CKQ+Connie

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.

Here are some specific categories to look for:
 * religion
 * kings
 * governments
 * war
 * avarice (greed)
 * social pride
 * dishonesty
 * slavery
 * inhuman treatment of others
 * disease
 * cataclysms

"Appalled, stupefied, distraught, covered in blood and shaking uncontrollably, Candide said to himself: "If this is the best of all possible worlds, what must the others be like?... my dear Pangloss!.. Did I have to see you hanged, and for no reason I can understand? And my dear anabaptist, the best of men! Did you have to be drowned in the port? And Mademoiselle Cunegonde, the pearl of daughters, was it necessary for you to be disemboweled?" (pg.16) In chapters 4-12, Candide explains mostly why he is not in the best of all possible worlds. His teacher, Pangloss was hanged, the Anabaptist was drowned in the sea at the port, and his love; Cunegonde was disemboweled. What more drastic events could happen in Candides world?? This is when Candide definitely experiences the inhuman treatment of people towards all of his loved ones and feels that everything that happens to him, just couldn't be the best of all worlds. Also, Cunegonde talks about how it is not the best of both worlds after all of her jewelry are stolen at a inn. "But who could possibly have stolen my pistoles and diamonds? said Cunegonde in tears. 'What shall we live on? How will we manage?" (pg.23) This shows avarice; the greediness of people. If the man in the inn had not stolen Cunegonde's jewelry, the three of them -old woman, Candide, Cunegonde- have finished the journey easily, with no hard ships. The passage showed how the greediness of one man lead to the miserableness of three people. This way, Cunegonde experienced another situation of not being in the best of all worlds.

But, at the same time, //Candide// is not an entirely hopeless novel. There were some 'rays of hope' that I could see in the novel. Before Pangloss was hanged, and earthquakes were going to happen soon, he said this.. " This is all for the best,' he said. 'For if there is a volcano beneath Lisbon, then it cannot be anywhere else; for it is impossible for things to be elsewhere then where they are. For all is well.' This showed optimism from Pangloss of how the earthquake happening at the moment was a good thing since it could have happened somewhere else in the world. And that would have been worse than what they have just experienced.

"All will be well,' Candide replied. 'The sea of this new world is already superior to our European seas; it is calmer, its trade winds more constant. No doubt about it, the New World is the best of all possible words." When Candide, Cunegonde and the Old woman reach the New World, Candide expresses great hope and optimism about the new life they will be starting there. He also shouts out that with no doubt the New World would be the best of all possible worlds. Reading this passage, it also gave me; the reader also some hope about what would happen next to the three venturers.