Candide’s Adaptations to Trials

 The name Candide is derived from the Latin word, candidus, or “white” signifying purity, honesty, and innocence. Voltaire portrays Candide’s character as pure, honest, and naïve to world around him. In chapter one, Voltaire describes Candide’s character as, “A young man on whom nature had bestowed the perfection of gentle manners. His features admirably expressed his soul; he combined an honest mind with great simplicity of heart; and I think it was for this reason that they called him Candide.” (424). This is a depiction of Voltaire’s philosophy of man being born inherently weak or corrupt. Throughout the story, Candide walks through many trials but through these trials, his education in optimism weakens as he meets characters who view the world quite differently than he does. Eventually, Candide learns while observing evil situations unfold before him and experiencing the worst human behavior imaginable, that philosophy is unreasonable but by “cultivating our garden” one may find more contentment in life by using practical knowledge rather than theological knowledge. Or simply put, focus on your own business and everything else will take care itself. When one who is inherently weak gives up the belief that all is for the best, aims to strive to overcome hardships in life then chooses not to submissively accept problems, is then able to grow through life experiences.   

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 Candide is educated by Dr. Pangloss who has shaped Candide’s perception of reality into an excessively optimistic theory that “There cannot possibly be an effect without a cause and that in the best of all possible worlds the Baron’s castle was the best of all castles and his wife the best of all possible Baronesses.” (Voltaire 425). This is Candide’s weakness that Voltaire is pointing out in Candide’s character. Candide is an obedient youth with a naïve view on life and full of assumptions of the world outside of what he knows. Due to Candide’s lack of knowledge and experience in the world outside of the castle walls, he is unable to make conclusions about the outside world or how life truly functions. He is soon exposed to the harsh reality outside of paradise when he is kicked out of the castle for kissing Cunѐgonde.

 Banded from his paradise, Candide’s voyage of discovery of the world begins when he is forced into the army of the Bulgars not by his will. He makes the decision to walk away from the regiment, naively thinking it is his human right. He is given his choices in either flogging or death for his departure. He quickly learns a lesson that one may not always have the choice between good vs. bad. Candide ends up being pardoned by the King of the Bulgars, because of his inexperience and ignorance of the world around him. After leaving the Bulgars army, Candide’s travels take him to war where he witnesses the slaughtering of a multitude of people. Candide realizes war is full of evilness and suffering which completely goes against the theory taught to him by Pangloss. Despite seeing the bodies of those were either slain, dying, dismembered, raped, or left in misery; Candide still holds onto his cause and effect philosophy as he tells the orator in Holland, “There is no effect without a cause, said Candide modestly; all events are linked by the chain of necessity and arranged for the best. I had to be driven away from Miss Cunѐgonde, I had to run the gauntlet, I have to beg my bread until I can earn it; none of this could have happened otherwise.” (Voltaire 428). He is convinced still that all this had to happen with the hope to be with his love once again. His journey through life continues and he ends up in Holland after the war. In Holland, Candide finds Pangloss in a horrible state of health but learns this is a result of a necessary cause according to Pangloss. Candide’s first moment of doubt comes when Pangloss informs Candide of Cunѐgonde’s brutal rape, death, and dismemberment. It is a moment where everything suddenly goes wrong and he begins to question if he really lives in the “best of all possible worlds.”  Pangloss and Candide then travel by ship to Lisbon but along the way a storm at sea causes the death of his good friend, Jacques the Anabaptist. The storm washes Candide and Pangloss on the shores of Lisbon where an earthquake causes great disaster. Pangloss is unable to find the necessary reason for the earthquake in connection to the world’s disorder. Candide and Pangloss then find themselves as the victims of an auto-da-fe; to be sacrificed by the Jesuits in their hopes of preventing more earthquakes. Pangloss was hanged and Candide flogged. However, he was able to escape the Jesuit’s with the help of the old woman. As a sign towards adapting to the world one lives in, Candide is beginning to see how bad things are happening to good people and is doubting the natural goodness of the world he thought he knew. His thoughts are becoming more influenced by the world he has been exposed to. Candide expresses this in chapter 6 when he cries out, “If this is the best of all possible worlds, what are the others like?” (Voltaire 433). His feeling of disappointment towards life is springing forth and is causing a shifting away from Pangloss’ optimistic philosophy as he reflects on the deaths of the ones he cares about; Pangloss, the Anabaptist, and Cunѐgonde.  His faith in optimism is restored when the old woman reunites Candide with Cunégonde, who is his purpose for life. Cunégonde fills Candide in on the torment she suffered and her death by the Bulgars. Neither abandoned Pangloss’ optimistic philosophy even though Cunégonde expresses her doubt as she tells Candide, “God grant it, but I have been so horribly unhappy in the world so far, that my heart is almost dead to hope.” (Voltaire 438). To free his love from captivity, Candide is forced to kill Don Issachar, a Jew, that purchased Cunégonde for his own pleasures. Shortly afterwards, he is left no choice but to kill the Grand Inquisitor who just so happened to walk in on the murder of Don Issachar. Voltaire describes Candide’s decision as a quick, clear chain of reasoning (436). Once again, showing the adaptation to his surroundings. Now that Candide has experienced his fair share of troubles, the education his has received in life’s unfairness has influenced him to believe that Westphalia is no longer the best of all worlds. He replies to Cunégonde, “All will be well; the sea of this new world is already better than those of Europe, calmer and with steadier winds. Surely it is the New World which is the best of all possible worlds.” (Voltaire 438). Perhaps his opinion is rather a modification to Pangloss’ doctrine as he attempts to make optimism line up with his experiences in the world. Upon fleeing to Sierra Morena, it was discovered that the jewels given to Cunѐgonde by the Grand Inquisitor had been stolen by a friar. It is here Candide shows an uninterested attitude towards money as if money can create more problems. This indifferent attitude later changes in the story when he is filled with greed and believes that money can buy his happiness rather than create problems. After arriving in Buenos Aires, Candide loses Cunѐgonde to the governor who uses his power to force Candide to leave to command the governor’s army so that he could have Cunégonde for himself. A lesson has been learned that wealth, power, and worldly goods lead to nothing but trouble; or in Candide’s situation, the loss of his love. His life is yet again going from optimistic to disappointment. Candide then finds himself fleeing for his life and escapes to Paraguay. It is here he witnesses the oppression of the Jesuits people who owned nothing while the Jesuit Fathers owned everything. To his surprise, Cunѐgonde’s brother, who was thought to be dead was discovered alive. Candide’s journey is teaching him life is full of reunions then separations, success followed by blows, and optimism overtaken by disappointment. Out of rage, Candide kills Cunѐgonde’s brother when told he was not good enough to marry her. It is clear Candide is letting worldly influences change his actions as one does when adapting to their surroundings. As New Hampshire PBS states on their website, “Behavioral adaptations are the things organisms do to survive.” Candide’s change in behavior has resulted in the deaths of three people up to this point because of Candide defending his life. Candide is beginning to mature into a realist as he sees things for what they are while still holding onto optimism. In the next trial, Candide finds himself facing being roasted by the Oreillons due to his ignorance of their culture but regains his freedom. At this point of the story, Candide’s journey has really hit bottom of the worst possible situations in civilization. He stumbles on a secret paradise where happiness and peace rule and greed of money or materialistic things do not exist. El Dorado is far better than the “best of all possible worlds” he knew in the castle. El Dorado proves that Pangloss’ theory of what he thought was the “best of all worlds” is indeed absurd. It is so perfect, Candide feels it is too good to be true, but happiness cannot be found for him in such a place. He longs to be with his Cunѐgonde.  For the first time, pride to set himself apart from others and greed to buy what he wishes overtakes Candide. Notice how his attitude towards money has shifted in comparison to when the thief stole Cunѐgonde’s jewels? He has learned the value of money and the power it holds. Candide leaves El Dorado with his new wealth that ends up causing more trouble then it does good. Several of his sheep die and a pirate steals his riches. Along his journey, he meets a slave who has been dismembered by his master as punishment for attempting to flee. Anger arises within him to the point that he is ready to briefly abandon his optimism as cries, “Oh Pangloss! You had no notion of these abominations! I’m through, I must give up your optimism after all.” (455). Slavery has by far been the worse for him to phantom. His thoughts towards mankind turn negative. Cacambo questions Candide on optimism and he responds by saying, “it is a mania for saying things are well when one is in hell.” (454). Optimism returns to Candide as he sets sail to France alongside his new traveling companion, Martin, in hopes of reuniting with his love and finding his new paradise. Martin is more pessimistic than Candide. As Candide and Martin journey to France, Candide has a moment where his optimism begins to show how it has advanced through education in life. During their back and forth reasoning, he asks the question as to whether Martin believes humans have always done evil to one another as they are today. After Martin responds in a sarcastic way that implies the answer to be yes, Candide implies that man can stop doing such evil things as it is freedom of the will. This is Candide’s most rational answer he has given through his journey in the world. Upon arriving in Paris, it is not what he envisioned it to be; only a city of deception. Candide sets sail to sea in hopes England will be more promising. Upon arriving on the shore, he is horrified when he witnesses the unfair execution of Admiral Byng. Candide’s journey to find the “best of all possible worlds” is beginning to become less desirable at this point. His search to find paradise shifts in Venice. Now, he is focusing on finding evidence that people are happy in the world. To test his theory, Candide gifts a monk and his mistress money to show that money can buy happiness. Unfortunately, this proves to be a failed attempt he later learns in the story. Upon meeting Senator Pococurantѐ, who has everything he needs in life, Candide sees that money cannot buy happiness. Even though Candide’s optimism still stands, his justifications are showing to be less sought after. It is also here, Candide learns when he meets the six dethroned kings that it is easy to become a nobody after having been in power. Candide’s journey then takes him to Constantinople where he is to buy his love but not before he discovers that Pangloss and the young Baron, Cunѐgonde’s brother, are alive. Ironically, just in time to resolve Candide and Martin’s philosophical argument concerning the miseries and grief of men. At last, Candide can be reunited with Cunѐgonde, but she is no longer the beautiful, innocent woman he once knew. His wishes to marry her have changed and he is filled with disappointment just as the world has shown to him. Voltaire says in the conclusion, “At heart, Candide had no real wish to marry Cunѐgonde; but the baron’s extreme impertinence decided him in favor of the marriage, and Cunѐgonde was so eager for it that he could not back out.” (481). To show his free will to the Baron, he married her anyway and of course everyone lived unhappy.

Along Candide’s journey, he met several people with different struggles and outlooks on life than what he believed and was taught. They all share their misfortunes that people go through as a necessary process that is part of the greater plan in life. Each character brings a new level of insight to Candide as they guide him through life and help him avoid difficulties. After being treated cruelly by the people of Holland, his faith in humanity was restored by the kind Jacques. However, he is very pessimistic by the nature of humans as he points this out to Candide, “It must be, said he that men have corrupted Nature, for they are not born wolves, yet that is what they become.” (Voltaire 430). The first character he meets that has suffered a great deal is the old woman. She holds a pessimistic view on life because of the torment she endured. The old woman loves life but views life as not being perfect. She represents that “somebody” can become a “nobody” in an instant. She offers practical and decisive advice to Candide in many situations he finds himself in. The old woman makes decisions that are for the best rather over a chain of reasoning. The second guide he encounters is Cacambo. He lives life as an adventure and is not concerned with how things exist, nor questions the cause and effect. Cacambo is knowledgeable in life, customs of the land, and is considered rational. Marin becomes Candide’s third guide in his journey of discovery. His views of the world differ from that of Pangloss and Candide. He sees the world as naturally corrupt and no one is truly happy. Of course, he can prove this theory of unhappiness to Candide later in the story. He seems to always keep Candide in check with reality.

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Throughout Candide’s journey, he learned many valuable lessons through experience that would not have been so had he stayed in one place. He also met several characters that helped reshape his thinking. Candide learns through his search in happiness that things are not always as they seem, and the greed of money or materialistic things cannot truly buy happiness. He realizes no one is completely in control of their life. The characters he met along the way and their misfortunes made him also realize that these hardships make one wiser and more knowledgeable in life. It is apparent throughout the story that Candide holds onto his optimism as time and time again his faith is restored in troublesome times. Candide shows progress of a shift in his view point, but his nature remains untouched and is still incompetent of establishing his own opinions even to the end of the story. After meeting the farmer at the end of the story, Candide decides to give up on Pangloss’ philosophical ideas and takes up the ideas of the farmer that hard work and working as a team is the ultimate happiness in life. He builds his own paradise with the ones that mean the most to him. He tells Pangloss, “We must cultivate our garden.” (Voltaire 482). In other words, they must all work together to accomplish their goal.

Works Cited:

“Candide.” Wordsense.eu Online Dictionary. www.wordsense.eu/candide. 2 Feb. 2019

Voltaire. “Candide.” The Norton Anthology of Western Literature, 9th ed, vol 2.  Puchner, Martin, et al., W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2014, pp. 424- 482.

NHPBS. “Structural and Behavioral Adaptations.” Nature Works, 2019, www.nhpbs.org/natureworks/nwep1.htm. 7 Feb. 2019.

Hale, J. “Candide.” Candide by Voltaire, 1998, www. people.brandeis.edu/~jhale/fall98/candide.html, 8 February 2019.

“The Old Woman.” The Old Woman. www.d-barfield.co.uk/The Old Woman.html. 8 Feb. 2019.