CKQ+Chris

again, most of this is from Mr. Stephens
 * Key Question for //Candide//**

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.

**OR**
2. As a nod to some work you have done in history. . . What is revolution and who has the responsibility to change the world? This question is not just about random need for change and pessimism. What places of needed stability do you see? As you post your responses to the key question also mention 'stability' and '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

__**Chris Kim Optimism: "Rays of hope"**__

As we can see, this book is indeed not the best of all possible worlds. There are many negative factors that face Candide throughout the novel indefinitely. First of all, Candide fails to find Cunegounde. After all this searches Candide has intuitively figured where she might be, Candide once again, recognizes his location has failed, and Cunegounde is nowhere to be found. On page 72, Voltaire mentions "To have nothing to look forward, but to hideous old age". This explained that in the story that is proceeding right now, things are not looking so well. Voltaire explains thaere is essentially nothing to look forward in the story, because it is so devastating for Candide and his circumstances with Cunegounde right now. Not only this, there is also another quote to explain Candide's failure in the story, or negative factors in terms of "rays of hope". On the first paragraph, Candide mentions his unmeasurable distances he has come for Cunegounde to Martin. "How do you explain this?......I have had time to travel across from Surinam ti Bordeax.................Dippe to Portsmouth..........................and spend serveral months to Venice." This quote, as stated in page 70, mentions extreme amounts of locations Candide has adventured through, just to get to Cunegounde. This quote, in my opinion, was significant in terms of negativity for "the best of all possible words", because it mentions a cause an effect sequence.

This following quote not only effected the story and its "best of all possible worlds", but for Candide directly as well. Because Voltaire expressed all of the locations, and the love Candide has been preciously growing for Cundegounde hopeless, Voltaire was also able to express the hopelessness of the story, along with Candide's emotions as well. For example on page 70, the second paragraph, Voltaire mentions "He fell into black melancholy, and took no part in the fashionable operas or the other Carnical amusements; none of the Venerian ladies cause him the highest temptation. This expressed the hopelessness of the book perfectly. The factors that were mentioned intuitively full of pleasure and positive goods in the beginning portions of the story, are now expressed as useless things to him.

Candide's book seems very hopeless to Voltaire's ideas, however, they are not completely hopeless. The idea of optimism, is still be intrigued by Voltaire as well. To summarize the complete flip-over of this negative effect of Candide, there is one quote that still give "rays of hope" to Candide. On page 79, On the 2nd to the last paragraph, Candide mentions "Oh whatever you like! In case no one is happy but me, when I see Cunégonde again. And after that, Martin quotes, "One always does well to hope." This still identified that Candide will get happier than ever when he sees Cunégonde again, and with Martin mentioning there is still hope, that concludes that is indeed still, "rays of hope" for love.