Myles McKenna
Mr. Wright
Euro Lit 4A
January 15, 2012
Candide Final Essay
The satirical novel, Candide, Darton’s review of the novel, the Declaration of
Independence, and the movie The Pursuit of Happyness are all interpretations of the phrase “the
pursuit of happiness”. In Candide, Candide, the protagonist, finishes his long journey and
decides to relax and cultivate his garden, reflecting his idea of happiness. Darton comments on
the possible interpretations on this final line in Candide in his review. The declaration of
Independence gives guidelines on how the public as a group can have more control over the
governing body of their government, and this can lead to happiness. The common goals of these
documents and novels are different ways to achieve happiness based on the ideals of an
enlightened era.
The use of satire in Candide results in clearly making a relation to the condition of
Europe during the Enlightenment Era. The act that is possibly the most innocent that Candide
can make is, “let us cultivate our garden” and this represents the most respectful way people can
be at peace with themselves. Candide is willing to grow his garden for the betterment of himself
and peers. This shows how that at the end of a laborious life, the only way a peasant could
achieve happiness was through being united with god in heaven. Candide is trying to grow a
garden which could be an allusion to the paradise of Eden, while peasants had a toilsome
existence with the hope of a paradise at the end of the person’s life. Therefore, the only pursuit of
happiness that peasant would have is death and heaven, and death cannot be willfully achieved as
that would result in eternal torture in hell.
The essay prepared by Darton shows that different interpretations or glosses have effects
on the way that humanity can achieve the pursuit of happiness. In Darton’s essay the the four
glosses are, “Stoic withdrawal… pastoral utopianism… secular salvation… cultural engagement”
and all of these glosses show manners of happiness. As all of these glosses applied to the life
experiences of Voltaire, any of these are correct and accurately portray a manner in which an
enlightened man may achieve happiness. The group of Candide has chosen to seclude themselves
from civilization and cultivate their garden making their pursuit of happiness to bear fruit, after
the horrendous circumstances that each character in the novel has endured.
When the Declaration of Independence was drafted, a clause gives the people of the now
United States of America the ability to have an impact on the course that their government has
chosen to take. Thomas Jefferson, the writer of the statement, chose to reduce the power of the
upper class and involve the lower and middle class in the governmental system more. The
Declaration gives society the option, if, “whenever any form of Government becomes destructive
of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it”, which allows a massive amount
of control by the people over the government. This gives the common civilian the ability to
create the government that has the best interest of the people in mind for the greatest possible
good. This clause forces the average man to be able to pursue their pursuit of happiness.
In the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardener purses his ideal of happiness
regardless of the personal effort or risk to himself, and becomes a successful stockbroker. This
movie shows how when a person, with no regard to their social standing or financial
opportunities will take any step necessary to increase the quality of their lot in life. The movie
makes a comment on the ability of a nobody to become a very wealthy and intelligent
businessman, accurately depicting the American Dream. The story of Chris Gardener is a
personification of the clause in the American Declaration of Independence, “life, liberty, and a
pursuit of happiness”, a play of the Locke phrase, “life, liberty, and property” or the natural and
unalienable rights of humans (excluding slaves).