Reading Notes, Part A, Week 4
Candide - Week 4
Author
Voltaire was an author who was exiled for his works. This seems to be a trend when it comes to this type of era. Voltaire refused to give up. Despite people not approving or wanting his work, Voltaire's passion and love from writing.
Chapters 1-4
Candide was raised in Westphalia in the castle of Baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh. Candide gets instruction from Professor Pangloss. Barons daughter, Cunegonde, if fond of Candide. Canegonde pretends to drop her handkerchief and her and Candide end up kissing. Baron catches them and Candide gets kicked out of the castle, literally. Candide goes to an inn. He is tricked into joining an army by two Bulgarian soldiers. Candide is then beaten and forced to learn the Bulgarians army military practices. He does well and is even treated okay for a while. Candide goes for a walk which was a mistake, he is accused of desertion. He is given the choice to be whipped hundreds or thousands of times or be shot in the head. Although he picks being whipped he regrets it as soon as it starts. The king stops the whipping and pardons Candide. He thinks since Candide is a philosophy student he is ignorant about/towards the world. Candide goes to battle with the Bulgarians against the Abares. As the battle starts Candide decided to hide. He stays hidden until the fight is over. Once the battle is over he decided to go to Holland. In Holland, he begs for food but people just threaten him. A bypasser, Jacques, sees how Candide is being treated and decides to take him home and feed him and get him clean. Once he is better Candide goes on a walk were he meets a man with syphilis. This man actually turned out to be Pangloss! Candide and Pangloss have a very heartfelt reunion. Unfortunately, Pangloss comes with bad news. He tells Candid that the Bulgarian army has invaded Thunder-ten-tronckh. They raped and killed Cungonde, they full on destroyed the castle, killing everyone they could.
Candide was raised in Westphalia in the castle of Baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh. Candide gets instruction from Professor Pangloss. Barons daughter, Cunegonde, if fond of Candide. Canegonde pretends to drop her handkerchief and her and Candide end up kissing. Baron catches them and Candide gets kicked out of the castle, literally. Candide goes to an inn. He is tricked into joining an army by two Bulgarian soldiers. Candide is then beaten and forced to learn the Bulgarians army military practices. He does well and is even treated okay for a while. Candide goes for a walk which was a mistake, he is accused of desertion. He is given the choice to be whipped hundreds or thousands of times or be shot in the head. Although he picks being whipped he regrets it as soon as it starts. The king stops the whipping and pardons Candide. He thinks since Candide is a philosophy student he is ignorant about/towards the world. Candide goes to battle with the Bulgarians against the Abares. As the battle starts Candide decided to hide. He stays hidden until the fight is over. Once the battle is over he decided to go to Holland. In Holland, he begs for food but people just threaten him. A bypasser, Jacques, sees how Candide is being treated and decides to take him home and feed him and get him clean. Once he is better Candide goes on a walk were he meets a man with syphilis. This man actually turned out to be Pangloss! Candide and Pangloss have a very heartfelt reunion. Unfortunately, Pangloss comes with bad news. He tells Candid that the Bulgarian army has invaded Thunder-ten-tronckh. They raped and killed Cungonde, they full on destroyed the castle, killing everyone they could.
There was a lot happening in these chapters. The idea of "Best of both worlds" that Pangloss is preaching is interesting to me. Candide sees towards the end of chapter 4 that he may not be able to have the best of both worlds and maybe what Pangloss isn't right about it.
Themes
Optimism
Love
Philosophy and Religion
Chapters 5-8
Jaques gets convinced to pay for Pangloss' cure for syphilis. Pangloss ends up being fine, he loses and ear and an eye though. Pangloss and Candide go to Lisbon with Jacques. When they were on the ship going to Libson a big storm came and Jacques tries to take control of the ship but was hit by a soldier but then he fell into the water. Jacques goes in after him and the soldier ended up letting Jacques drown. Candide went to save Jacques but Pangloss refused to let him, saying that the Bay of Lisbon was meant to drown Jacques. The ship collapses and Pangloss and Candide float on a plank to land.in Libson. Once they get there, an earthquake hits and kills hundreds of people.
Some people from Lisbon thought the only way to prevent future earthquake was to have this thing called, an auto-da-fe which means contemporary ritual for the punishment of sinners and heretics. Pangloss is hung and Candide is whipped.
An old woman convinces Candide to come with her. She takes care of him and earns his trust. After several days, she brings him to a house and brings him a women who has a veil on. Candide removes the veil to see Cunegonde. She explains that she survived the attack and was asking what happened to Candide since they had first kissed. They both share their stories and Cunegonde told Candide that she was asleep in bed when the Bulgarian army came an attacked. She was raped by a soldier and then that soldier was killed by his Captain. Cunegonde was captivated by him and then sold to a Jew, Don Issachar who let her live at his house. At mass one day, the Grand Inquisitor took a liking to Cunegonde and offered Don Issachar money for Cunegonde but he said no. The Grand Inquisitor threatened Don Issachar with an Auto-Da-Fe and he gave in. When they all went down to watch the punishing she sees Candide being whipped and convinces the old woman to find Candide.
I did not see this coming! I had no idea that Cunegonde was going to come back but I am glad she did. I think this is a way that "best of both worlds" theory comes back into play. Maybe Candide will start to believe in it again since Cunegonde has come back.
Chapters 9-12
Don Issachar gets mad and curses at Cunegonde. He tries to stab Candide but Candide kills him. A few minutes later The Grand Inquisitor comes and says Cunegonde was going to be punished for what he did. Candide then kills him and flees with Cunegonde and the old woman.
They go to Cadiz. Candide impresses some recruiters from the military and they make him captain. With Cunegonde and the old woman they set off on ship to the "New World" Candide says that maybe the new world will be the "best of all the possible worlds"
The rest of the story goes on to tell the story of the old woman and everything she has been through within her life.
Philosophy and Religion
Chapters 5-8
Jaques gets convinced to pay for Pangloss' cure for syphilis. Pangloss ends up being fine, he loses and ear and an eye though. Pangloss and Candide go to Lisbon with Jacques. When they were on the ship going to Libson a big storm came and Jacques tries to take control of the ship but was hit by a soldier but then he fell into the water. Jacques goes in after him and the soldier ended up letting Jacques drown. Candide went to save Jacques but Pangloss refused to let him, saying that the Bay of Lisbon was meant to drown Jacques. The ship collapses and Pangloss and Candide float on a plank to land.in Libson. Once they get there, an earthquake hits and kills hundreds of people.
Some people from Lisbon thought the only way to prevent future earthquake was to have this thing called, an auto-da-fe which means contemporary ritual for the punishment of sinners and heretics. Pangloss is hung and Candide is whipped.
An old woman convinces Candide to come with her. She takes care of him and earns his trust. After several days, she brings him to a house and brings him a women who has a veil on. Candide removes the veil to see Cunegonde. She explains that she survived the attack and was asking what happened to Candide since they had first kissed. They both share their stories and Cunegonde told Candide that she was asleep in bed when the Bulgarian army came an attacked. She was raped by a soldier and then that soldier was killed by his Captain. Cunegonde was captivated by him and then sold to a Jew, Don Issachar who let her live at his house. At mass one day, the Grand Inquisitor took a liking to Cunegonde and offered Don Issachar money for Cunegonde but he said no. The Grand Inquisitor threatened Don Issachar with an Auto-Da-Fe and he gave in. When they all went down to watch the punishing she sees Candide being whipped and convinces the old woman to find Candide.
I did not see this coming! I had no idea that Cunegonde was going to come back but I am glad she did. I think this is a way that "best of both worlds" theory comes back into play. Maybe Candide will start to believe in it again since Cunegonde has come back.
Chapters 9-12
Don Issachar gets mad and curses at Cunegonde. He tries to stab Candide but Candide kills him. A few minutes later The Grand Inquisitor comes and says Cunegonde was going to be punished for what he did. Candide then kills him and flees with Cunegonde and the old woman.
They go to Cadiz. Candide impresses some recruiters from the military and they make him captain. With Cunegonde and the old woman they set off on ship to the "New World" Candide says that maybe the new world will be the "best of all the possible worlds"
The rest of the story goes on to tell the story of the old woman and everything she has been through within her life.
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