was exiled.

This is an example of how the story starts; Candide sees this beautiful young girl named Cunegonde and he feels that he is falling deeply in love with her.

Discussion Question #2

Near the end of the book, while Pangloss was “being hanged, and dissected, and beaten, and made to row in a galley,” he still holds firm to his original views that this is the best of all possible worlds. “I am a philosopher after all. It would not do for me to recant” (p. 88). What are the dangers in holding beliefs that are impermeable to reality, that do not alter according to actual experience? 

The dangers of holding on to those type of beliefs are that you could be easily overwhelmed on how reality is. This quote about Candide is a great example of someone who is staring the window of optimism and has strong optimistic beliefs, but those beliefs and that window are absolutely shattered by the hammer of reality.

Discussion Question #1

1. In the very first chapter Candide is literally kicked out of the “most beautiful and delightful of possible castles,” expelled from an “earthly paradise” (p. 5). At the end of the novel, he says “we must cultivate our garden” (p. 94). What is Voltaire suggesting by framing his story in this way and by echoing the Biblical story of the Fall? Has Candide lost and then regained paradise? 

Voltaire suggests by framing the story like this to show the development and maturity of Candide in the story. At the beginning, Candide was very naïve and by the story of the Fall, Adam and Eve were sent here to this utopia, but they went through some stuff. It relates to Candide when he was in his castle, his utopia. But, when he was expelled out of the castle, out of his utopia, he experienced some real troubles. Candide saw people hung, people drowned and even his own love turned ugly. Candide has lost this paradise. He has lost it, but he matured in a sense. He matured by learning that the world is filled with evil and malice, and it seems that Candide has seen that. When the story first started, Candide was a very optimistic and jovial. “All is for the best and the best of all possible worlds” he said, but how he has seen the dark light.

6. The old woman tells Candide: “Imagine my situation, the daughter of a pope, only fifteen years old, who in the space of three months had been exposed to poverty and slavery, had been raped almost daily, had seen her mother torn to pieces, had endured war and famine, and was now dying of the plague in Algiers” (p. 29). What does this passage, and others like it, suggest about the reality of women’s lives during the Age of Reason?

This passage, and others like it, suggest that the reality of women’s lives during the Age of Reason was never respected. This time period was specifically known for mistreating women. Most males only believed that males should be shown respect and that they can just use the woman body as such toy that can be thrown away or given to the next person. The passage shows that women were being ran over. People at that time didn't care if they were hurting a woman because they were not at their height of importance. 

4. Immediately upon leaving Eldorado, Candide and Cacambo encounter a slave who has had a leg and a hand cut off. He tells them, “It is the price we pay for the sugar you eat in Europe” (p. 52). What relationship is Voltaire suggesting here between happiness and suffering, between the best of all possible worlds and the worst of all possible worlds? How might Voltaire make this point if he were writing today?

I believe that the relationship, Voltaire is suggesting between happiness and suffering is that in order for the majority of people to be happy and satisfied that some people that are considered less important must suffer. The people of all possible worlds are served by a silver platter. They are given what they want, when they want it. The worst of all possible worlds have no choice but to serve those who are being served by a silver platter. They have to be beaten and tortured just to satisfy the needs of the higher people.

Tragic Story #1- Don't Believe Until It's Too Late

The first story comes from Albert Camus' novel The Stranger. The main character, Meursault, begins the story with an nihilistic  approach. He believe that life has nothing to it and that life ultimately has no meaning. Throughout the novel we saw him develop and actually show some emotions and eventually sees life as a pretty cool place. But, by the time he did he was arrested, locked up, and hung.
So, yeah that's pretty tragic.

"Everything is Best"

This quote "Everything is Best" by Pangloss is practically the basis for how Candide thinks and views the world around him. Since Pangloss is a philosopher, Candide automatically believes that he is telling the truth. The truth of the matter is Candide is very naive and chooses to believe that things happen for a reason; so the outcome has to positive.

Tragic story #2

This tragic story is basically about a boy and a girl that are good friends. The girl could care less about what goes on around her. However, the boy cares deeply about her; he loves her. What will happen when he tells her that? Will she care or not?
http://www.wattpad.com/341055-tragic-short-stories-promises

Love

Within the book, love is a strong theme. Candide shows his love for Cunegonde by commiting many crimes. The main crime he has committed was murdering multiple people. It may not be a crime but to pronounce his love, Candide abandoned the paradise of El Dorado and escaped execution.

Hello and welcome to the blog. From reading the title, you see that we are examining the themes in Voltaire's novella "Candide." There will be separate pages pertaining to each theme in the novella. Click on whichever page you want to view.