Candide by Voltaire
Summary: A young man with the name of Candide grows up in the home of Baron.
He really seems to like the Barons daughter Cunegonde. One day Candide was
caught kissing the Barons daughter so the Baron kicks him out of the house and
Candide ends up being conscripted in the army but escapes with his life to
Holland. Jacques saves Candide and shelters him along with Dr. Pangloss.
Although with syphilis the doctor has more news that the Barons family was
killed by soldiers. They then travel to Lisbon; while on the way Jacques dies
from drowning and the others land on shore where they find out that a massive
earthquake struck the place. Once there Pangloss was executed for his different
views while Candide was just beat up then let go. By some luck Candide is then
reunited with Cunegonde; it turns out she was not killed but was raped and sold
as a sex slave to two men. Candide kills both the men and then escapes to Buenos
Aires with Cunegonde and an old lady, but as soon as they get there the governor
proposes to her and she accepts due to financial situations. The authorities
find Candide to be a murder so Candide and his servant Cacambo escape to the
Jesuit camp. It turns out the Colonel of the camp is Cunegondes brother but as
he learns that he plans to marry his sister he disapproves and Candide stabs
him. Then he left and after several months lands in a utopian town and got
wealthy. After most of his money is stolen they leave to France and then
Cunegonde and Cacambo go missing. When Cacambo came back he said Cunegonde went
to Turkey.
Character Analysis: Candide throughout the novel is the protagonist of the
whole story. After being banned from his first home he travels the world to try
to find out what or who he really was. His name in Latin means white which we
know as a sign of innocence. Candide was once innocent in the ways of his mentor
Pangloss but then abandons his ways throughout the novel; he is also really
influenced by the outside forces of others. You could say that Candide is really
a hardheaded person rejecting Pangloss’ philosophies throughout the novel.
Although hard headed Candide is also a caring person who really shows sympathy
to people like other was to him. He really does seem to like Cunegonde even
though she has been through a lot with other guys; he really would like to marry
her even though she has really gotten uglier than what he really her to be.
Setting: Throughout the story the setting varies in the novel. The first part
of the novel Candide was located in the house of Baron in the town of
Westphalia, Germany. After being kicked out or banished because he was found
kissing the Barons daughter, he was enlisted in the army. While there the army
tried to kill him so with his life on the line he fled to Holland to get away
from the army. After a while there were some issues in the country so then he
went to Lisbon. After killing Cunegondes two master he had to flee to Buenos
Aires, South America; most of the story would take place in this country. He was
suspected of murder so then he travels back to Europe to the Jesuit camp. After
he has stabbed Cunegondes brother and flees, from there he finds a Utopian town
in which he stays for a while until they got their pockets full of treasures and
are wealthy enough to move to France. From France he finds a farmland in Romania
where he stays there for the rest of his life. Throughout all of this chaos the
date was only during the 1750s. The 1750s were really a way of people trying to
start new lives like in the New World. All the places described in the novel
were either fake or real. A real part of the story though would be the
earthquake described in Lisbon. This earthquake destroyed many things including
the town and also the boat that Candide was traveling in.
Conflict: Throughout the story the types of conflicts would be more Man vs.
Man, and Man vs. Nature. In the story it tells of how Candide keep encountering
disasters from both nature and also people. It would also be his love for
Cunegonde because she is the reason he has to keep fleeing.
Themes: Folly of Optimism- You could say everything Pangloss has taught
Candide was to see basically the best in everything. It is kind of hard to see
the best in things when they simply don’t make sense.
Uselessness of Philosophical Speculation- Pangloss’ optimism really bring out
that the nature of the real world is dangerous. Besides Candide really doesn’t
use the philosophies anyway.
The Power of Money- Money is really a way to show how Candide has changed
throughout the story. Although he has money Candide really did to seem
unhappy.
Symbols: Pangloss- You could say Pangloss was a symbol towards Candide. He
was a philosopher who is killed for what he believes in.
The Garden- In the story the garden towards the end of the novel symbolizes
how they came from the bottom to the top.
The Lisbon Earthquake- This earthquake was based on an actual earthquake that
happened. It represents the disaster they were and have encountered.
Summary: A young man with the name of Candide grows up in the home of Baron.
He really seems to like the Barons daughter Cunegonde. One day Candide was
caught kissing the Barons daughter so the Baron kicks him out of the house and
Candide ends up being conscripted in the army but escapes with his life to
Holland. Jacques saves Candide and shelters him along with Dr. Pangloss.
Although with syphilis the doctor has more news that the Barons family was
killed by soldiers. They then travel to Lisbon; while on the way Jacques dies
from drowning and the others land on shore where they find out that a massive
earthquake struck the place. Once there Pangloss was executed for his different
views while Candide was just beat up then let go. By some luck Candide is then
reunited with Cunegonde; it turns out she was not killed but was raped and sold
as a sex slave to two men. Candide kills both the men and then escapes to Buenos
Aires with Cunegonde and an old lady, but as soon as they get there the governor
proposes to her and she accepts due to financial situations. The authorities
find Candide to be a murder so Candide and his servant Cacambo escape to the
Jesuit camp. It turns out the Colonel of the camp is Cunegondes brother but as
he learns that he plans to marry his sister he disapproves and Candide stabs
him. Then he left and after several months lands in a utopian town and got
wealthy. After most of his money is stolen they leave to France and then
Cunegonde and Cacambo go missing. When Cacambo came back he said Cunegonde went
to Turkey.
Character Analysis: Candide throughout the novel is the protagonist of the
whole story. After being banned from his first home he travels the world to try
to find out what or who he really was. His name in Latin means white which we
know as a sign of innocence. Candide was once innocent in the ways of his mentor
Pangloss but then abandons his ways throughout the novel; he is also really
influenced by the outside forces of others. You could say that Candide is really
a hardheaded person rejecting Pangloss’ philosophies throughout the novel.
Although hard headed Candide is also a caring person who really shows sympathy
to people like other was to him. He really does seem to like Cunegonde even
though she has been through a lot with other guys; he really would like to marry
her even though she has really gotten uglier than what he really her to be.
Setting: Throughout the story the setting varies in the novel. The first part
of the novel Candide was located in the house of Baron in the town of
Westphalia, Germany. After being kicked out or banished because he was found
kissing the Barons daughter, he was enlisted in the army. While there the army
tried to kill him so with his life on the line he fled to Holland to get away
from the army. After a while there were some issues in the country so then he
went to Lisbon. After killing Cunegondes two master he had to flee to Buenos
Aires, South America; most of the story would take place in this country. He was
suspected of murder so then he travels back to Europe to the Jesuit camp. After
he has stabbed Cunegondes brother and flees, from there he finds a Utopian town
in which he stays for a while until they got their pockets full of treasures and
are wealthy enough to move to France. From France he finds a farmland in Romania
where he stays there for the rest of his life. Throughout all of this chaos the
date was only during the 1750s. The 1750s were really a way of people trying to
start new lives like in the New World. All the places described in the novel
were either fake or real. A real part of the story though would be the
earthquake described in Lisbon. This earthquake destroyed many things including
the town and also the boat that Candide was traveling in.
Conflict: Throughout the story the types of conflicts would be more Man vs.
Man, and Man vs. Nature. In the story it tells of how Candide keep encountering
disasters from both nature and also people. It would also be his love for
Cunegonde because she is the reason he has to keep fleeing.
Themes: Folly of Optimism- You could say everything Pangloss has taught
Candide was to see basically the best in everything. It is kind of hard to see
the best in things when they simply don’t make sense.
Uselessness of Philosophical Speculation- Pangloss’ optimism really bring out
that the nature of the real world is dangerous. Besides Candide really doesn’t
use the philosophies anyway.
The Power of Money- Money is really a way to show how Candide has changed
throughout the story. Although he has money Candide really did to seem
unhappy.
Symbols: Pangloss- You could say Pangloss was a symbol towards Candide. He
was a philosopher who is killed for what he believes in.
The Garden- In the story the garden towards the end of the novel symbolizes
how they came from the bottom to the top.
The Lisbon Earthquake- This earthquake was based on an actual earthquake that
happened. It represents the disaster they were and have encountered.
Citations:
"Candide Summary." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.
<
http://www.shmoop.com/candide/summary.html>.
"Candide." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013. <
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/candide/canalysis.html>.
"Candide Setting." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013. <
http://www.shmoop.com/candide/setting.html>.
"Candide." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013. <
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/candide/facts.html>.
"Candide." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/candide/themes.html
N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.manitobaopera.mb.ca/learn/images
"Candide Summary." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.
<
http://www.shmoop.com/candide/summary.html>.
"Candide." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013. <
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/candide/canalysis.html>.
"Candide Setting." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013. <
http://www.shmoop.com/candide/setting.html>.
"Candide." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013. <
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/candide/facts.html>.
"Candide." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/candide/themes.html
N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.manitobaopera.mb.ca/learn/images