SUMMARY CandideistheillegitimatenephewofaGermanbaron.Hegrowsupinthebaronscastleunderthe tutelageofthescholarPangloss,whoteacheshimthatthisworldisthebestofallpossibleworlds. Candidefallsinlovewiththebaronsyoungdaughter,Cungonde.Thebaroncatchesthetwokissing andexpelsCandidefromhishome.Onhisownforthefirsttime,Candideissoonconscriptedintothe armyoftheBulgars.Hewandersawayfromcampforabriefwalk,andisbrutallyfloggedasadeserter. Afterwitnessingahorrificbattle,hemanagestoescapeandtravelstoHolland. InHolland,akindlyAnabaptistnamedJacquestakesCandidein.Candiderunsintoadeformedbeggar anddiscoversthatitisPangloss.PanglossexplainsthathehascontractedsyphilisandthatCungonde andherfamilyhaveallbeenbrutallymurderedbytheBulgararmy.Nonetheless,hemaintainshis optimisticoutlook.JacquestakesPanglossinaswell.ThethreetraveltoLisbontogether,butbefore theyarrivetheirshiprunsintoastormandJacquesisdrowned.CandideandPanglossarriveinLisbon tofinditdestroyedbyanearthquakeandunderthecontroloftheInquisition.Panglossissoonhanged asaheretic,andCandideisfloggedforlisteningwithapprovaltoPanglosssphilosophy.

Afterhis beating,anoldwomandressesCandideswoundsandthen,tohisastonishment,takeshimto Cungonde.CungondeexplainsthatthoughtheBulgarskilledtherestofherfamily,shewasmerely rapedandthencapturedbyacaptain,whosoldhertoaJewnamedDonIsaachar.Atpresent,sheisa sexslavejointlyownedbyDonIsaacharandtheGrandInquisitorofLisbon.EachofCungondestwo ownersarriveinturnassheandCandidearetalking,andCandidekillsthemboth.Terrified,Candide, theoldwoman,andCungondefleeandboardashipboundforSouthAmerica.Duringtheirjourney, theoldwomanrelatesherownstory.ShewasbornthePopesdaughterbuthassufferedalitanyof misfortunesthatincluderape,enslavement,andcannibalism. CandideandCungondeplantomarry,butassoonastheyarriveinBuenosAires,thegovernor,Don Fernando,proposestoCungonde.Thinkingofherownfinancialwelfare,sheaccepts.Authorities lookingforthemurdereroftheGrandInquisitorarrivefromPortugalinpursuitofCandide.Alongwitha newlyacquiredvaletnamedCacambo,CandidefleestoterritorycontrolledbyJesuitswhoarerevolting againsttheSpanishgovernment.AfterdemandinganaudiencewithaJesuitcommander,Candide discoversthatthecommanderisCungondesbrother,thebaron,whoalsomanagedtoescapefrom theBulgars.CandideannouncesthatheplanstomarryCungonde,butthebaroninsiststhathissister willnevermarryacommoner.Enraged,Candiderunsthebaronthroughwithhissword.Heand Cacamboescapeintothewilderness,wheretheynarrowlyavoidbeingeatenbyanativetribecalledthe Biglugs. Aftertravelingfordays,CandideandCacambofindthemselvesinthelandofEldorado,wheregoldand jewelslitterthestreets.Thisutopiancountryhasadvancedscientificknowledge,noreligiousconflict,no courtsystem,andplacesnovalueonitsplentifulgoldandjewels.ButCandidelongstoreturnto Cungonde,andafteramonthinEldoradoheandCacambodepartwithcountlessinvaluablejewels loadedontoswiftpacksheep.WhentheyreachtheterritoryofSurinam,CandidesendsCacamboto BuenosAireswithinstructionstousepartofthefortunetopurchaseCungondefromDonFernando andthentomeethiminVenice.AnunscrupulousmerchantnamedVanderdendurstealsmuchof Candidesfortune,dampeninghisoptimismsomewhat.Frustrated,CandidesailsofftoFrancewitha speciallychosencompanion,anunrepentantlypessimisticscholarnamedMartin.Onthewaythere,he

recoverspartofhisfortunewhenaSpanishcaptainsinksVanderdendursship.Candidetakesthisas proofthatthereisjusticeintheworld,butMartinstaunchlydisagrees. InParis,CandideandMartinminglewiththesocialelite.Candidesfortuneattractsanumberof hangerson,severalofwhomsucceedinfilchingjewelsfromhim.CandideandMartinproceedto Venice,where,toCandidesdismay,CungondeandCacamboarenowheretobefound.However, theydoencounterothercolorfulindividualsthere,includingPaquette,the chambermaidturnedprostitutewhogavePanglosssyphilis,andCountPococurante,awealthy Venetianwhoishopelesslyboredwiththeculturaltreasuresthatsurroundhim.Eventually,Cacambo, nowaslaveofadeposedTurkishmonarch,surfaces.HeexplainsthatCungondeisinConstantinople, havingherselfbeenenslavedalongwiththeoldwoman.Martin,Cacambo,andCandidedepartfor Turkey,whereCandidepurchasesCacambosfreedom. CandidediscoversPanglossandthebaroninaTurkishchaingang.Bothhaveactuallysurvivedtheir apparentdeathsand,aftersufferingvariousmisfortunes,arrivedinTurkey.Despiteeverything,Pangloss remainsanoptimist.AnoverjoyedCandidepurchasestheirfreedom,andheandhisgrowingretinuego ontofindCungondeandtheoldwoman.CungondehasgrownuglysinceCandidelastsawher,but hepurchasesherfreedomanyway.Healsobuystheoldwomansfreedomandpurchasesafarm outsideofConstantinople.HekeepshislongstandingpromisetomarryCungonde,butonlyafterbeing forcedtosendthebaron,whostillcannotabidehissistermarryingacommoner,backtothechaingang. Candide,Cungonde,Cacambo,Pangloss,andtheoldwomansettleintoacomfortablelifeonthefarm butsoonfindthemselvesgrowingboredandquarrelsome.Finally,Candideencountersafarmerwho livesasimplelife,workshard,andavoidsviceandleisure.Inspired,Candideandhisfriendstaketo cultivatingagardeninearnest.Alltheirtimeandenergygoesintothework,andnoneisleftoverfor philosophicalspeculation.Atlasteveryoneisfulfilledandhappy.

CHARACTERS Candide Candideistheprotagonistofthenovel,butheisbland,nave,andhighlysusceptibletotheinfluenceof strongercharacters.Liketheothercharacters,Candideislessarealisticindividualthantheembodiment ofaparticularideaorfollythatVoltairewishestoillustrate. CandidesnameisderivedfromtheLatinwordcandidus,whichmeanswhiteandconnotes fairmindednessoralackofcorruption.Asthatnamesuggests,Candidebeginsthenovelasaperfect innocentwideeyedinhisworshipofhistutorPanglossswrongheadedoptimisticphilosophy,and completelyunfamiliarwiththewaysoftheworld.Overthecourseofthenovel,Candideacquireswealth andevensomeknowledgeabouttheworld,andbeginstoquestionhisfaithinoptimism.Yetthatfaith remainsandisfrequentlyreactivatedbyanyeventthatpleaseshim,fromthekindnessofthestranger JacquestothedeathofVanderdendur,themerchantwhocheatshim.Attheendofthenovel,Candide rejectsPanglosssphilosophizinginfavorofthepracticallaborthatisintroducedtohimbytheold farmer.Whilethisshiftinphilosophyappearsonthesurfacetoberealprogress,Candidespersonality remainsessentiallyunchanged.Heisstillincapableofforminghisownopinions,andhassimply exchangedblindfaithinPanglosssopinionsforblindfaithintheopinionsofthefarmer.Despitehis simplicity,Candideisaneffective,sympathetichero.Heisfundamentallyhonestandgoodhearted.He readilygivesmoneytostrangerslikeBrotherGirofleandthepoorestdeposedking,andhehonorshis commitmenttomarryCungondeevenafterhisloveforherhasfaded.Hisnavet,thoughincredible, makesCandidesympathetictoreaderstheworldofthenovelisexaggeratedandfantastic,andweare likelytofindtheeventsdescribedasunsettlingandconfusingashedoes. Pangloss AsCandidesmentorandaphilosopher,Panglossisresponsibleforthenovelsmostfamousidea:that allisforthebestinthisbestofallpossibleworlds.Thisoptimisticsentimentisthemaintargetof Voltairessatire.PanglosssphilosophyparodiestheideasoftheEnlightenmentthinkerG.W.von Leibniz.Leibnizmaintainsthatanallgood,allpowerfulGodhadcreatedtheworldandthat,therefore, theworldmustbeperfect.Whenhumanbeingsperceivesomethingaswrongorevil,itismerely becausetheydonotunderstandtheultimategoodthatthesocalledevilismeanttoserve.Like Candide,Panglossisnotabelievablecharacterrather,heisadistorted,exaggeratedrepresentationof acertainkindofphilosopherwhosepersonalityisinseparablefromhisphilosophy. VoltaireillustratestwomajorproblemsinherentinPanglosssphilosophy.First,hisphilosophyfliesin thefaceofoverwhelmingevidencefromtherealworld.Panglossisravagedbysyphilis,nearlyhanged, nearlydissected,andimprisoned,yethecontinuestoespouseoptimism.Hemaintainshisoptimistic philosophyevenattheendofthenovel,whenhehimselfadmitsthathehastroublebelievinginit. VoltaireadvocatestheinductionofideasfromconcreteevidencePangloss,incontrast,willfullyignores anyevidencethatcontradictshisinitialopinion.Healsoproducesillogicalargumentstosupporthis

preconceivednotions,justifyingtheconsumptionofporkbysayingthatsincepigsweremadetobe eaten,weeatporkallyearround. Second,Panglosssphilosophyencouragesapassiveandcomplacentattitudetowardallthatiswrongin theworld.Ifthisworldisthebestonepossible,thanthereisnoreasontomakeanyefforttochange thingsperceivedasevilorwrong.Therefore,whenPanglosssbenefactorJacquesisdrowninginthe bayofLisbon,PanglosspreventsCandidefromtryingtorescuehimbyprovingthatthebayofLisbon hadbeenformedexpresslyfor[Jacques]todrownin.Theconsequenceofthismodeofthinkingisthat, while[Pangloss]wasprovingthepointapriori,thevesselopenedupandeveryoneperished. Martin MartinactsasbothfoilandcounterparttoPangloss.Heismorebelievablethantheothermajor charactersinthenovel,notbecauseheismorecomplex,butbecauseheismoreintelligentandmore likelytodrawconclusionswithwhichwecanidentify.Ascholarwhohassufferedpersonalandfinancial setbacks,MartinisasextremeapessimistasPanglossisanoptimist.Heeventakesissuewith Candidesstatementthatthereissomegoodintheworld.Directexperienceplaysagreaterpartin MartinsestimationoftheworldthanitdoesinPanglosss.Asaresult,heisabletoprovideinsightinto eventsfarbeyondPanglosssabilitytodoso.Martindemonstratessuchinsightwhenhepredictsthat GirofleandPaquettewillnotbehappierforhavingmoneyandwhenheanalyzesthepsychologyof CountPococurante. ThoughMartinsphilosophyismoreeffectiveandhonestthanPanglosss,italsohassomeofthesame flaws.WhileMartinisusuallygoodatpredictinghowpeoplewillbehave,hefailsnoticeablywith Cacambo.Martinsabsolutepessimismdictatesthatavalettrustedwithmillionsingoldwillcertainly betrayhismaster,yetCacamboshonestydefiesthatpessimism.Voltaireprefersflexiblephilosophies basedonrealevidencetodogmaticassertionsbasedonabstractions.Absoluteoptimismandabsolute pessimismbothfallintothelattercategory,becausetheywilladmitnoexceptions.LikePangloss, Martinabidesbyideasthatdiscourageanyactiveeffortstochangetheworldforthebetter.If,as Martinasserts,man[is]boundtoliveeitherinconvulsionsofmiseryorinthelethargyofboredom, whyshouldanyonetrytorescueanyoneelsefromconvulsionsofmisery? Cacambo Cacamboshedsasubtleandinterestinglightonthephilosophicalthemesofthenovel.Unlikeanyother characterinthenovel,heinspiresperfectconfidence,bothinhisintelligenceandhismoraluprightness. HeknowsbothnativeAmericanandEuropeanlanguages,anddealscapablywithboththeJesuitsand theBiglugs.Hesuffersfewergrossmisfortunesthananyothercharacter,lessoutofluckthanbecause ofhissharpwits,andhelivesuptoCandidestrustwhenCandidesendshimtofetchCungonde.Any readertemptedtoconcludethatVoltairehasnofaithinhumannaturemustreconsiderwhenfacedwith theexampleofCacambo.DespitetheoptimismCacamboinspires,however,heisnooptimisthimself. HiswideexperienceoftheworldhasledCacambotoconcludethatthelawofnatureteachesustokill

ourneighbor.