Behind the Glass Wall: Analytical Book Review of CANDIDE, OR OPTIMISM
Behind the Glass Wall
At the age of sixty-five, Voltaire constructs a short story, having his life experiences in a character.
BY MICHELLE NING
“He [Pangloss] could prove admirably that there is no effect without a cause… this is the best of both worlds…” (12) That was Pangloss’s belief. He stated that we, human beings, are living in the best of all worlds. Pangloss believed that God made things the way they are, and each cause was done by God’s will. “Since pigs were made to be eaten, we eat pork all year round.” (20). In Candide, by Voltaire some characters revolve around Pangloss’s philosophy, while others carry their own. In the novel, Voltaire satirizes every single character. He uses exaggeration to show each individual’s beliefs, but even more important, he addresses it, and then uses every way you can think of to stop it [belief] from pursuing.
CANDIDE, OR OPTIMISM
By Voltaire
144pp Barnes and Nobles Publications. $4.95
One could say that Voltaire was a troublemaker, and that he loved to mess around with the reader. Everything that you could possibly imagine occurs to the main character, Candide. It all stated out well, when he was of high class and had a wide span of knowledge. All of that is turned because of a simple kiss. Candide, taken by the baron’s daughter’s beauty, falls in love, and kisses her. The baron having seen this kicks Candide out of his province. And from that point on, his life turns upside down. Misfortune after misfortune is laid out in front of him, as he travels from town to town, only ending up getting flogged, shipwrecked, robbed, betrayed, heartbroken, and separated. Between each misfortune, Candide is given hope that all things will go better, and that he, himself is almost to the other side. Thus, when he rises just an inch, Voltaire pulls out his leg, and crushes all the hope there ever was. Candide continues to believe in Pangloss’s philosophy, but questions himself more and more when he [Candide] gets flogged for listening to Pangloss, followed by an earthquake that occurs later in the day. Is this world really the best? Finally, Voltaire does let Candide get a taste of the ‘perfect’ world, but later on, makes him regret it.
In the middle of the story, Candide enters El Dorado. El Dorado has no religion, or religious persecution. This place was Voltaire’s Utopia. Everything in this city is flawless, and jewels lay scattered on the ground, as if it were dirt. Giving the reader only a chapter to experience happiness, one can guess what will happen in the following chapter. Candide’s jewels get stolen, and the money he has now, brings him more trouble than ever. Eventually finding the girl he kissed, he keeps a promise he made decades ago, and marries her, even bearing the fact that she is now ugly, and hideous looking. With little money, they buy a farm, and begin to work it. Surprisingly, working the garden brings them peace, for their everyday job leaves them too tired to talk about the good, or bad. Voltaire ends with Candide quieting Pangloss. “Excellently observed… but we must cultivate the garden.” (130) Although they find solace in the garden, misery still roams outside its fences.
After reading a part of Voltaire’s biography, I finally understood why he was so negative. Candide was written after he had been exiled from his country for several years. His writing shows his feelings during that time period. It is very sarcastic, dark, yet funny. Some passages showed his furiosity, and anger boiling within him. So far, I haven’t read any books that were even a bit similar to Candide. Being only 144 pages, it was a fun read, and easily understandable. After finishing the book, each reader will leave with a different perspective. Candide might be unpleasant for a few, because it contains torture, and some distressing matters. After finishing the last sentence, Candide left me questioning, how can humans achieve happiness?
A high school student
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