The Trap

       Candide along with Cacambo, land in the most extragavent, luxurious and mysterious country: eldorado. It’s commonly filled with golden skyscrapers and precious stones.What society considers of valuable objects, the people of eldorado only see it as ordinary. Eldorado has an entrance but no exit. This enclosed land, forces citizens to remain ingorant of the world’s hate. All people are friendly and good-hearted, there is no corruption or relgious empowerment whatsoever. Yet, among all this greatness, there is poverty.

     What is the simbolism of eldorado? Why has Voltaire created such a magnificent and exquisit atmosphere and made the citizens poor? This writer intends to demonstrate how fortunate people, in reality, seem perfect on the surface, but are completly unhappy and emtpy inside. Voltaire is trying to transmit that money does not buy happiness. The eldorado people might be surrounded by buildings and roads of gold, they might use diamonds as marbles, people might seem warm and welcoming, however, they are said to be moneyless.

     “Two waiters and two waitresses, dressed in cloth of gold with their hair tied in ribbons, invited them to sit down to table and put before then four

tureens of soup, each garnished with two parakeets, a boiled vulture weighing about two hundred pounds, two delicious roast monkeys, three hundred doves on one plate, and six hundred humming-birds on another, as well as exquisite stews and lucious pastries, all served on plates of a sort of rock crystal...” (pg. 76) Why has this community of poor civilians embraced these two strangers with such nobility? Why has the government especially offered to pay all expenses for a foreigners ultimate comfort?

        “’All inns run for the convenience of tradespeopleare paid for by the government. You have fared badly here because this is a poor village, but everywhere else you will be recieved as you deserve to be.’” (Pg.77) Even though people in this city have been miserably striken by poverty, why are they so interested in covering their penury by spoiling newcomers with luxuries they cannot afford themselves? Are these people exemplifying today's materialistic culture? That even though people might not have too much money, still want to appear of high etiquette? Or, that high class civilians shield their sadness with luxury. 

          The mystery of the eldorado people will always remain. Who are these people? Why do they live among such greatness and are still poor? Why is the government and relgion moral and law-abiding, but freedom non existing? Athough these individuals might seem to live in a much superior world than others, they have not the will to leave. The people of eldorado are chained to a life of superficiality and inner hollowness. Eldorado has an entrance but no exit. Once society enters a state of greed, there is not way out. The people of eldorado are the people of today.