Breanna Borror
Mr. Newcome
AP Literature
12/2/10
Candide: By Voltaire Notes
Beck, Ervin. "Voltaire's CANDIDE." The Explicator 57.4 (1999): 203. Student Edition. Web. 22
Nov. 2010.
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Philosophical tales- asks a philosophical question and answers it in a entertaining way
Candide advocates philosophical skepticism in structure
Thirty chapters, three sections, each one a journey
First section- Candide and friends in Europe
Second section in America and Third in Turkey and Europe with voyages by sea in
between
6. Symbolic geography- Old World (evil)→ New World (new possibilities)→ Europe and
turkey (resting place)
7. El Dorado- unattainable goal; Turkey- “new golden mean” ideal place yet still with evil
of Europe and human effort of El Dorado
8. Voltaire give Candide a different guide for each section to “reinforce implied symbolic
geography”
9. Pangloss- Philosophical Optimism
10. Cacambo- mean between the two extremes (the skepticism that propels the book)
11. Martin- Philosophical pessimism
12. Cacambo- rarely speaks, and his silence conveys that he is not sure about many things
and knows that ultimate reality is not definite
13. “Prudent Cacambo” practical, efficient, knows what is to be done, accomplishes tasks
14. Cacambo has practical talents: choir-boy. Sarcristan, sailor monk, postman, soldier and
lackey
15. He does things on Candide’s behalf successfully
16. He represents philosophical skepticism and helps satirize the other two alternatives
17. In El Dorado Cacambo translated the language for Candide and showed even more skill
18. Cacambo transports Cunegonde to turkey and brought Candide to her
19. In chapter 30 there is a debate on what to do with the baron, when all three mentors
(Martin, Pangloss and Cacambo) offer a solution the community picks Cacambo’s
proposal
20. Cacambo is the founder of the Harden colony- he delivered Cunegonde and the Old
Woman there
21. Cacambo is the first person to cultivate and work the land
22. He works in the garden first and others follow his lead and begin to work the land
23. Thus leading to the motto of the book, “We must cultivate our gardens” (328)
24. The author feel that it would not be wise to get to attached with Cacambo’s values
25. Voltaire renders these values attractive through Cacambo: golden mean, common sense,
philosophical skepticism
26. Even more ironic is where Voltaire got the name Cacambo
27. He formed the hero- Cacambo’s name from the Spanish word caca meaning “excrement”
28. The author of the article makes several predictions as to Voltaire’s name choice in
Cacambo
29. The name choice may allude to Cacambo’s close proximity to the basic processes of life
30. His name may have been picked by Voltaire for Cacambo’s low esteem many characters
regard him
31. Candide takes a unresponsive or stoic approach to life
32. The author of the article presumes that Cacambo is Voltaires comment on an alternate
worlds.
33. Voltaire suggests that Cacambo’s philosophy is the type of world humans must accept
instead of El Dorado or Pangloss’s optimism
34. El Dorado is unattainable for humans
35. Pangloss’s optimism is unbelievable when faced with the tragedy of life
SCHERR, ARTHUR. "Voltaire's CANDIDE." The Explicator 59.2 (2001): 74. Student Edition.
Web. 12 Nov. 2010.
36. Dutch Antibaptist Jacque is only in chapters 3-5 of Candide
37. Candide Scholars debate his signifigance in the novel
38. Most scholars believe Jacques to be the only truly self-sacrificing figure
39. this scholar belives Jaques to be more of a self-interested business man than a naiver dogooder
40. In chapter three candied is fleeing from military service in the Bulgarian/Abarian war
41. Candide meets Jacques while fleeing
42. When no one else will help Candide and he is penniless and starving in Holland
43. Jacques comes along to help Candide and is described as “an honest Anabaptist”
44. Voltire uses satire when Jaques makes an objection to how Candide was being treated
45. Jacques refers to Candide as his brother46. "cruel and ignominious treatment of one of his brothers, a featherless two-legged creature
with a soul [Candide]; he took him home, cleaned him up, gave him bread and beer,
presented him with two forms [eighty cents in that period's money, but about twenty
dollars today], and even offered to teach him to work at the manufacture of Persian stuffs
which are made in Holland" (235-36).
47. It is revealed that Jacques is not as innocent as a soul as he claims
48. He is a dishonest salesman
49. Jacques fraudulently tries to sell and pass of rugs as tapestries
50. He is manufacturing the rugs for sale in holland as more exotic and expensive “Persian
stuffs”
51. Jacques is a kind yet dishonest business man
52. Jacques wants Candide to be one of his workers possibly in a sweatshop
53. his generosity to Candide may not of been unselfish
54. it is possible Jacques only fed Candide knowing that he would owe him and then Candide
might work for him cheaply
55. The Anabaptist is also cheap and possibly hired a quack or underqualified doctor
56. This led to the loss of Pangloss’s eye and one ear.
57. This is satirized as "Pangloss only lost one eye and one ear"
58. After paying for Pangloss to be cures he tries to make use of his abilities
59. Pangloss is well educated-"he could write well and knew arithmetic perfectly"-and the
Anabaptist makes him his bookkeeper (238-39)
60. Jacques most likely employed the scholar for very little expense (cheap labor)
61. Jacques is a character that expects to have increased efficiency and profits for his
generosity
62. Disputing Pangloss’s optimistic dictum that "everything is for the best," Jacques voices
his disgust with humanity
63. Jacque does not agree with Pangloss and charges that in society "men have become
wolves:"
64. Jacque gives two examples of man’s beast like qualities
65. He believes that sanguinary wars show evil in the world
66. Jacques gives the example of the government’s seizure of property of bankrupt
individuals
67. "Justice which seizes the goods of bankrupts in order to deprive the creditors of them"
(239).
68. This quote suggests that Jacques is a rather mercenary individual
69. He most likely is resentful to bankruptcy laws had deprived him of the right to more
profit
70. He may have tried to seize the property of delinquent debtors in the past.
71. Satire* Jacques tragic death occurs as a result of a benevolent act
72. When on board a ship a huge storms come and happens b/c famou1755 earthquake
73. Jacques is thrown overboard after saving a sailor who previously knocked him over the
head
74. Satire* unlikely occurrence makes a deadly scenario comical
75. The sailor hit Jacques for trying to help the crew during the violent storm
76. The sailor went overboard because of the force he hit Jacques with
77. Jacques went overboard from the struggle of saving the sailor
78. The sailor doesn’t even look to help Jacques and simply lets him drown
79. "ran to his aid, helped him to climb back, and from the effort he made was flung into the
sea in full view of the sailor, who allowed him to drown without condescending even to
look at him" (239-40).
80. Voltaire designed this section for comic effect
81. First glance- telling reader even the truly virtuous Jacques (appears to be) is not exempt
from the cruelty of life
82. Suggests Jacques to be the most likely victim- good often suffer more than evil
83. Second glance- Jacques was only acting rationally
84. He didn’t realize he would be drowned and figured the more men the less likely they
would sink
85. He was trying to help save the ship before the sailor hit him
86. Saves the sailor that hit him to save himself (didn’t want the ship to sink)
87. The “philanthropic” works of the Anabaptist Jacques are characteristic of 18th century
liberal capitalism (Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations (1776): the “invisible hand”
88. Idea that individual, competitive self-interest increases prosperity and well-being for the
whole community
89. Voltaire agreed with this idea if everyone simply took care of themselves we’d all be
better off
90. This is a huge theme Voltaire uses in Candide: self preservation
91. Voltaire uses this idea to justify the Anabaptist Jacques as a “good” man
Unknown. "Voltaire's "Candide"." SIRS Renaissance. 12 May 2004: n.p. SIRS
Renaissance. Web. 20 Nov. 2010.
92. The original title of the book was Candide; ou, L'Optimisme
93. In English that means Candide; or Optimism- most know the book by just Candide
94. Leaving the word “optimism out in itself is ironic
95. Most compelling theme of the novel “is whether humankind lives in the best of all
possible worlds or in one that is full of indiscriminate evil and sorrow.”
96. Voltaire discusses the 17th and 18th century philosophy of optimistic determinism
97. Philosopher Gottfried Leibniz thought God created a world of perfect order and reason
98. This would be similar to Pangloss- anything that happens is meant to be
99. Alexander Pope- everyone is part of God’s grand design
100.
Alexander believed those who do bad are part of the greater good
101.
Pangloss, Candide’s friend/mentor views the world with optimism
102.
Pangloss even had explanation’s for existence of evil people and bad events
103.
"Private misfortunes make for public welfare,"- suffering of one leads to positive
outcome for all society
104.
Candide first accepts Pangloss’s Utopian philosophy
105.
Candide even tried to see the positive in inhumane treatment and natural disasters
106.
The event that initiates conflict is when Candide is kicked out of his castle
107.
He was kicked out for kissing the daughter of the castle’s owner
108.
Candide travels half way around the world and tragedy never leaves him
109.
Candide sees terrible war and is tricked into the Bulgar army (remains optimistic)
110.
Candide escapes the army to find Pangloss has syphilis and no money for a doctor
111.
They meet a friend who dies in a shipwreck (remain optimistic)
112.
Upon making it to Lisbon- giant earthquake devastates city (remain optimistic)
113.
Both captured by Spanish inquisitors sentenced to death (remain optimistic)
114.
Candide witness more in humanity in his young life than most due in their
lifetime
115.
Even so he did not witness the full spectrum of “man’s inhumanity to man”
116.
Voltaire’s exaggeration of the magnitude of evil on Candide – two purposes
117.
Candide serves as an example of pain and sorrow that is all over the globe
118.
Candide served to satirize and criticize the religious structures of the time
119.
Voltaire felt most views of his time were hypocritical and contrary to the greater
good
120.
The more hardships and pain Candide suffered the less optimistic he was
121.
There was a break in tragedy when Candide was in El Dorado
122.
He leaves so he can seek Cunegonde, he loves and misses her
123.
On journey outside El Dorado his is quickly met with difficult times
124.
The diamonds he received in El Dorado were almost immediately stolen
125.
He pays a ship captain for his intended journey and the captain takes off with the
precious goods, (and unique sheep)
126.
By this time Candide sees evil in the world
127.
Candide sees malicious people as wicked predators
128.
He no longer sees reason in his suffering
129.
He has a new mentor Martin who is completely opposite Pangloss
130.
Martin is a pessimist and though Candide doubts optimism he disagrees with
Martin too.
131.
Candide’s views fall in-between Martin’s and Pangloss’s
132.
The three work together in the end to purchase a farm
133.
Martin’s final philosophy is to not question the way of the world
134.
Martin- “work without theorizing” is the only way “to make life endurable”
135.
Pangloss continues to push his optimistic view
136.
Pangloss tells Candide that if not for all his hardship they wouldn’t have such a
peaceful farm
137.
To this Candide responds with the most famous quote from the book:
138.
Candide responds: “That’s well said… but we must cultivate our garden.”
139.
This represents both the theme and the resolution of the book
140.
The article suggests an analysis of this line
141.
The world is both bad and good
142.
An individual must go about their own business and do an honest job to survivethe best way
143.
Life goes on, the world continues not depending on human actions (regardless)
Wood, Michael. "Notes on "Candide"." New England Review (Vol. 26, No. 4). 2005: 192202. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 25 Nov 2010.
144.
Optimism is a philosophy in spite of small errors Gos’s creation is as good as it
can be
145.
Candide’s world is corrupt and evil with endless disasters where the weak and
innocent are exploited
146.
Voltaire made a point that human beings cannot escape selfishness, it is nessesary
147.
Good and evil (in the world) can be accounted as balanced
148.
Voltaire suggests human philosophy has a stake in human behavior
149.
Theodore Besterman defines optimism theory "that all that is and happens is for
the best."
150.
German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz, proponent of eighteenth-century
optimism, who claimed that "the shadows bring out the colors."
151.
Similarly Voltaire writes Pangloss saying, “that the ills of the world are shadows
in a beautiful painting”
152.
Voltaire thought Optimism as too hard and too much of a stretch to accept the bad
in life as good
153.
Voltaire thought pessimism was too easy and unfounded
154.
"I respect my God," Voltaire wrote in his poem on the Lisbon earthquake of
1755, "but I love the universe
155.
Voltaire satirizes optimism as ignorance
156.
Voltaire balks at the idea that the world is well because I am well
157.
“all is well everywhere because I'm doing pretty well in the tiny corner of the
world I happen to know”
158.
Candide is a philosopher as he likes to contemplate over the nature of life
159.
Candide has youth that cause his to look at life differently
160.
Candide does find it hard to believe the world is a bad place if his own affairs are
going well
161.
Candide has an advantage in life over Martin
162.
"for he still hoped to see Mademoiselle Cunegonde again, whereas Martin had
nothing to hope for."
163.
Candide has something to hold on to a goal to strive for
164.
Candide has always been wealthy in life and he has gold and diamonds
165.
there have been far fewer struggles with basic needs for Candide
166.
"when he thought of what remained in his pockets, and when he talked of
Cunegonde especially at the end of a good meal, he still inclined towards the system of
Pangloss."
167.
Thus furthering the idea that optimism is easy when life is good around you
168.
"when he thought of what remained in his pockets, and when he talked of
Cunegonde especially at the end of a good meal, he still inclined towards the system of
Pangloss."
169.
shows that the meal was good so they were able to have a positive out look
170.
"We are going into a new world," he remarks. "No doubt it must be there that all
is well."
171.
"and notwithstanding his gentle disposition...floors the Israelite, stone dead at the
feet of the lovely Cunegonde."
172.
Candide quickly kills someone who might interfere with his happiness
173.
"you who were born so gentle, to do away with a Jew and a prelate in the space of
two minutes?"
174.
this shows that no one can be gentle all the time (speaks to human nature)
175.
"and if there turns out to be a single one of them who has not repeatedly cursed
his existence, who has not often said to himself that he is the most unfortunate man alive,
then you may throw me into the sea head first."
176.
The woman suggests that her life is worse than Cunegonde
177.
Then she makes a point that everyone has seen a hard time
178.
the old woman refers to their love of life as a "ridiculous weakness,"
179.
New World- Candide feels that all will be well in this new place
180.
Candide even found negatives in the Americas
181.
"this hemisphere is no better than the other."
182.
Candide finds a Utopia in El Dorado
183.
The city of El Dorado is dependent upon isolation
184.
The happiness and innocence is only able to exist without outside intervention
185.
we need the though that there is a Utopia out there
186.
If we just try hard enough, or work enough one day things will be perfect
187.
"All may be well," he wrote in a poem, "that hope can man sustain,/All is well
now; 'tis an illusion vain." Eldorado is the fictional illusion that represents the historical
hope.
188.
Hope is necessary for society to function
189.
*Irony is that in a story of so many tragedy’s there is a happy ending
190.
Why does this philosophical tale contain no real philosophical discussion?
191.
Why is Cunegonde the only person to age and become ugly?
192.
Candide is a satire, not a confession
193.
This means that he is pointing out the short-comings in the world
194.
He also points out that even to solutions are not sufficient
195.
“He wishes to represent a world that is not absurd and useless, but mysterious”
196.
Voltaire suggests that the world is "simultaneously livable and bad."
197.
Voltaire's "lesson" is both that life is not worth much, and that this "not much" is
of the highest value.
198.
“the happy ending is at once ironic and an invitation not to overdo our sense of
misery.”
199.
Voltaire's philosophy doesn't require philosophical discussion, indeed requires its
absence
200.
in Voltaire's other works. The hero of Zadig turns to philosophy when he has a
problem, but receives "only knowledge," and no relief.
201.
"There are no extreme delights or extreme torments which will last a whole
lifetime: the sovereign good and the sovereign evil are illusions."
202.
"Man can have only a certain quantity of teeth, hair, and ideas. A time comes
when he necessarily loses his teeth, his hair, and his ideas." But there is more to be said,
and not only about the loss of Cunegonde's looks.
203.
Candide takes a view that nothing in the world is certain (but he would be happy
to see Cunegonde
204.
Cacambo says, "I agree, but we still have two sheep laden with more treasure than
the King of Spain will ever possess."
205.
"That is well said, but we must cultivate our garden."
206.
The garden is what there is, beneath and beyond our words;
207.
even philosophy is welcome in the garden
208.
The philosophy must not insist on having any consequences
209.
Philosophy must not get in the way of work, the active cultivation of that earth.
210.
To cultivate the garden, then, is not simply to mind one's own business, a wiser,
more sophisticated version of the selfishness the book attacked at its outset. It is to decide
not to seek answers to questions that can have none; to remember the concrete "buts" that
lie in wait for every grand abstraction
"Review of Candide." The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle 29 (May
1759): 233-235. Rpt. in Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800. Ed. James P.
Draper and James E. Person, Jr. Vol. 14. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Literature
Resource Center. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.
211.
Candide ridicule the idea that ‘all things are for the best’
212.
The book points out evil in the world- war, disease, crime, natural disasters etc.
213.
There is always misery in society
214.
The author of nature: indefinitely good?
215.
If indefinitely good than this is the best of possible worlds
216.
If this isn’t the best of all possible worlds than the author of nature isn’t
indefinably good
217.
Debates the topic of ‘whatever is, is right’
218.
Points out these negativities to argue that the author of nature is not indefinitely
good
219.
The debate that the author of nature is good stands that we are not knowledgeable
enough to understand that the negatives have a purpose
220.
Voltaire understands the philosophy of which he ridicules
221.
In this way he is able to extensively point out the flaws in the optimistic view
point
222.
The author relates this ridicule and type of satire to a man offered poison
223.
The man offered poison will end up still alive or dead
224.
The author suggests the man does not live if he doesn’t drink the poison
225.
If the man drinks the poison he will either live or die
226.
“Not considering, that the means and the end are inseparable, and that if it is
certain that a man shall die by poison, it is also certain that he shall drink it. (pp. 233-34)”
227.
Thus pointing out the ignorance in the idea that ‘living’ means to our society
Reed, Gail S. "Candide: Radical Simplicity and the Impact of Evil." Literature and
Psychoanalysis. Ed. Edith Kurzweil and William Phillips. New York: Columbia
University Press, 1983. 189-200. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Vol. 112. Detroit:
Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.
228.
Candide follow a familiar story line Voltaire is known for
229.
The protagonist is naïve searching the globe for a woman
230.
In this novel, by the middle of the plot the main character has emotional impact
231.
This suggests the way in which the author faces the existence of evil
232.
How does this interdependence of the reader and the text effect the reader?
233.
The reader does not only react to the text but experience the events through the
writing
234.
The experience in Candide is relatable
235.
The pursuit of a wish and frustration is universally understandable
236.
All readers react differently to a text
237.
The reader may feel an array of emotions including anger, displeasure or
gratification
238.
The way the plot is organized contributes to the impact of evil
239.
There is a pattern of “expectation and betrayal”
240.
“The hero, innocently desiring Cunégonde and faithfully believing his tutor, is
cast out into a best of all possible worlds which proves a mutilating inferno”
241.
Pangloss has taught him this is the best of all possible worlds
242.
When Candide meets difficult situations this belief seems illogical
243.
“Despairing, cold, hungry, and penniless, he finds his flagging faith restored by
two strangers who treat him to dinner--then brusquely trick him into military servitude
where he is robbed of any modicum of individuality and freedom, and finally stripped of
his skin in a beating.”
244.
He is in need, his need is met, he is betrayed and only helped to be hurt
245.
The old woman has a similar story of disappointments
246.
She was once awaiting to be married, when he future husband was murdered
247.
Then “ravished, enslaved, and made witness to the dismemberment of her mother
and attendants”
248.
When she thinks that someone has come to rescue her from the pile of dead
bodies, the men sell her to be a slave
249.
These tragic events are the normal scene in the novel numbing the reader to
constant disappointment
250.
This causes a strong urge to seek security
251.
This pattern of misfortunes is briefly broken in El Dorado
252.
The noel only allows retreat for a short time once gone from El Dorado evil
prevails
253.
“Children are castrated to sing in operas, slaves dismembered for disobedience,
the military takes brutal possession of Candide's body”
254.
“When brutality is committed in the name of good, when justice condones
robbery and charges a fee, when freedom involves a choice between death by clubbing or
firing squad, then language becomes the agent of social deception and the social world
beyond the magic circle a place of uncertain perception as well as of danger.”
255.
The repeated events of bad in a world that id called good evokes emotion in the
reader
256.
The chapter breaks serve as loss of control for the reader the in between events of
consecutive events are summarized in a frustrating way for the reader
257.
Voltaire couples comedy with shock to maximize reader response
258.
“For the first half of the tale, over and over again, deftly and economically, the
narrative moves the reader from safety to new danger:”
259.
The event of the narrative are made to seem by chance and out of control
260.
This chaos leads to a view from facts to emotions
261.
text structure causes the reader to be in a cycle of wish, frustration, and reactive
anger
262.
This cycling emotion causes the reader emotion and wish for “warmth, safety, and
security”
Harad, Alyssa. "Interpretive Notes." Candide. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. 153-60.
Print.
263.
Themes and Symbols: The Problem of Evil
264.
Candide focuses on the evil that men do as a central theme
265.
Most of the disasters in Candide are man caused (apart from the earthquake)
266.
Though Candide no longer follows Optimism his belief is not replaced
267.
He does not take Martin’s pessimism (too destructive)
268.
“Glories of El Dorado too out of touch with the real world”
269.
Guidelines for Candide’s philosophy may be in the old waman’s resilience or
Cacambo’s loyalty
270.
Voltaire offers no solution to the problem of evil
271.
This is apparent in the garden
272.
In the conclusion Candide tells his group that they must tend their gardens
273.
Can be interpreted many ways from extremely literal to figuratively
274.
Literal- Voltaire really enjoyed gardening at his Ferney estate
275.
Allegorical- perhaps Voltaire is suggesting we all live in self-supporting
communities
276.
There are many gardens in the book Candide could be referencing
277.
Could be a reference to domesticated nature
278.
Could be Voltaire’s dispute with Rousseau (believed man was essentially good)
279.
The Fickleness of Power and Wealth
280.
Bad things happen to everyone
281.
Even when Candide had wealth he still faced evil
282.
Candide’s fortunes inflate and deflate often
283.
Martin and the old woman- “misery belongs to everyone, and everyone believes
his miseries to be the worst.”
284.
Friendship versus Sex and Romance
285.
Candide is a character propelled by his love of Cunegonde
286.
This desire leads to trouble and constant tragedy
287.
Cunegonde’s desire is what starts Candide’s misadventures
288.
Sex and romance gets Pangloss and Cunegonde’s brother in trouble
289.
Cacambo, the old woman, and Martin are true friend and loyal that resist
temptations to go agaist what they strive for
290.
“And it is, finally, a kind of friendship that binds together Candide’s motley crew
at the last.”
Harad, Alyssa. "Historical and Literary Context" Candide. New York: Simon & Schuster,
2005. XIII-XVII. Print.
291.
292.
293.
Voltaire lived in the time of The Enlightement
This revolution of ideas threatened the church and governments of Europe
The work of Galileo and Martin Luther had started to take effect
294.
Scientist Isaac Newton, Philosopher John Locke- new ways of learning
295.
The Enlightenment created new interest for knowledge and debate
296.
Optimism was a philosophy prevalent in Voltaire’s time
297.
The view was expressed by German Philosopher G.W. von Leibniz’s treatise
Theodicée (1710), Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man (1733)
298.
Optimism was the idea that God was all-knowing and powerful and nothing could
exist without his permission
299.
To believe in evil was to believe in a power beyond God’s control
300.
The Lisbon earthquake inspired Voltaire
301.
It killed tens of thousands of people on All Saints day November 1, 1755
302.
Eighteen days later another earthquake leveled the city
303.
This gave Optimists a pause- they suggested it was just punishment for people
living in cities instead of on the countryside with nature God created
304.
Voltaire created the book to point out the problems with this way of thinking
305.
Satire is a story that sets out to expose the prevailing follies of its day
306.
Candide sets out to explore the problem in the philosophy of optimism