Candide: themes and analysis in Voltaire's satirical novel

¶ … Candide in "Candide"

Life is a journey and the best that we can hope for is to learn and benefit from knowledge. Not all knowledge is the same, however, and we must listen to teachers and philosophers with a skeptical ear. Candide learns this valuable lesson and through him, we learn that every individual is responsible for his or her existence on earth. We must also realize that we are responsible for a positive contribution to society. Philosophy is good for nothing if it does not encourage the individual to do good things and life a good life. Pangloss serves as the perfect example of a philosopher that does not know what he is taking about and would do the world a favor if he stopped talking. Candide finally learns that while we all have something to say, it is not always good. Better than waste our time philosophizing, we are better off if we simply attempt to live each day to the best of our abilities. Our lives become like gardens in that we are responsible for cultivating them in a way that they grow and benefit others. Philosophy is not nearly as important as living a good life and this is Candide's lesson.

Candide's character must evolve somewhat over the progress of the story. In the beginning, we find him to be a bit naive and extremely influenced by others. His nature and intent are good but his judgment is weak. Because he chooses to admire the wrong individuals at the beginning of the story, he begins to discern between real leaders and those that offer little more than lip service. Candide's experiences are humorous as Voltaire uses satire to prove his point. Behind the comedy, we find that the lesson Voltaire wants us to learn is directly related to those that claim to be enlightened and philosophic. Pangloss becomes an excellent example of this in that he claims to be a philosopher but appears to be just the opposite. Candide discovers that Pangloss has contracted syphilis. In his defense, he explains that the disease was brought to the world through the explorations of Columbus. This assertion causes him to conclude that without the disease, "we would not have chocolate" (23). It takes no philosopher to come up with such ridiculous statements; in fact, it seems that only a fool could come up with such a story. Voltaire is pointing out that philosophy is overrated and we must listen to philosophers with a bit of skepticism. One Candide realizes this, he is one step closer to enlightenment.

Candide is open to learning and comes to understand many things about life during his travels. He realizes that a sense of fulfillment and a life well-lived comes from hard work and the simple things in life. The Turk explains the mystery behind hard work keeps the mind occupied. Through cultivating his estate with his children, he is keeping away "three great evils: boredom, vice, and need" (100). Through his interaction with the Turk, Candide realizes that every human being is responsible for making the world a better place to live. In order for this to happen, people must connect with one another and work to make the world a safe and pleasant place to live. People working on their lives is the symbolism found in the notion of people cultivating their own gardens. Candide's travels lead him all over the world where he realizes that good and evil exist everywhere. In fact, they must coexist in order for us to appreciate the good in life. Candide also realizes that this attitude is the best one to have and once he accepts this, life is better and he is more comfortable. He is free from previous constraints and can seek out happiness and his destiny comfortably. He is empowered with this knowledge and he understands that every opportunity we face provides us with the opportunity to do something good. After his long journey, he states, "All events are all linked together in the best possible worlds" (101). Candide's acceptance allows him to feel more fulfilled.