CKQ+Jenny+J.

//In// // Candide ////, Voltaire is satirizing the idea that this is 'the best of all possible worlds." Therefore, Voltaire wants to you answer the following question:

1. Why is this not the best of all possible worlds? But, at the same time,// // Candide // //is not an entirely hopeless novel. What 'rays of hope' do you see? As you post your responses to the key question also mention 'rays of hope' that you see in the novel.//

 //"All is mere illusion and calamity" in this "accursed Europe." - Candide, in "black melancholy" (70)// 

As it is intended to be a satirical approach to optimism, in his novel //Candide//, Voltaire openly mocks the theory that we live in “the best of all possible worlds.” The story is meant to illustrate pieces of evidence that prove the exact opposite of the optimistic theory, by seemingly supporting the stance, but in actuality countering it. In the assigned chapters, Voltaire alludes to (although rather directly) several negative aspects of society, including unjustness, prostitution, corruption, and piracy.


 * Unjust Accusations (& Violent Treatment + Forced Labor)**

The evidence of unfairness in //Candide// has been plentiful ever since the very first chapter of the novel, where Candide is expelled from the castle of Thunder-ten-tronckh. This ongoing theme is again relatively dominant in the section [23-27]. In chapter 23, Candide notices the death of an admiral who has been accused because “he did not get enough people killed when he had the chance (69).” When Candide argues that it is an accusation too weak to have “three bullets fired into his skull (69)” by four different soldiers, Martin answers that it is “considered //useful// now and again to //shoot// an admiral, to //encourage// others (69).”

Shocked by the injustice, Candide moves on directly to Venice, only to meet Paquette. Paquette had gone through numerous beatings and incarceration due to the fact that she had been the mistress of a man whom she did not even love. Candide agrees that the situation definitely had been “miserable (73)” for her, and is distressed by the fact that her outer happiness covers her inner miseries.

The final example for unfairness is in chapter 27, where Candide realizes that Pangloss and the Baron are enslaved in the galleys. Not only have the two been accused of violations of law that they were not even familiar with (although this is mentioned in the later chapters), but they were also subject to brutal treatment: the captain “applied a few strokes” every now and then on the “naked shoulders (84) ” of the two men.


 * Prostitution (& Rape)**

Prostitution and rape have also been topics of frequent discussion throughout the course of the novel. Quite simply, Cunegonde, the old woman, and Paquette have all experienced undesired sexual engagements. In the chapters [23-27], Paquette is the main subject of such agonies of women.

Due to Paquette’s low social status, which is determined by birth and gender, she doesn’t have many options to earn money than to sell her body to others. This being so, she has become a prostitute, a job in which she describes as an “abominable profession (72).” She expresses the dirtiness and disgust of having to make love with many different men, all of whom she has no affection for, just because this job has become her own “trade (72).” The profession asks Paquette not only to engage in intercourse with men, but also to be “beaten and robbed (73).” Thus, Paquette defines herself as the “one of the unhappiest creatures alive (72).”

Such negative expressions imply the miseries of sexual abuse and the powerlessness of women, and therefore attributes to the notion that we are not living in the “best of all possible worlds.”


 * Corruption**

Corruption has not been mentioned as much in the novel than the others listed above, but still is a persisting problem in the world that Voltaire doesn’t fail to recognize. Amongst the many different types of corruptions, the corruption of the church is what has been the most controversial at the time of Voltaire’s life, and thus that is what he broaches upon in chapter 24.

Brother Girofleo, the monk with whom Paquette was with, expresses his blatant hatred towards the customs of the church. He said the place was “rife with jealousies, faction, and ill-feeling (73),” and that he made “wretched sermons (73)” just to make money. Finally, he talks about one of the most contemptible sins (theoretically) for Christians, lechery: he “pays for the girls (73)” with the money he earns. Most importantly, he explains that this is the situation with all of his fellow monks, and not only himself. In short, the entire church/monastery is marred by corruption.


 * Piracy**

The final and the least conspicuous point referred to in the chapter (although predominant in the other sections), is piracy. In chapter 27, Cacambo explains to Candide how “some pirate” had “casually relieved him of the money (83)”, and thus had been reduced to a slave. Theft and violence, which are the two main components of violence, are definitely aspects that do not support the theory of the world being “the best of all possible worlds.”


 * Rays of Hope**

Despite all those listed above, and Voltaire’s efforts to prove that the human society is not the best of all possible worlds, there are still rays of hope that keep Candide going.

The foremost goal and hope to Candide is that of meeting Cunegonde. In the end of nearly every chapter in this particular section, Candide reminds himself that he will able to “see the lovely Cunegonde again (70; chapter 23),” “run into Cunegonde (74; chapter 24),” “see Mademoiselle Cunegonde again (79; chapter 25)”, “find his dear Cunegonde (82; chapter 26),” and “rescue Cunegonde (85;chapter 27).”

Along with this hope, is the physical evidence that proves that reunion between those whom one would think is impossible can happen: the rejoining of Pangloss and Monsieur de Baron. When Candide meets the two again, he cries out both in shock and joy, “Can this be? (84)” and addresses them both as “dear Pangloss” and “dear Baron (85).”


 * Conclusion**

All in all, Voltaire implies that the world cannot be the “best” as long as the problems mentioned above are left unsolved. Injustice (which relates to violence and forced labor such as slavery), prostitution (which relates to social and gender discrimination), corruption, and piracy (theft and violence), are all areas that have not been improved very dramatically over the past centuries, and are following the same patterns over and over again. Even in the modern day, the problems persist and befoul the society.

Nonetheless, there is still hope that we will be able to find what we want and reach our goals in spite of all those mentioned above, as long as we are not wavered by what the world wants us to become (just like what Candide manages to be).