A Philosophical Ending

“We must go and work in the garden” those are the final words of our hero Candide, and with that phrase Voltaire concludes his satirical piece. I would say he finishes off taking practice of the philosophy that finally granted happiness to his characters: not worrying too much and focusing one’s life in one and only one activity and improving one’s skills for it. In this case he did not give the reader an ultimate maxim to live their life and defy society, but gave them an ambiguous one where the characters are happy, or at least seem to be. However, the recovery of each from the previous state of extreme boredom and lethargy to extreme work does not take all the evil from the world away. I would say that Voltaire suggests that one cannot live ignoring the calamities others experience, even if one is already happy. Candide’s well being is a temporary situation that will soon change when he decides to make the difference and actually make his world the best of all possible words. Not through naïve endeavors, not through stupid actions, not by hoping for the best, but actually making the best happen. I would say Voltaire’s final message is not that we are eternally condemned to suffer from our evil nature or that to avoid harm we shall work incessantly and never question the ways things occur, but to confront our reality and do our best to change it. For it is immensely ironic for a thinker such as Voltaire to say work and think about nothing and you shall be happy, I’d say he meant the exact opposite. Hence, after relentlessly attacking his current society there is no way he would let them go that easily, I would say Voltaire invites his reader to reflect and act upon the great problems of life instead of ignoring them. 

From Happinnes to Tragedy, From Riches to Paris and Innocence Just Along the Way

            In a previous post I made myself the question of whether or not Candide would learn the lesson of thinking before acting and not blindly trusting everyone. Unfortunately, for Candide he did not. He kept on making the same senseless mistakes throughout the story, just like when he bargains the price of a trip to Europe with the Dutch Captain who continuously keeps raising the price to huge amounts. Eventually they agreed on thirty thousand piastres no idea of what currency that is, but it sure does sounds as a large amount. Candide then leaves the source of his riches at the hands of the Captain, as the Dutch “watched his opportunity” so “He set his sails, raised anchor, and the wind favored him” robbing Candide of his last two sheep and their respective riches (88-89). Desperate Candide then turns to a Judge for justice and all he does is charging for knocking on his door and then listening to the hearings. Obviously, Voltaire is trying to expose the hard and unfair world humanity has created and how the most innocent and good of individuals are the ones who suffer the most. When Candide talks with Martin his new scholar friend he argues the world has fallen to some “mischievous power” as Martin states he has seen “a million regimented assassins surge from one end of Europe to the other committing murder and brigandage in strictest discipline” (92). Voltaire through Martin’s words shows the reader the state of eternal conflict humans embrace, how we somehow let evil take over us and let the poor suffer from it.

           

            I just like Candide have many times felt I was used and in some way tricked, however I’ve learned from my mistakes and have become more suspicious of “friendly” strangers. Not only because in many cases they just seek to exploit you, but because they always end up gaining your trust and then betraying you. I believe Voltaire’s point in these episodes is that humans must learn to either be good and fair with everyone, or to be smart enough not to trust everyone you encounter.

            Furthermore, when Candide arrives in Paris and then suddenly becomes sick Martin expresses a great truth when he states “I remember being ill myself during my first visit to Paris. I was very poor. But I had no friends, no ladies, and no doctors, so I soon recovered” (97). Like Candide I too have suffered the consequences of being in bad company, in many cases it is better to be alone than with those who pretend to be nice with you for their own benefit. In this case since Martin was poor no one came to his aid when he was ill, on the other hand there was Candide who is now rich and pestered by false friendships. Society’s hypocrisy is now being attacked. Even as Candide recovers he is surprised that when betting with his friends “he never held an ace in his hand, but Martin was not surprised”, clearly Martin knew the evils of Parisians as he himself had experienced it once (98). Nonetheless, Voltaire’s attack of the French society does not stop there as Martin then explains the double faced nature of the people of Paris how “every possible contradiction and inconsistency would be found in the government, the law courts, the churches, and in the whole life of this absurd nation” (100). An accurate description of what used to be France before the Revolution came or any other nation ruled by autocratic regimes. How everyone in power would do everything to stay in it or acquire some more, in any case it was the common man or the naïve ones such as Candide who faced the problems of that kind of system.  

We Call Them Words

Precipice: A cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face.

Brigands: A bandit, especially one of a band of robbers in mountain or forest regions.

Skewered: Long pin of wood or metal for inserting through meat or other food to hold or bind it in cooking.

Brocade: Fabric woven with an elaborate design, especially one having a raised overall pattern.

Garnish: To provide or supply with something ornamental; adorn; decorate.

Parakeets: Any of numerous small, slender parrots, usually having a long, pointed, graduated tail, often kept as pets and noted for theability to mimic speech: several species are endangered.

Luscious: Richly satisfying to the senses or the mind.

Vie: To strive in competition or rivalry with another; contend for superiority.

Equerry: An officer of a royal or similar household, charged with the care of the horses.

Indefatigable: Incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring.

Garments: An outer covering or outward appearance.

Lavish: Expended, bestowed, or occurring in profusion.

Hoisting: To raise or lift, especially by some mechanical appliance.

Stupidity… Not Quite Let’s Call it Bad Luck

Our protagonist has constantly experienced a series of, let us call them, unfortunate events since the beginning of the story. Candide, has not only seen death, but also brought it to a few others so far. The way Candide decides it is okay to kill is exceedingly absurd if not stupid, as he never reflects on the consequences. When he was threatened by the Great Inquisitor or the rich Jew he did as much thinking on killing them as an average person would on whether to drink water or milk on a hot day. His quick way to draw his sword and kill those who might somehow threaten him is similar to a how a kid solves a problem in a video game. When Candide meets his somewhat of a brother the Jesuit Baron and informs him he is deeply in love with his sister, the Jesuit Baron is very offended by the love insinuation on his sister and draws his sword. Candide who very few minutes ago claimed to care incredibly for the Jesuit Baron simultaneously “drew his own (sword) and plunged it up to the hilt in the Baron’s stomach” (67). How can someone be so stupid and commit murder with such ease, in no moment did he stop and think how to solve the problem through words. No, of course not it had to be with a sword. Moreover, as Candide and his servant, Cacambo flee the area, since soon all the Jesuits will be hunting them they notice two ladies being followed by two monkeys. Inevitably our great hero feels a responsibility to safe the girls and shoots both monkeys down. Candide is then elated as he thinks he amended his past evils by saving these two girls from the monkeys. However, his exuberance does not last much as he realizes the girls now “fondly embrace the two monkeys and shed tears over their bodies” as the environment is filled with “pitiful cries” (69). Candide is then explained he surely killed the girls’ lovers and instead of bringing joy, he did the opposite and brought death and sorrow. I would say tragedy follows the stupid and unprepared individuals of the present. Had Candide analyzed the situation more carefully he might have noticed he had more than one way out. In this case do nothing, and in the other two instead of killing reason with his possible attackers. But oh well poor fellow let us say it was bad luck and he will learn from his mistakes. A question I will ask myself as the story develops. Did Candide learn one must think carefully before acting and committing murder? Candide has to learn that the world does not help those who do not help themselves.

Satirical Writing

As I have been reading Candide I could not help but compare the different approaches authors like George Orwell and Voltaire have when writing satirical pieces. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm he creates a world where animals revolt and rule themselves in the farm system humans once controlled. Although the ruling class then become pigs in no moment may the reader make fun of it, in fact one gets extremely irritated by how easily were the rest of the animals manipulated by the pigs as they took power. A very solid and powerful aristocracy is then formed by the pig’s leaders who have dogs for their protection. In Voltaire’s case he continuously uses hyperboles and absurdity to demonstrate his satirical ways of writing. In sentences such as “the fifty sons of Emperor Muley Ismael each had his faction, which…created fifty civil wars” in this sentence alone Voltaire ridicules every African leader and exemplifies the European believe that Africans breed like animals and then fight like savages (52). Africa has always been known for its internal conflicts and the way everyone fights for everything in this case Voltaire’s remark is simply ludicrous and offensive for the African culture. Furthermore, Voltaire then proceeds to attack their culture and how even when in war “they will not miss one of the five daily prayers prescribed by Mahomet”, hence criticizing how they would kill, but still worship their gods (53). Nevertheless, Voltaire also targets how people try to ascend socially by all means, such as when the old servant argues she was once very rich and powerful as she was the daughter of “Pope Urban X and Princess of Palestrina” (49). The sole thought of a Pope having a child destroys his entire reputation and directly violates the doctrine he swore to follow. Such a child would be received with anything except “tokens of respect and excited expectations”, that child would be the key form of embarrassment of the entire western way of life and the utter and most remarkable failure of the Catholic Church (49).

In Voltaire’s satire such statements make the reader laugh through their exaggerative nature and the true absurdity found inside them. However, in Orwell’s work he attacks the Russian hypocrisy of promising equality and then instilling it more solidly than before in a more somber manner. The actions taken by the pigs resemble those taken by Russian revolutionary leaders during the purges, actions that generate anger and frustration in the readers mind rather than laughter. Just like the sacrifice of the horse that earnestly believed in the revolution’s ideals and was then sold to the butcher because he had worked too hard and was now unable to continue.

Each a way of satirical writing with a target to be criticized, in each case the author evokes strong emotions from the reader and deep evaluation of the idea being assessed. 

Being a Realist or an Idealist? Is That Really the Question?

            Perhaps, one of humanity’s greatest challenges and ideological divergences is whether to be positive when facing hardships or accepting our bad luck and simply despair. Such a dilemma is constantly presented in Voltaire’s satire Candide, where Doctor Pangloss, referred to as a “great philosopher” relentlessly argues everything happens for the best and since something already is it is so for the best of all possible reasons. In our world Pangloss would be called an idealist, a person who refuses to see the evil in the world and expects good to eventually overcome it. However, in their eyes idealists argue they just apply reason into events ensuring that their philosophy is in fact real by identifying the noble things in the most depressing situations. On the other hand, it is said there are realists, which are those who “see” and “interpret” events or things as they truly are even in the most morose of situations. Idealists may be defined as being more subjective when making evaluations, whereas realists keep an objective position when doing so. One may see the benefits of each doctrine by seeing the first would keep a joyful manner in all circumstances, while the latter would understand the situation in a more exact manner. In the book, Candide the main character, has experienced great tragedies and has begun to doubt the idea that “all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds”, a maxim diligently passed by his mentor Pangloss. Yet, his mentor faced substantial trouble by acquiring an STD and then being hanged for preaching his philosophy. Additionally, Candide has being flogged mercilessly twice and suffered months of extreme poverty. Many reasons why to judge the nature of our world and whether to believe in the noble ideals of good outcomes no matter what or facing reality as it is.

             Nonetheless, regardless of the ideals one embraces or follows one must keep the goal of succeeding and moving forward intact when facing difficult times. We many times due to despair or moral conflicts deviate from the present task and therefore worsen the situation by actually doing nothing about. In most difficult situations in life it is not those who ponder what good comes out of the situation or those who reflect on how bad the situation is who emerge out of it triumphantly. It is those who have a determined mentally to keep going no matter what happens who overcome bad times. It is those who are devoted to make the best out the situation whatever the odds against him who eventually thrive. I believe this is the theme Voltaire is trying to transmit as Candide struggles to keep living in a world that only seems to bring calamities.

Mockery of Reality in Candide

            In the first chapters of the satire Candide by Voltaire the reader may clearly notice how a constant tone of sarcasm is present as the environments of the book are described. In the very first page the stereotypical and conservative oligarchy of 18th century Europe is made fun of as Voltaire informs the reader “the most influential noblemen in Wesphalia” was a man who had a house with a door and some windows in it and for that he was called his Lordship (19). A tittle often given to men of considerably wealth and power within monarchies, yet in this case he only has a door and windows to defend such a title. Additionally Voltaire makes fun of the common believe in those days that everything that is and happens does so for the best of reasons and results. Through the dialogue of Doctor Pangloss he makes fun of such a theory as he states “Legs were clearly intended for breeches, and we wear them” (20). An incredibly absurd argument to be made in favor of such a theory, as it creates the opposite effect evidently making fun of the nature of the argument and those who usually make it. Implying that those who argue such a theory have no true argument that proves them right, and dispute stupidly, just like Doctor Pangloss. Moreover, when Doctor Pangloss is trying to convince James, an amicable Dutch Anabaptist that all was designed for the best, James adamantly disagrees. As they debate the ship is captured in what Voltaire describes as a “most terrible storm”, in no form can it be a coincidence that the ship encountered a storm in such a specific moment (32). The message is quite evident as it directly contradicts Doctor Pangloss statement as they are about to enter panic and most likely tragedy, not at all a good thing to happen.

            Furthermore, when Cadide, the protagonist is kicked out of his noble house by the prominent Baron, Voltaire unequivocally mocks the way a general would describe warfare as Candide himself presences the horrors of war. To begin with, all recruits and members of the army are referred to as “heroes” a label ideally only given to the most courageous and honorable of fighters. However not in this world as every soldier is given such a name, even those who fight for the other faction are referred to as “heroes”, hence suggesting that by only being in the army a man may be a hero. As the story develops the diction utilized to portray the destruction left by war is the one a general would use to hide the atrocities committed by his men. After the battle Candide informs the reader how “girls who had satisfied the appetites of…heroes lay disembollewed in their last agonies”, note that in no way is the heinous act of rape stated contemptuously (26). Nor are the men called savages instead of heroes, in fact, it is stated as if the victorious general said those girls deserved it and his men had to be rewarded. Later on when Candide finally leaves the affected area, what he leaves behind is not described as an ominous and dreadful place, but rather as “the theater of war” (26). As if such massacres were an everyday doing that did not violate our very own humanity. Such use of diction can only have the purpose of making fun of the typical way generals or men in power try to soften the evil done through words.

            This is only the beginning of the story and I am sure much more is to come, I am eager to see what other ways of attacking society Voltaire has through Candide’s adventures. I can see why this is called a true example of satirical writing as it uses absurdity, irony and hyperboles to target and ridicule reality.