Introduction to Candide
Candide by Voltaire is a typical fictional work having elemental value on the basis of thematic strands that seem to have surpassed generations and civilizations. This fiction written during the eighteenth century not only shows the importance of wealth in social relations and social setups but also shows the work of religion, human desires, and civilizational clashes through its protagonist Candide, and other characters associated with him. The ancient controversies and dialectics about the existence of God, the creation of the world, the role of power and money, and religious dogmas in shaping human lives and cultures have been kept engaged not only by philosophers like Voltaire but also by other figures. Shown through his character such as Pangloss whose mantra of “For, everything having been made for a purpose, everything is necessarily for the best purpose” (Voltaire 4) to complete pessimism of Martin that he has never met goodness (53) when replying to Candide, Voltaire has touched upon the fundamental issues concerning human life. In fact, comprises how religion sometimes becomes a source of solace and at other times a source of persecution for those who hold different views. Therefore, some of the themes about the role of wealth, human lust and love, religion and its misuse, and civilizational clash are elements that can resonate with contemporary audiences.
Wealth in Candide
As far as the role of wealth in concerned, the initial chapter about Baron Thunder-ten-trenconckh and the description of his castle, his farmyard, and his living style show that he is called “Your Lordship” on account of his wealth (03). Candide soon comes to know that he has no means to pay his corner (05). Ken Ewell in his book, Travelling with Philosophes, says that Candide gets a lot of wealth from El Dorado but when he sees that it is all lost, he is unable to locate Cunegonde and his associate as he has no means to bribe the officials in Turkish land (252). It means that he has pointed out the importance of wealth. In fact, wealth plays an important part in the officials as well as the private world. In the official world, it works when Candide thinks of meeting the governor to buy Cunegonde, his former beloved (252). Although Ken Ewell has associated it with his philosophy that he learns from Pangloss the mention of wealth is very much there, as it makes him easy to travel and buy freedom for his mentor and beloved. In other words, wealth still has a significant role in the lives of people for traveling, purchasing amenities of life, and even buying officials to freedom. It even works when an individual wants to fulfill his desires.
Human Desire in Candide
In fact, human desires, in Candide, have been shown responsible for bringing trouble as well as showing the future of the characters. Candide is forced to leave the castle of Baron when he is caught flirting with Cunegonde (Voltaire 05). Desires may comprise lust or love or simply love for wealth as has been shown above, they drive the people away. Although Candide is forced to leave the castle, his heart is with Cunegonde. He is always after her when he is all right and has enough wealth to pursue his desire even if to go to Turkey(80-81). A desire-satisfaction theoretical perspective by Dale Dorsey highlights that although desires lead to temporal welfare or satisfaction, they hardly fulfill permanent satisfaction level (152-153) for it depends on the time, context, and various other factors springing up in the new research (152). Perhaps that is the very reason that the lust or desire for sex of Candide ends by the end of the novel when he sees ugly Cunegonde in Turkey and does not marry her though he does not budge from his earlier stand of marrying her. The same goes for human desires and emotions with the contemporary audience when they see the same things happening with characters on the screen in front of them.
Religion in Candide
Whereas religion is concerned, it has always led to wider fissures among human beings rather than filling the existing gaps. The whole episode of Candide with the Jesuits and his flip-flop to prove that he is with his captors (Voltaire 214) show that religious creed, indeed, plays an important part in the life of human beings, and it is still important in that every religious person holds that his religious is as true as the old man in El Dorado who speaks to Candide about it (Voltaire 44). However, the interesting thing about Candide coming to know such religious beliefs is that it forces one to reflect on his religious ideas which is metacognition as Mark Bracher has asserted with reference to Candide (73). It means that a person meets followers of other religions and comes to know about shortcomings in his own beliefs. The same goes for either acceptance or resistance of religious ideas and beliefs which show the clash of civilizations as is happening notoriously between Christianity and Islam in the Middle East though both sides are engaged in rapprochement in one or the other way.
Conclusion
All of these thematic strands, elements and events in Candide by Voltaire seem quite relevant to contemporary readers and audiences. They find relevant elements in them to think solutions to the problems they face and resolve them accordingly. That is why Candide is still popular among the masses as they see their fundamental desires, petty religious disputes, and civilizational clashes at work in the text and its presentation on the stage.
Works Cited
- Bracher, Mark. Educating for Cosmopolitanism: Lessons from Cognitive Science and Literature. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
- Dorsey, Dale. “Desire-satisfaction and Welfare as Temporal.” Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, vol, 16. no. 1 (2013): 151-171.
- Ewell, Ken. Traveling with Philosophes. New York: iUniverse Inc. 2006.
- Voltaire, Francoise. Candide and Other Stories. Trans. by Roger Pearson. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Relevant Questions about Candide: Themes, Elements, Or Issues
- How does Voltaire use satire and irony in Candide to critique and comment on the philosophical optimism of the Enlightenment era, and what is the impact of this critique on the overall themes of the novella?
- In Candide, the character Pangloss embodies the idea that “all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.” How does Pangloss’s philosophy evolve or change throughout the story, and what does this transformation reveal about the novel’s exploration of optimism and reality?
- Voltaire tackles numerous societal issues in Candide, including religious hypocrisy, the nature of evil, and the corrupting influence of power. Can you provide examples from the text that illustrate Voltaire’s commentary on these issues and explain how they contribute to the novel’s overall message and themes?
