Discuss in 100 words one important symbol from Candide. Include the page number the symbol can be found on and one line or quote about the object. Remember to include the abstract and concrete meaning of the symbol. Also, connect it to a theme used by Voltaire.
Due Tuesday, December 13 by 11:59 P.M.
One symbol that keeps occurring throughout Candide is the mentioning of a garden. The first time a garden is mentioned is on page 5. Candide gets banished from the castle and is walking through the gardens. The garden symbolizes The Garden of Eden. Candide being cast out of the castle is also like Adam and Eve being cast out of The Garden of Eden, both were cast out because of sin. The garden is also mentioned on page 169. Candide says "let us cultivate our garden." This symbolizes the bliss in The Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve experience. before their fall from God. The bliss that Adam and Eve experience is at the beginning of their troubles, where Candide's garden is at the end. Voltaire uses the symbol of the garden to connect to religion. Voltaire uses Candide's foolishness to mock Adam and Eves foolishness.
ReplyDeleteOne symbol I saw was the great city of El Dorado, which I think represents heaven or paradise. Candide and Cacambo wash up on the banks of El Dorado (page 35) and they marvel at the beauty of the land. "Here, however, is a country," said Candide,"which is better than Westphalia." All of the people of El Dorado are happy and content with their lives and don't caree about the yellow clay that seems to fasinate Candide. Soon Candide,who doesn't seem to see the value in this paradise,feels restless and wants to go find his fair lady. I compare that to an ambitious buisness man who goes to heaven and can't appreciate it because he already had every thing he ever wanted. Voltaire points out that even heaven itself can't satisfy a naive person on a misson.
ReplyDeleteThe garden is a symbol Voltaire points out many times in the novel (page 167,169). On page 167 Pangloss says men were first placed in the Garden of Eden so that he might cultivate it; which shows that men were not born to be idle. The bible points out that the Garden of Eden is perfect in a sense. I believe Voltaire creates his own idea of perfect in Candides' garden. He's mocking the religion by saying a hard work ethic is the way it should be in the garden. He goes deeper to tie it in with the bible, too. The difference in the gardens is that Adam and Eve are banned from the garden at the beginning of their struggles and Candide arrives at his garden after going through all his struggles.
ReplyDeleteAn important symbol throughout the story is the gold and stones given by the king of El Dorado on page 39. On this same page is an interesting quote-when Candide requests "but a few sheep" with food and riches, it says, "The King laughed." The king also says "...and what great good may it do you." This implies that he thinks it won't do them good at all, which it didn't do them much good in the end. These riches, and the loss thereof, represent how fleeting material goods are in this life. Because of Candide's naivety, he is constantly used and taken advantage of for what he does manage to keep on the journey back from El Dorado.
ReplyDeleteA symbol I saw in Candide was the Earthquake in Lisbon on page 19 in chapter 5. Voltaire uses this nature disaster to show how people of that time tried to blame innocent people for things that could not be explained. I also think that Voltaire was trying to mock people’s belief in God. That even though they believe there are still bad things happening, which I think is one of the main reasons that people tried to blame others that did not do anything. So that they themselves could not be held responsible for what was happening to their towns and people.
ReplyDeleteOne symbolic place, in the story of Candide, which stuck out the most to me, was Eldorado, the city of jeweled roads. Candide and Cacambo arrive at the shores of this heaven like city on page 35. Candide even exclaims that, "which is better than Westphalia,” saying the city is even better than Westphalia. Eldorado is a perfect utopian, and the precious gems and stones are valueless to them. When given gems by the King, Candide thinks all his troubles all over, but indeed just got worse. Wealth is a huge symbol for evil. I believe the jewels given to Candide were symbolic to show how in the hands of greedy men wealth can be more evil than good.
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ReplyDeleteVoltaire uses a man, the Anabaptist James as a symbol. “A man who had never been christened, a good Anabaptist, named James,
ReplyDeletebeheld the cruel and ignominious treatment shown to one of his
brethren, an unfeathered biped with a rational soul, he took him home,
cleaned him, gave him bread and beer, presented him with two florins,
and even wished to teach him the manufacture of Persian stuffs which they make in Holland.” (page 12) This symbol is used to show the generosity and innocence that is so rare in the world at the time. Later James died, another way of Voltaire showing how nothing in the world is for the best.
(***my page numbers may be off, im using the ibook app*)
ReplyDeleteA very symbolic event that occurred in Candide took place in Lisbon, on page 72. The Lisbon earthquake took place as they finally reached a city after theyre ship wrecked. This being a real event that happened in 1755, Voltaire uses it to mock believers. Using this natural disaster, with no reasonable justification behind it, makes those believers to look naive and dumb. When it says "After this they joined with others in relieving those inhabitants who had escaped death," it's showing how Christians come together in times of hardship which Voltaire still mocks because of how they react to what God puts them through which he finds to be cruel.
A very symbolic place in the novel Candide was the magnificent city of El Dorado. The story starts to talk about this city on page 35. The fact that the people who live there use precious gems and stones as mere turf for their roads symbolizes the fact that you don't need to them to be successful and happy. Candide learns this by mentioning that the city is even better than Westphalia. When Candide decides to take the gems back to the other cities so that he may be richer than others supports the main point of the story which is that mankind will never change and that everyone looks out for themselves only. Also, the fact that it was so difficult to get to the city of El Dorado symbolizes that people have to work hard for their rewards. Candide learns more lessons in life as he travels to many other symbolic places as the story continues.
ReplyDeleteVoltaire uses The earthquake at Libson(page 19) as a symbol of the unwarranted human optimism of the current human condition that he so fiercely attacks throughout this story and is underlying theme he uses to try and bring to light what others had tried to cover us. When Candide and Pangloss reach the city in ruins there are dead and dying people all around them and panglos try's to console the victims by telling them "the earthquake is for the best. " Voltaire easily points out that natural disasters are not for the best they are what they are disasters. This optimistic view of life and nature that Pangloss had resembled, although in the extreme the optimistic views of other Enlightenment philosophs of the time. Voltaire seemed to believe that the current society needed to be improved and by just pretending "everything is for the best" nothing will be changed. It would have to take people admitting there was a problem in order to fix it rather than just cover it up.
ReplyDeleteOn page 19 of Chapter 5 it starts to talk about the Lisbon earthquake and how it affected Candide and Pangloss. I consider the earthquake to be a major symbol in Candide because Voltaire uses it to mock Christians by their faith in God that everything happens for a reason, for example when it says “30,000 inhabitants of all ages and sexes were crushed under the ruins.” This line that Voltaire uses shows that God was cruel and unmerciful to any person of gender, age, or race. The earthquake proves that tragic events can happen spontaneously, regardless of whether or not you think they can.
ReplyDeleteI think that the city of El Dorado is very symbolic in candide. Starting on page 35. It's suppose to a perfect place because it's a city of gold with diamonds and gems, but it's actually bad. I think the perfectness of it makes it evil. Voltaire shows how candide becomes greedy and the riches mean nothing. Money can only do so much for you and it's better to earn your wealth, not just have it handed to you. Voltaire tries to teach a lesson here about riches and it can really change a person for the worst.
ReplyDeleteIn Candide Voltaire uses the location El Dorado as a source of "paradise" where everything is perfect. They throw gems and jewels around as if they mean nothing. Candide pockets a few to disperse along his journey to give to the less fortunate. I think the author is mocking how even when it seems like someone has it all they still want more. This is found on page 35 where Voltaire says, "the traveler, however, took care to gather up the gold, the rubies, and the emeralds." The travelers had not just been given jewels like they were nothing, they actually had meaning to them.
ReplyDeleteThe earthquake at Lisbon is a major symbol used by Volatire to mock the faith in Christ. On page 20, chapter 5 Pangloss says "... this is not right. You sin against the universal reason; you choose your time badly." He is blaming candide for the earthquake because he has sinned against him. Voltaire uses Pangloss to mock philosophers at that time. Pangloss blames Candide much like a person would blame an innocent by standard for a happening they could not explain. Volatire also uses a sailor to mock the beliefs in Christianity. The sailor says " Four times I have trampled upon the crucifix." Meaning he has walked over Christianity without a thought of what he is doing. That was the temperament because of the crusades.
ReplyDeleteTook me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained!
ReplyDeleteGems and Jewels