At the end of the novel, Candide, Cunégonde, Cacambo, Pangloss, Martin, and the old woman settle into a farm. Their lives on the farm are simple, but they are not happy because they feel the lives are too simple and not the lives they want. After they meet a farmer who lives simple and enjoys his life, they start to work hard without thinking about the philosophical speculation, and everybody learns a skill to support their lives.

I think that this is a happy ending although it is very simple. At lease they don’t suffer hunger and live as slaves even though they don’t fulfill their desires or become very successful people. Compare to them, many people live outside their garden are still suffering.

Most people are suffering from the problems which caused by their desires. People are always looking for better lives. Money, security, peace, leisure are people’s desires. I think Voltaire want to express that people to feel happier when they are satisfied with their lives and don’t always think about the useless things. Sometimes, a simple thing can make people happy. However, I also think that if people just satisfy with their current situations, people would not improve.

Do you feel satisfied of your current situation?

As we all know, the book “Candide” is a satire which the author used ordinary words to express the evil side of French society during that time period. In the story, a man—ought to be the most honest and simplicity person—had said,” I have killed my old master, my friend, my brother-in-law; I am the best man in the world, and here are three men I’ve killed already, and two of the three were priests.” His words demonstrated that Candide came down with the bad atmosphere of the society. In chapter 22, he asked a scholar, “you doubtless think everything is for the best in the physical as well as the moral universe, and that nothing could be otherwise than as it is?” The scholar replied, “I believe nothing of the sort. I find that everthinkg goes wrong in our world; that nobody knows….what he’s doing or what he ough to be doing, and that outside of mealtimes, which are cheerful and congenial enough, all the rest of the day is spent in useless quarrels,….it’s on unending warfare.”

In the reality, from ancient time untill now, his words reflected the truth of our real world. During our mealtimes, people disguised themselves as cheerful and enjoyable. Stealthily, they play a deep game. This vicious cycle of hatred goes around untill today and never end. Not many of us have sufficient experiences protect ourselves.To sum up, we as student, since our information came from searching on internet, hearing from others, and reading news, we do not know whether a piece of information is real or not.

“while Candide, the baron, Pangloss, Martin, and Cacambo were telling one another their stories, while they were disputing over the contingent or non-contingent events of this universe, while they were arguing over effects and cause, over moral evil, over the consolations available to one in Turkish galley.” This exposes that they faced cruel realistic world after they left the castle. Candide was whip many times, and was forced to left Cunegonde, but he always had someone to help him to spend his worse time. Pangloss was Master, but he was hanged and burned. Fortunately, he saved by surgeon, then become a slave. The baron was being a wealth people, but he was force to work in galley after he swim with a Christian to be found naked with a young Moslem. Sum up, they were almost face death, but they learned how to survive in the different environments. There is a sentence, ” God closes the door, but he still leave the window for you.”

The characters realized the basic truth in life after they met the old good man. When they asked the old good man who had been strangled. The good man told them that he had never care and ignored it. He just did not listen to the news from others and satisfied with sending the fruits of his garden to be sold there. At the end, Pangloss said that  “when man was put into the garden of Eden, he was put there ut operaretur eum, so that he should work it, this proves that man was not born to take his ease.” This told us that they need to satisfied our current  circumstance and don’t be lazy. It would have easy life.