"I grew up more handsome still, and the reverend father Croust … took a fancy to me"

"You know, my dear Candide, what a good-looking I was; well I grew up mor handsome still, and the reverend father Croust, the father superior of the house, took a fancy to me. He made me a novice; and shortly after, I was sent to Rome because the Father General of the Society needed some young German Jesuit recruits." (Candide by Voltaire. Pg 66). C'mon hahahaha, this is just hilarious. It's a nonstop chain of "insults" against the church. It is widely known that Jesuits (like the Catholic church) have always condemned homosexuality (and pedophiles even more), so the irony could not be bigger, when the reverend is sexually attracted to the Colonel as a small boy. And I cannot help but connect, that statement of the reverend's sexuality, with the fact that he got sent to Rome. Why did the Father General of the Society need young German Jesuit recruits? Was it for the same reason the reverend father took interest in the colonel in the first place?

There's something that I've been wanting to mention since Cunégonde's story, but I always get immersed in writing about other things. Anyway, now that I remember, I can't help but think it's very ironic how the main characters are the only ones who survive in their tragic stories. In Candide's story, every single person dies except him; in Cunégonde's story, everyone dies (although her brother survived until Candide kills him) except her; and in the old lady's story everyone dies except her.

I just caught on to another criticism that Voltaire has been going on since the beginning of the book: a criticism on aristocracy and the marked difference of social classes. "An excellent dinner was served on gold plates, and while the Paraguayans ate their maze on wooden dishes in the open field in the full blaze of the sun, his reverence the Colonel retired to the shade of his arbour." (Candide by Voltaire. Pg 63). Even before this quote (right before) Voltaire mocks the Colonel's arbour with an absurd description of how it was. This theme actually appeared in the first part of the book, when Candide is kicked out of the mansion because he was kissing Cunégonde, and she was of a higher class than him. This criticism isn't as funny as that one of the church, but I do like it very much, plus, this quote specifically criticizes how the Europeans treated the native people: as of they were scum. And I agree very much with Voltaire right there, even today I feel anger towards the way the Europeans treated the natives and plundered their treasures.

Do You Love Life?

I remember mentioning in past blogs that Pangloss apparently was right and everything was for the best. But now that I have read the old woman's story I realize that I might've been wrong. I used to agree with Pangloss based on the fact that Cunégonde and Candide had been reunited, and yes, that is certainly very good. But now, I kinda have a different view: I think Voltaire created Pangloss's character as a mockery, he created him to mock him, to make the book even more sarcastic. Every event, every story does nothing but contradict Pangloss's philosophy of "everything is for the best in the best of -all possible worlds," it's a mockery of that view. Why did he introduce that element into his book? To make fun of the philosophers that had that view? Or to criticize that view and say it's nothing but a lie? I don't really know, but it does make the book very ironic, because at the beginning the story starts with that amazing optimism, and then everything goes down. What happened to Candide, what happened to Cunégonde, what the lady went through simply shed light upon an immense quantity of evil things in our human society.

The mockery of religion, nobles, and people who apparently want to do good keeps going as strong as ever, in fact, that is one of my favorite parts of the book. I had previously talked about the Franciscan friar who stole Cunégonde's jewels, but I'd like to look at other examples. The strongest criticism to religion comes in the old lady's story when she says she's the daughter of Pope Urban X. This was actually pretty funny to me (because I don't really agree with the Catholic church) seeing how Voltaire says that not even the head of the Catholic Church can keep his vow of celibacy. It's practically saying that the whole institution is a lie, that no one can really be honest, or no one can resist the earthly pleasures that get Candide kicked out of the mansion and give syphilis to Pangloss.

Finally, by far my favorite criticism to the Catholic Church comes here: "I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life. …for is there anything more stupid than to be eager to go on carrying a burden which one would gladly throw away…." (Candide, by Voltaire. Pg 57). The old woman says these words at the end of her woeful story, saying that although she more than once wanted to kill herself, she never did it, and expressing her confusion on why do people with awful lives want to keep living. We have to take into account that the church in that time, said that anyone who committed suicide would burn in hell for all eternity. So we could easily imply that people didn't take their lives for fear of hell. But I think that the old lady (and hence Voltaire) disagree with that. In a way, I think that when she says "…somehow I am still in love with life." she is implying that not only her, but anyone with such awful lives don't kill themselves not because they are scared of hell, but because despite their misfortunes, life is still beautiful. Despite everything, they are still in love with life, because something attracts them to it. In the entirety of her story, that small phrase (although kind of ironic, seeing as how someone with the old woman's life would hate their life) gives me a sense of hope, and I cannot help but think: "if she loves her life after everything, I should be the most grateful person in the world." 

"Qui a donc pu me voler mes pistoles et mes diamants?"

"'Oh, how I should like to see it!' exclaimed Candide, innocently." (Candide by Voltaire Pg. 41). I could not think of anything more absurd in the middle of something already absurd. This is what Candide tells Cunégonde about a scar she has in her inner thigh, while she's in the middle of telling awful story (which is absurd itself). When Candide is taken to Cunégonde, she proceeds to tell him her story, of how she survived, because like Candide, we all thought she was dead. The manner in which she tells the story is completely absurd: she was raped, sold into slavery, beaten, and stabbed. She was treated like some piece of garbage, she was no more than property to a Jew and the Grand Inquisitor. But she tells this story to Candide so naturally, as if things should be that way, as if was a normal chain of events. There is no horror, no hurt, nothing to portray that she might've felt miserable during all she went through. But her story might have a deeper meaning, it could be a criticism of the vulnerability of women in that time period, a criticism of how they didn't really mean anything, and how it was so natural for them to be treated so inhumanly sometimes.

But the absurdity and sarcasm don't stop with her story telling. The quote I started with puts a bit of humor into her story, but also absurdity. Cunégonde is telling him of all his misfortunes, and Candide can only think about coming on to her. It's not only funny, and a bit relaxing in the midst of such a stressful story, but could also represent a male stereotype. Voltaire's sarcasm goes even in the places that seem unimportant, for example the "innocently" when referring to what Candide said. To me, saying that is anything BUT innocent, especially when he said it.

The novel also has its bits and pieces of religious criticism, but by far my favorite example of this happens in chapter ten: "'I strongly suspect tat reverend friar who slept at the same inn with us yesterday at Badajoz' said the old woman, wringing her hands." In this translation they skipped the important detail that the friar was a Franciscan, thus making that quote ironic. Why? Because Franciscan friars had to make a vow of poverty and humbleness, so one would never expect a Franciscan friar to go ahead and steal jewels. 

Everything is for the Best

Now, that strikes me as very
similar to a phrase we
analyzed deeply in
class last semester.
The "so it goes" from
Slaughter-house five.

I can't help but notice the meaning that the sentence "everything is for the best" has developed in the novel. It is tied directly with fate, it is used for acceptance. Every time anything happens, Pangloss says that it was for the best, that it had to happen. For example the earthquake in Lisbon: "...is a manifestation of the rightness of things, since of there is a volcano at Lisbon it could not be anywhere else. For it is impossible for things not to be where they are, because everything is for the best." I don't see any other explanation for that sentence rather than his acceptance or belief in fate. Things happen, and they are accepted, whether good or bad, believing that they will ultimately to something good. Now, that strikes me as very similar to a phrase we analyzed deeply in class last semester. The "so it goes" from Slaughter-house five. That phrase was said after death was mentioned, as a way of accepting it and moving on. I think the "everything is for the best" has a very similar meaning. I'm not a big believer in fate, I don't think that everything happens for the best, that everything is predetermined and that's why we do what we do. I believe that what we do affects what will come, and things don't necessarily happen for the best. But this book begs to differ with that belief of mine. How so? I'm sure I'm not the only one who has constantly asked himself, "how can all this be for the best!?" well, it turns out that in a way, it might've been. One event is chained to another: Candide kissed Cunégonde so he is kicked out. He goes to war and ends up with nothing, so he meets the man that asks him if the pope is Antichrist. He is rejected by the man who asks him if the pope is Antichrist so he meets James. He meets Pangloss, and because he is with James, James agrees to take care of Pangloss. Pangloss gets better, so James takes the, both to Lisbon. But James dies, so in Lisbon they arrive wit nothing. There is an earthquake in Lisbon, so the church decides to burn people in order to avoid another earthquake. The kill Pangloss and whip Candide, so he is rescued by an old lady. Turns out the old lady works for Cunégonde, and thus Candide and Conégonde are reunited. See? Right there. It seems unnecessary that all those things had to happen for them to be together, of simply they hadn't been caught when they kissed, things would've turned out differently. But if for example he had been accepted by the Protestant dude, he wouldn't've met James, Pangloss wouldn't've been saved, they wouldn't've gone to Lisbon and Candide wouldn't've been reunited with Cunégonde. So apparently, until this point, everything did happen for the best in the best of the worlds. So I can't help but ask myself, does fate have a place in our life? Not only in this book. 

Everything is for the Best

Now, that strikes me as very
similar to a phrase we
analyzed deeply in
class last semester.
The "so it goes" from
Slaughter-house five.

I can't help but notice the meaning that the sentence "everything is for the best" has developed in the novel. It is tied directly with fate, it is used for acceptance. Every time anything happens, Pangloss says that it was for the best, that it had to happen. For example the earthquake in Lisbon: "...is a manifestation of the rightness of things, since of there is a volcano at Lisbon it could not be anywhere else. For it is impossible for things not to be where they are, because everything is for the best." I don't see any other explanation for that sentence rather than his acceptance or belief in fate. Things happen, and they are accepted, whether good or bad, believing that they will ultimately to something good. Now, that strikes me as very similar to a phrase we analyzed deeply in class last semester. The "so it goes" from Slaughter-house five. That phrase was said after death was mentioned, as a way of accepting it and moving on. I think the "everything is for the best" has a very similar meaning. I'm not a big believer in fate, I don't think that everything happens for the best, that everything is predetermined and that's why we do what we do. I believe that what we do affects what will come, and things don't necessarily happen for the best. But this book begs to differ with that belief of mine. How so? I'm sure I'm not the only one who has constantly asked himself, "how can all this be for the best!?" well, it turns out that in a way, it might've been. One event is chained to another: Candide kissed Cunégonde so he is kicked out. He goes to war and ends up with nothing, so he meets the man that asks him if the pope is Antichrist. He is rejected by the man who asks him if the pope is Antichrist so he meets James. He meets Pangloss, and because he is with James, James agrees to take care of Pangloss. Pangloss gets better, so James takes the, both to Lisbon. But James dies, so in Lisbon they arrive wit nothing. There is an earthquake in Lisbon, so the church decides to burn people in order to avoid another earthquake. The kill Pangloss and whip Candide, so he is rescued by an old lady. Turns out the old lady works for Cunégonde, and thus Candide and Conégonde are reunited. See? Right there. It seems unnecessary that all those things had to happen for them to be together, of simply they hadn't been caught when they kissed, things would've turned out differently. But if for example he had been accepted by the Protestant dude, he wouldn't've met James, Pangloss wouldn't've been saved, they wouldn't've gone to Lisbon and Candide wouldn't've been reunited with Cunégonde. So apparently, until this point, everything did happen for the best in the best of the worlds. So I can't help but ask myself, does fate have a place in our life? Not only in this book. 

Lesson in Experimental Physics

"One day Cunégonde was walking near her house in a little coppice, called 'the park', when she saw Dr. Pangloss behind some bushes given a lesson in experimental physics to her mother's waiting-woman, a pretty little brunette who seemed eminently teachable. Since Lady Cunégonde took great interest in science, she watched the experiments being repeated with breathless fascination. She saw clearly the Doctor's 'sufficient reason', and took note of cause and effect." (Candide by Voltaire Pg. 20). What better way to start talking about Voltaire's book than this quote? To me this quote foreshadows all the sarcasm, irony, the satire that we will see throughout the novel. Just like this quote, the meaning or understanding of the entire book is in the hands of the reader. Or maybe not his hands per-se, but his naïveness. Because you could simply graze through the book, not getting the deeper meaning of the things Voltaire writes, but rather a literal meaning, and end up lost in the plot, and this quotes demonstrates just that: was he giving the waiting-woman a lesson in experimental physics or was he doing something else entirely? Those are the questions you constantly have to ask yourself whilst reading the book, because here, every punctuation mark, every capitalization counts for something, they add to the actual meaning of his words. It's just one endless close reading.

The irony starts in the first chapter, with Dr. Pangloss saying "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds" but from that point on, everything starts going wrong. Candide is forced to go to war, Lady Condégonde ("that pearl among women") was raped and murdered, the beautiful mansion had been destroyed. That definitely doesn't go with the motto "all is for the best in the best of all worlds." This novel is a complete challenge to that mentality, it criticizes something different in every chapter, it mocks it.

"'Do you believe the Pope is Antichrist, my friend?' said the minister. 'I have never heard anyone say so,' replied Candide; 'but whether he is or he isn't, I want some food.' ' You don't deserve to eat,' said the other. 'Be off with you, you villain, you wretch! Don't come near me or you'll suffer for it.'" (Candide by Voltaire Pg. 27). Here lies another perfect example to show that every single detail is important to the meaning of the novel. To be honest, the first time I read this quote, I thought the man was a fiercely devoted christian, and wanted to know if Candide was a supporter of the Catholic Church or not (like he was). Well, turns out I was completely wrong! I wasn't paying attention to the details just before I got to this quote, and thus I completely misunderstood it. It turns out, Candide had just arrived in Holland (the detail I had missed), and was look for food. Now, this is taking place during the Protestant reformation of the 16th century. When I went back over the few paragraphs before the quote, I saw the detail I had missed and made the connection. He arrived in Holland, during the Protestant reformation, so clearly the man was NOT a supporter of the Catholic church, but rather a hater of it. He thinks the pope is the Antichrist and wants to know if Candide shares the same view. See how the most minimal detail that in any other book wouldn't really matter, completely changed my understanding of the book?

I look forward with excitement to reading this book, and now I know I have to pay very close attention to everything Voltaire writes and how he does it. So as not to make such a big mistake as I did before. This is not only a hilarious satirical masterpiece, it's an exposure of Voltaire's criticism towards many things.