In reading Voltaire’s Candide, I think it is very interesting the contrasts between Candide and everyone who he meets. Candide is presented as being very naive, but not simple, he is trusting and lacks an understanding of deceit, but is capable of learning through his experiences. During his stay at the castle of Thunder-Ten-Tronckh, Candide is educated by Pangloss, and is taught “. . . that things cannot be otherwise than they are, for since everything is made to serve an end, everything necessarily serves the best end” (Voltaire 521), and through the majority of the play Candide is shown as trying to reconcile that teaching he was brought up to believe, with the reality of the world.
As Candide matures and is subject to continual misfortune, he slowly loses his naivety and comes to the realization that not all was as he was taught. When he and Cacambo find Eldorado after a continual chain of mishaps, he reasons that “. . . whatever Master Pangloss said of the matter, I have often had occasion to notice that things went badly in Westphalia” (Voltaire 548). Through Candide’s adventures and his nature of taking things at face value, Voltaire shows us the many inconsistencies between what was envisioned as ideal, and what society actually produced. Voltaire’s extensive satire leaves almost no one untouched, and in that I think that he is trying to demonstrate that almost anything taken to an extreme can become foolish. I also think that a lot of the meaning and import of Candide’s message ties in with Immanuel Kant’s philosophical ideas that emerged not long after Candide was written.
I think we were all relieved when Candide finally says, “—Oh Pangloss! Cried Candide, you had no notion of these abominations! I’m through, I must give up your optimism after all.” (Voltaire 552) At this point, Candide seems to open his eyes and realize that life cannot be taught in a lesson, even by the most intelligent and experienced of teachers. One must go on with his own life and acquire his own experiences and make of life their own project.
ReplyDeleteI think on your first quotation, Voltaire’s satire is aiming towards religion. In many religions,--including my own--they believe that everything happens for a reason, that there is greater being (God or gods) that have already written our destiny or that no matter what we do or how many times we change our mind, this great being or beings already know what our plans and future are. When Candide says the quotation mentioned above, Voltaire gives the reader the option of doubt. The message I get from him is, listen and learn the valuable teachings of wise people, but also experience, live and learn from your own life.