By chapter
30, Candide was living an objectively “most agreeable of all possible lives”(p.
85). He was married to Cunegonde, lived on a farm with all his friends (the old
woman, Cacambo, Pangloss, and Martin), and had money and stability. However,
Candide lost much of his wealth, the women grew uglier and bitter, Cacambo is
overworked and unhappy (which is ironic, considering how he was, at one point,
a slave), and Pangloss cannot obtain the professorship he desires. Outweighing
all of these problems, however, was the issue of boredom. After so many
misfortunes, the group had a sense of adventure that could not be fulfilled by
their simple lives.
“. . . [T]he
boredom was so excessive that the old woman made bold to say to them one day:
‘I would
like to know which is worse: being raped a hundred times by negro pirates,
having a buttock chopped off, running the gauntlet of the Bulgars, being
flogged and hanged in an auto-da-fé, being dissected, rowing in a galley, in
short, suffering all the misfortunes we’ve suffered, or simply being stuck here
doing nothing?’
. . .
This speech
gave rise to renewed speculation, and Martin in particular came to the
conclusion that man was born to spend his life alternately a prey to throes of
anxiety and the lethargy of boredom.”(p. 85-86)
According to
this quote, boredom was a new kind of suffering they had not experienced
before. They had experienced political oppression, natural disasters, and
violent crime, but the only unbearable form of suffering they encountered was boredom.
This was even enough to make Pangloss admit that he was miserable and always
had been.
While
seeking out the wisdom of other philosophers, Candide, Pangloss, and Martin
meet a Muslim farmer who invites them in, where he and his daughters are living
a happy life and treat the guests well. The farmer tells them: “I have but
twenty acres…I cultivate them with my children. Work keeps us from three great
evils: boredom, vice, and need.”(p.87)
Candide
thought about the farmer’s words for a long time after, and thought that the
farmer’s life was much better than that of the six dethroned kings they met in
Venice. Candide really likes this idea that everyone has to cultivate their own
gardens, which is essentially means finding their own happiness. Pangloss often
tries to intervene with philosophical reasoning, such as comparing their garden
for cultivating to the Garden of Eden, not quite getting the point. Both
Candide and Martin patiently reiterate that they need to stop philosophizing,
and that they must get to work and cultivate their garden.
*Point of
discussion: Fate and pre-destination vs. human agency – Voltaire seems to be
advocating human agency and control of one’s own fate and happiness.
The group is
no longer living at the mercy of circumstances, but they cultivate a skill, and
work to reap what they sow.
Pangloss
makes one more attempt at the end to be optimistic and philosophical, saying
that they would never have developed these skills and be happy living on a farm
together if all these unfortunate circumstances didn’t happen. Candide says
that Pangloss is right, but then quickly goes back to saying that they need to
cultivate their garden.
Questions:
1) If Pangloss admitted to never have been optimistic, why does he insist at the end that all their unfortunate circumstances turned out for the best, and still remained insistent on being optimistic?
Questions:
1) If Pangloss admitted to never have been optimistic, why does he insist at the end that all their unfortunate circumstances turned out for the best, and still remained insistent on being optimistic?
2) Was the
characters’ happiness ultimately a result of circumstance or them taking
control of their lives?
3) Do you
think the characters could eventually become bored with their work as it
becomes more routine?
1. I completely agree with what Catherine was saying in class, I believe that Pangloss, being the philosopher that he is, cannot back down on his original statement on optimism. Throughout the story, Pangloss states that everything happens for the best and everything happens out of absolute necessity. He remains insistent on optimism in this chapter just because he cannot go against his own philosophical reasoning.
ReplyDelete2. I think the character's happiness was definitely a result of them taking control of their lives. The whole quote about 'cultivating your garden' shows that the only thing you have to do to obtain this happiness is to make your own happiness. No one knows you better than you do, so once you take control, happiness will follow.
3. It is definitely a possibility that these characters will become bored; I think that everyone eventually becomes bored in ongoing routines. Just like you said in your presentation, most people like their new jobs because its new and exciting but once you get into a routine it just because the 'same old same old' day after day. I think it is human nature to get comfortable with routines but to always desire something new and different, something more.
1. Because Pangloss' profession is to be a philosopher, he must insist on maintaining his reputation as an optimist regardless of his feelings as an individual. This also goes along with the conclusion that happiness can be found by cultivating their gardens because Candide ultimately argues that only through their work can hey escape the suffering of boredom. Pangloss's work as a philosopher is no exception that idea.
ReplyDelete2. I would argue that the characters do not experience happiness in the end. I think their satisfaction comes from their discovery that they have the freedom to take control of their lives but the question I pose is whether they know what they want out of life and whether or not they have the resources to achieve the goals in their lives despite their societal seclusion.
3. Absolutely. To elaborate on my opinion about how they only think they are happy in their situation in the end of the story, they will eventually realize that without letting any aspect of the outside world into their personal world, they will grow bored and dissatisfied. As the characters themselves acknowledged that their sufferings while being a part of the external world were more bearable than eternal boredom, the argument can be made that unless work offers enriching and diverse experiences, its mundanity will inspire suffering.
Hannah Aven
ReplyDelete1. I believe that Pangloss sticks to his optimistic beliefs because of his pride. He is such an esteemed philosopher that I think he believes it would ruin his reputation if he went back on his idea that everything happens for the best and out of necessity. Pangloss suffers greatly throughout the novel and sees extreme suffering in others too, but his pride is what ultimately compels him to hold true to his beliefs.
2. I would say that their happiness in the end would be a result of them taking control of their lives. Until the characters were forced to leave Westphalia, they were given unrealistic ideas of life and happiness from Pangloss. It wasn't until the end of the novel when they created their own ideas about happiness that they experienced true happiness.
3.Yes, but I believe they could still be content. I believe that they will most likely become bored with their lives, but they will also be comfortable with their situation and find happiness in the fact that they have each other and have taken control of their own lives.