Candide Essay -- essays research papers

CANDIDE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Candide was a true believer in Pangloss’ theory that all was well in the world. â€Å"Pangloss proved admirably that there is no effect without a cause and that in this best of all possible worlds†¦things cannot be otherwise for since everything is made for an end, everything is necessarily for the best end. Observe that noses were made to wear spectacles; and so we have spectacles. Legs were visibly instituted to be breeched, and we have breeches.†(p.4) Even though these ideas can be considered illogical in real life. Candide and the rest of the people living in the Baron’s castle never questioned the validity of Pangloss’ philosophy. Maybe their conformity was due to a lack of experience, the belief at the time that doctors and philosophers were always right, or obvious but inconsistent truths like â€Å"The Baron was one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia, for his castle possessed a door and windows†. Although it wa s obvious that the Baron was powerful, the doors and windows of his castle have nothing to do with the Baron’s power. Candide was obviously naà ¯ve, but so were most of the characters in the story, since they didn't bother to question Pangloss' philosophy either. Voltaire was not writing this story for the sole purpose of entertainment. It is obvious that Voltaire was also trying to make readers reflect on their own beliefs so that they might see their hypocrisy. â€Å"All is well in the world† could have referred to the mindset of the people living sheltered from the real world, such as the clergy and higher class. As the story continues, Candide finds out that all is not well in the world. The first event that Candide encountered should have been proof enough that all was not well in the world. Voltaire uses an Ironic approach when talking about the war. When Candide had been wondering the streets after getting kicked out of the Baron’s castle, two men came up to him and asked him if he was five feet tall, when he answered â€Å"yes, gentlemen, that is my height†, civilly they invited him to dinner. They said, â€Å"men were meant to help each other†. Candide was then trained in the Bulgarian army and forced to train to fight the Abarians in war. Candide’s belief in Pangloss’ Philosophy was tested for the first time. How can all be well when so much killing is going on around him? Candide was confused on why he couldn’t just... ... her, â€Å"She reminded Candide of his promises in so peremptory a tone that Candide dared not refuse her†. Just like Pangloss, Candide refused to go back on something he had believed in at one point and went ahead with the wedding even though he had not the least with to marry Cunegonde. Candide must have realized at this point that not all works for the best in this world. After leaving Eldorado, Candide thought that finding Cunegonde would make him happy. He now finds that nothing worked out how he expected. Pangloss said to Candide: â€Å"All events are linked up in this best of all possible worlds; for, if you had not been expelled from the noble castle, by hard kicks in your backside for love of Miss Cunegonde, if you had not been clapped into the Inquisition, if you had not wandered about America on foot, if you had not stuck your sword in the Baron, if you had not lost all your sheep from the land of Eldorado, you would not be eating candied citrons and pistachio s here.† To which he replies, â€Å"’tis well said, but we must cultivate our gardens.† Candide realized that even though things work out in the end, it’s not always for the best; there must still be some hardship along the way.