Reason

Everyone has different ideals towards why humans live. There is no right nor wrong answer, nor anything in between. It is all based on faith. Reaching the end of Candide the readers get a glimpse of what the author believes, regarding humans mission in life.  It all begins with the Garden of Eden; this garden has the symbolic identity of the origins of mankind. On the other hand in the book the garden seems to have a hidden message, one that will later lead to the reasoning behind mans mission in earth. “ When man was placed in the Garden of Eden, he was put there ´to dress it and to keep it`”. (pg. 143).  This quote was manifested to pursue the audience into the believe that from the first time man set foot on earth its mission was to work until the end of time.

These believe was constantly represented along the book and it gave emphasis to the lives of all the characters in it.  After all of the most delightful and horrific adventures had passed, the characters illusion of living and of being prosperous was completely sucked out.  Leaving them with no dreams nor aspirations in life, simply trying to survive the present.

“I also know, said Candide, `that we must go and work in the garden´.” (pg. 143)

Humans are unpredictable creatures. They let their feelings and values influence their decision-making. Every human is unique, making them impossible to predict. These peculiar creatures are strikingly complex. I am only half way through the book and yet I feel I have heard it all. Voltaire filled–up his novel, Candied with an abundance of misfortune characters. To the point that they have all passed through a catastrophe or woe in their lives.  As the old lady once said: "… and if you find even one who has not …told himself that he is the most miserable man alive, you can throw me into the sea head first." (pg. 57). Nonetheless, after seeing how in just a couple of mouth the life of a character can go from being happy, wonderful and even dream full. It can take a total turn in a simple second and make the character the most miserable person of all mankind. Nevertheless it seems crucial to highlight that even though the characters of the story are living a sorrowful life they still wish to continue living. In the book it is explained that the characters manage to fall in love with “life” and even though they know life will simply mean more plain and suffering they will not kill themselves.

On the other hand it is the first time we see a character question Pangloss philosophy. Lady Cunegonde who after the last couple of days has passed through more things that can be described, questions how her daily suffering will eventually lead to a greater good.“ I am afraid Pangloss cruelly deceived me when he told me that all is for the best in this world.” (pg. 43).

These new ideas brought to the table created a series of questions that could maybe answered in the future. Would this signs of doubt spread out through all the characters, even Candide? Will this lead to their irreversible lost of hope? Is it true that everything is for the greater good?

Trends

It is breath taking how two books from different time periods can relate to each other. In Candide, I was able to discern clear trends of the classical book, Don Quixote. More specifically, the way the two novels are able to vividly describe a person, enabling the reader to create a perfect image of them. It is said that a picture is worth more than a thousand words, however, due to the technique both of these eloquent writers use, one may dispute against it. In the case of Don Quixote, one sees this happening every time a description of a woman is being assembled. The author illustrates all women as goddesses. In the novel, Cervantes has the ability of describing a horrific woman and transforming her into the most beautiful of all mankind. He achieves this by converting the ordinary features the woman has and making them glamorous. Voltaire, will repeat this technique 100 years later in his novel, Candide.  A perfect example of the two authors using these techniques is when Cervantes describes Dulcinea in Don Quixote and Voltaire illustrates Lady Conegonde, in Candide. Another example of Voltaire’s superb character description is when he portrays the Old Lady in Candide. “ … My breast began to take its right form, and such a breast! White, firm, and formed like that of the Venus de’ Medici; my eyebrows were as black as jet, as for my eyes, they darted flames and eclipsed the luster of the stars, as I was told by the poets of our part of the world. My maids, when they dressed and undressed me, used to fall into an ecstasy in viewing me…” (pg. 49). It is remarkable to see that some trends of writing are as current today as they were many centuries ago, allowing modern literature to contain classical techniques.

Unknown Words

1.     Infallible: not liable to mislead, deceive, or disappoint

2.     Auto-da-fe: the ceremony for pronouncing judgment by the Inquisition which was followed by the execution of sentence by secular authorities

3.     Cassock: a close-fitting ankle-length garment worn especially in Roman Catholic and Anglican churches by the clergy and by laypersons assisting in services

4.     Flog: to beat with or as if with a rod or whip

5.     Hovel: an open shed or shelter

6.     Ointment: a salve or unguent for application to the skin

7.     Boudoir: a woman's dressing room, bedroom, or private sitting room

8.     Utter: carried to the utmost point or highest degree

9.     Brocaded: a rich silk fabric with raised patterns in gold and silver

10. Feeble: markedly lacking in strength

11. Mincemeat: a finely chopped mixture (as of raisins, apples, and spices) sometimes with meat that is often used as pie filling

12. Brute: of or relating to beasts

13. Amenable: liable to be brought to account

14. Quarrel: to find fault

15. Roused: to cause to break from cover

16. Dwelt: to remain for a time

17. Rogue: a dishonest or worthless person

18. Thoroughbred: thoroughly trained or skilled

19. Dunghill: a heap of dung

20. Buttock: the back of a hip that forms one of the fleshy parts on which a person sits

Bibliographies:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infallible

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auto-da-fé

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cassock

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flogging

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hovel

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ointment

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boudoir

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utter

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brocaded

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feeble

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buttock

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dunghill

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thoroughbred

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rogue

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dwelt

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarrelling

Philosophy

       Candide, the protagonist of Voltaire’s novel, is described as an optimistic innocent and naïve man. He is unaware of all the evil present in the world. Candide comes form the word Candidus, that means “white” in Latin. His name helps emphasis the protagonist personality. Throughout the book Candide and his professor Pangloss continually talked about their philosophy as to why things occur. Convinced that everything happens for the best and that things cannot be stopped. At the end, all events, regardless of the fact of how important the event is, will always lead to a greater good . This mentally, however, is not new to human reasoning. It is due to this philosophy that people when faced with misfortune or personal crisis will believe that later in life all their pain and suffering will lead to happiness and personal growth.

       On the other hand, the novel presents another character named James, the Anabaptist. He contradicts Candide´s philosophy by stating that God did not give human’s guns and canyons , however, human`s managed to create these weapons to kill others. He later expresses that it was not possible that so much pain inflicted upon people could turn out to be for the greater good.  As the novel progress a new character enters the story, he was an officer of the Inquisition who rapidly questioned Pangloss for he’s philosophy. The officer pointed out that if Pangloss philosophy were to be true then it would mean that human`s have no Free Will and that eternal punishments were not to exit. After all of this was said, Pangloss rapidly and respectfully responded: “ but I must point out that the fall of man and eternal punishment enter, of Necessity....For the Will that is Determined..”(pg. 35). Nevertheless I strongly disagree with Pangloss philosophy, hence it is extremely optimistic and depends on the good nature of all mankind to participate. Besides one most never forget that humans are one of the most selfish, envious and hypocrite creatures in the planet, therefore depending in their good side can be quite uncertain.

Ageless Love

           

Since I can remember,  I would dream of being a beautiful princess living in a perfect kingdom with a loving princess . Every night before I went to sleep my parents would read me a bed time story and most of these stories would talk about the unbreakable love between a couple. One night, I asked my parents what love was, their respond produced the same goose bumps as those when I read the description Pangloss gave about love. “ .. love, the comforter of humanity, the preserver of the universe, the soul of all living beings; tender love! ”. (pg. 29) I believed that everyone had the opportunity to feel love once in a lifetime, that feeling that could cause you to smile for no reason or make you feel protected. However, I believed that it was only when you reached your twenties that you had the privilege of feeling this emotion.  Nevertheless, I was proven wrong; love can be experienced at any age. I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary with my boyfriend. When asked what I feel for him, the only word that can correctly describe the numerous feelings that gather in my mind is the word love. It’s an extremely powerful emotion, one might kill for it or even die for it; as Juliet did in Shakespeare´s “Romeo and Juliet”.