Introduction: Voltaire the author of this piece was a French Enlightenment writer and thinker and is one of the most well known writers of all time.
” He proved admirably that there cannot possible be an effect without a cause and that in this best of all possible worlds the Baron’s castle was the best of all castles and his wife the best of all possible Baronesses.” Perhaps, this is the most important quote in the whole reading. These few lines explain the optimism and belief in a divine figure that Pangloss displays. Basically, he believes everything is for the greater good and happens for a reason. It is so amazing how Pangloss and Candide have such faith in a Lord, yet they live through some of the most unimaginable horrific events one can imagine. From one falling off a boat to his death to being hung to someones “belly cut open”. Personally, if I was living in such a time period where all of this was happening, I know I would not be able to say; ” Things cannot be otherwise than they are, for since everything is made to serve an end, everything necessarily serves the best end”.
While reading the words ” Cunegonde and Candide found themselves behind a screen.. she held his hand quite innocently, her kissed her hand..” I was confused and bothered by the usage of the word found. Why did the author choose to write this in a way that they accidentally or by chance ending up being alone and then kissing. It seems to me as if this were planned or in the greater interest of both parties. If anyone has any ideas or thoughts please reply.
Overall, I found the novel very intriguing. The dynamics between the various characters, and, ultimately, between Candide and Cunegonde had various metaphorical underpinnings that I very much appreciated. Also, I enjoyed watching the shift in Candide’s views on the world. His ability to change from a highly naive person, who relied solely on the views of his mentors, to a mature thinker, who ultimately leans towards pragmatism in the face of the confusing world that confronts him, connected with me immensely.
To my understanding of this reading it was a wild and crazy tale of a very young man’s misadventures across half the world–adventures that retain their power to shock, horrify, and make you laugh. Sometimes all at the same time. Candide’s teacher, Pangloss, teaches that logic proves that this is the best of all possible worlds and that all things work out for the best. Starting with chapter one, things don’t seem to go that way for Candide though. He’s kicked out of the castle, drafted into the army, almost flogged to death for trying to desert, almost killed in a battle, almost drowned at sea, almost killed in an earthquake, almost burned by the inquisition.
To me the reading was very exciting. After each chapter I just want to keep on reading and reading just to see what candide was going to confront next . Just like him we all have a mentor we learn from and who always listens to for a piece of advice. After reading the 20 chapters I want to finish the rest of the reading. Hopefully all the readings this semester will be as interesting.