CKQ+Minae

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.

We can clearly see that Candide's world is not the best of all possible worlds. For example, on page 77 "Fools admire everything in an esteemed author. I read for myself alone; I only like what I have a use for."We can see that even though Pococurante has everything.. from books to a nice house, he still seems to be unsatisfied. This, we can see is not the best of all possible worlds. Even though Pococurante has everything a person would want, he is clearly unsatisfied. The author might have wanted to indicate that materialistic goods do not satisfy a person, and that greed or avarice is the cause for it. A person may never be satisfied, therefore it cannot be the best of all possible worlds.

Another example is in chapter 24 page 71. "Candide's melancholy deepend, while Martin continued with his relentless proofs that there is little virture and on happiness on earth, expect perhaps in Eldorado, where no one can ever go.' This shows that no world can be the best of all possible worlds expect for Eldorado, where no one can ever go. Furthermore, even Candide darkens. This shows that Martin's statement must be true. Howerv, some rays of hope is that Candide has actually been to Eldorado and can go there again if he chooses to.

The last example is when on page 73, chapter 24, "AH! Monsieur, that is another of the miseries of our profession, Yesterday I was beaten and robbed by an officer of the law; today I must seem in good humor to please a monk." This is a very funny situation since, getting beaten and pleasing men throughout one's life is clearly not the best of all possible worlds. This relates to social pride.