CKQ+Hyun+Sun

__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.


 * Inhuman treatment of others**: On page 69, ...'and what devil is at work in the world?' He asked who was the fat man, who had just been so ceremoniously despatched. 'He was an admiral,' came the reply. -'And why kill this admiral?' - 'Because,' came the reply, 'he did not get enough people killed when he had the chance: he gave battle to a French admiral, and was said not to have engaged closely enough with the enemy.' The admiral's execution shows that this is not the "best of all possible worlds". Just because the admiral engaged closely with the French admiral, it does not mean that he did a very serious crime. And the fact that the man says the execution is "useful" and "encourage others" indicates the readers that the others are already aware of this fact. Treating these admirals in an unfair way shows how people are treated in different ways; and by this, Voltaire is able to give a strong factor of why "best of all possible worlds" is impossible in the world.


 * Kings**: On page 81, '... they called me "Your Majesty", who now barely call me "Sir"; I once minted my own coin, and now do not own a farthing; I once had two secretaries of state, and now have scarcely a valet; I once sat on a throne, but then for a long time slept on straw in a London prison;...' This man, who once was a king, is living a very contradicting life compared to his life before. Usually, people view a King as very "fortunate", "rich", and "happy" because of all their wealth and support that they have. However, this specific quote shows the readers that this stereotype does not require to all the kings around the world. The readers would have been able to compare King of Corsica (the king in the passage) and other kings such as King of England. From the comparison, Voltaire was able to conclude the readers that even Kings cannot have "the best of all possible worlds".


 * Faith**: On page 79 and 83, 'I cannot say more; I am a slave, and my master is waiting for me; I must go and serve him at table: don't say a word; eat your supper and be at the ready.' and 'Cunegonde is washing dishes on the shores of the Propontide for a prince who owns very few dishes-she is a slave in the household of a disposed sovereign called Ragotski,'. Once a friend or lover of Candide, are now slaves. Cacambo and Cunegonde lived a "normal" life. Nobody could have imagined them to live in such conditions. However, like the kings they meet in Chapter 26, their fortune did not follow them through their life "path". This shows that "best of all possible worlds" cannot happen in any situation. It depends on your "faith" in a way because of the differences between Candide's life and Cacambo's life. If Candide have chosen to continue on the journey with Cacambo, Cacambo would not have had to suffer this horrible condition where he gets no rights to speak up. This is an example that shows "best of all possible worlds" cannot happen because of chosen "faiths".


 * Rays of Hope**: Even though Voltaire shows a lot of evidence in order to support that there is no "best of all possible worlds", it gives "rays of hope" in the book, //Candide//. For example, "He was nearly mad with joy. He embraced his dear friend." This was one of the significant "ray of hope" because it was surprising how Candide expressed himself as "nearly mad with joy". He had never used this kind of expression before, and so this strongly indicates the "ray of hope" after meeting Cacambo (but this was before he finds out that Cacambo became a slave).