A Philosophical Novel

Pangloss got part of it right, “He works all things together for the good of those who love Him.” but he missed the parts that say, “He works...for those who love him.”  The characters lack the ability to see people for who and what they are; to see evil for evil. Candide is so caught up in searching for good, it’s almost like he doesn’t want to believe that there could be bad. When he gets to the cannibals and they decide to spare him, he forgets that they are cannibals. He forgets the fact that those people were going to eat him, and because they didn’t, they are now the best people he’s ever met. The only reason that they didn’t eat him is because he killed someone else, so now he’s thankful that he killed someone else. He needs to see the realization of his sins, and the wrongs that he does. 

Though all things work together for a greater good, it is not done by us, it is done by a Greater Good. We have no power to work anything together for our good. Still, all things are worked together for the good, but the good we get isn’t always the good we thought it to be. However, it is better to pursue the good we think we want than not to pursue anything.

 “‘ You are quite right,’ said Pangloss. ‘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.’” chp. 30 pg. 143.

 It is better to see the need of labor, regardless of how laborious the labor is - God’s gifted you with a certain labor.

 “‘Only twenty acres,’ replied the Turk, ‘my children help me to farm it, and we find that the work banishes those three great evils; boredom, vice, and poverty.’” chp. 30 pg. 143.

 So do this labor to the best of your ability, be satisfied with the good you’ve been given. 

“‘That’s true enough,’ said Candide; ‘but we must go and work in the garden.’” chp 30 pg. 144

I am very much intrigued by the pursuit by Canidide and Martin to see if happiness really exists. to see if there is anyone in the world where everything has worked out for the good of them, and they are truly happy.

“‘There is to say that there is a pleasure in not being pleased.’” chp 25 pg. 124

“”You must admit that there is the happiest man alive, because he is superior to all he possesses.’”chp 25, pg. 123

So happiness lies in that man that doesn’t get caught up in all he possesses. It lies in the man that can learn to be content in whatever circumstances. It lies in the man who isn’t held back by the world’s opinions of wealth and value, but by the simple pleasures given to men by God. 

I also found throughout Candide that the men were either believing in all good or all bad. They failed to see that there are both, and that they work together.

“‘Do you think, ‘ said Candide, ‘ that men have always massacred each other, as they do to-day, that they have always been false, cozening, faithless, ungrateful, thieving, weak, inconsistant, mean-spirited, envious, debauched, fanatic, hypocritical, and stupid?’ 

‘Do you think,’ replied Matrin, ‘that hawks have always eaten pigeons when they could find them?’

‘Of course I do,’ replied Candide.

‘Well,’ said Martin, ‘if hawks have always had the same character, why should you suppose that men have changed theirs?’” chp 21 pg 96

I find the spirit of honors in all we do. Here’s a quote from Candide with the spirit of honors, “Their discussions lasted for a fortnight, and at the end of that time they had got no father than when they had started; but they had the pleasure of talking and exchanging ideas and consoling each other.”  chp 20 pg. 94

“‘What is optimism?’ asked Cacambo.

“‘It’s the passion for maintaining that all is right when all goes wrong with us,’ replied Candide, weeping as the looked at the negro.” chp 18. pg. 86

Strive to see the bigger picture.

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