When Our Garden is Nothing but Dry

          Although Voltaire truly wanted to transmit the message of optimism throughout his novel, my understanding was quite different. The significance of Candide's supper with miserable kings was that all misfortunes are equally grave. ''...Pangloss and Martin, 'seemed to me to have done much better for himself than those six kings we had the honor of supping with." (Pg. 143) There are no worse diseases, worse deaths, worse wars or worse lives. All tragedies deserve the same amount of dwelling. It's all a matter of perspective.

 One may decide to look at Tsar Ivan's situation positively or negatively. The morality of Candide is: forgive, forget and more on. Its just a matter of how one can look at the situation, which in the case of Voltaire is: "cultivate your garden." (Pg.144) Or in other words: "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Candide could not have ended more wrongly, however each individual was able to compromise with their failure in their own way. Perspective is the lit door to survival. Count Pococurante portrayed how a person who does not posses perspective only see what's good, only bad. Lack of perspective is like having dark sunglasses on, which enables one to see only darkness where their is light. "You must admit that there is the happiest man alive, because he is superior to all he possesses.'" (Pg. 123)

    Voltaire intends to demonstrate that not is only optimism Nothing could have ended more wrong. The Baron and Pangloss return to the picture, Candide is no longer wealthy and Lady Cunegonde has turned as "ugly as a witch." (Pg.138) Their life revolves around the cultivation of a garden. Although all went wrong, they settled, they compromised.


"'When man was placed in the Garden of Eden, he was put there "to dress it and to keep it", to work, in fact; which proves that man was not born to an easy life.'" (Pg, 143)  

   The utopia that God created for humans (The Garden of Eden) was perfect because of its imperfection. 

I'm a Powerless Commoner

           Since the second we opened our eyes, we were all destined to live under somebody's command. Weither it was to follow our parents rules or our countries laws; people are always obligated to walk behind a supreme ruler. What does a person have to do in order to escalate the ladder of power? Must they act wise, strong, fierce, and intimidating? Or must they be compassionate and pleasing to the public? For all of the ways and reasons a person can transform themselves from a follower to a leader, the outcome will always remain indifferent: powerful. The public usually praises those who hold the scepter, however is their a possibility that once the crown is removed, they will become valueless?

        "'...In Paris, they treat them with great respect while they are still beautiful, but when they are dead they throw them on the dunghill.' 'Queens thrown on a dunghill! exclaimed Candide....'Our friend here is quite right. I was in Paris when Monimia passed, as they say, from this life to the other. She was refused what people call "a decent funeral" -that is to say, being sent to rot with all the parish beggars in some filthy cemetery. She was buried away from all her people if Burgundy Street.'" (Pg. 99)


           The power that lies within a queen or king is not of honor and wisdom. But the power they portray is usually bountiful of superiority, ego and corruption. This may be be the reason why Candide is so fascinated when explaining how Queen Monimia is buried in disgrace. Well, the order of power is reversed when she dies. She once had power over her people's bodies and now her people have power over her body.We can see this events all throughout history. For instance, the last Tsar family were the Romanov's. When World War I broke out, Nicolas II became weak from his own power. This led him to resign moments after the war, and later on murdered along with his entire family in Siberia. When this family was going to be entombed, The Peter and Paul Cathedral, (where all Tsars are buried) did not apply for this family. For this reason, the Russians built a room beside the Cathedral in order to burry the ex-tsar family. Although, this might seem an act of appreciation for the family, it was quite the opposite. The thought of being separate from their whole family line was shameful.

                There is an exception to this rule (powerful people being dishonored after their loss of position), which is the parental power. Parents are the queens and kings of the household. These people are able to take decisions for their children and control their actions and opinions. However, this constant respect that has remained in all the culture's domestic dynamics is fading away. The lack of education and parent guidance is backfiring, when we see children since a small age having a mind of their own. This independent mind cannot be taken positively, for their actions are usually immoral. This rule can be highly applied the Chinese culture. Since the children were small, they were taught to honor the elderly. Power may have different purposes, but the power that lies in a household ables society to produce "well trained" beings. However, power does not only come in government and in households. Power comes in love, in religion and in favors.

           In Candide, we can see the use of power having a more significant effect on each character. Pangloss's influence on his students, demonstrates this philosophers dominance over society's morality. A philosopher might as well be the most influential person of all.

         Power can also be seen in the love between Lady Cunegonde and Candide. Their compromise inhibit each other to have other relationships. "As he went back to his hotel with the abbe Candide felt some remorse at his infidelity to Lady Cunegonde." (g. 105)

            In addition, Pacquette, Pangloss's physics pupil seems to survive her syfilis. She is rescued by a doctor her imprisons her, for she owes him so many favors. "....If a famous doctor had not taken pity for me, I should have died...the doctor was the ugliest man you ever saw, and I was the most wretched creature alive being continually beaten for the sake of a man I did not love." (pg. 114) Pacquette is stating that she had to stand the abuse of a man she did not have any feelings for. Does this mean that she thinks one should bear any harsh behaviors from a man one "loves?" Love can have a negative power against you. Dark love can weaken one's self esteem. This kind of love is simply corrupt.