دراسة كاملة لرواية candide

summary)


Candide means innocent. Candide is a very innocent young man living in the castle of the Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh in Westphalia. Some of the old servants believe that he is the son of the Baron’s sister. The Baron’s sister refuses to marry Candide’s father because his degree of nobility is less than hers.
Candide lacks knowledge of the outside world. He believes that this castle is the best place to live in. He considers it ideal. One day he and Cunégonde, the Baron’s daughter are seen in romantic positions. So he is kicked and thrown out of the castle.
Candide goes through many adventures. Some of them are funny, some are sad, and some are eerie. His eyes open to reality. He sees that everything does not happen for the best as the philosophers and metaphysician Pangloss had told him in the Baron’s castle. In Europe as well as in America, he encounters misery. He meets a number of people from various walks of life. He comes across many philosophers ranging from extreme optimism of Pangloss to the bleak pessimism of Martin. He experiences the love and total selflessness of Jacques and also the extreme cruelty and selfishness of the drunken sailor. He experiences the kindness of the old lady who happens to be the daughter of the Pope and a princess. She is always ready to help though she has gone through tremendous suffering herself.
When Candide reaches Eldorado he feels peace. It is a truly peaceful and happy place full of contented people. It is an earthly paradise. Yet he leaves it quickly to go in search of his beloved Cunégonde. He meets her in a castle. He meets her again Constantinople. He adores her and yearns for her all the time. It is by sheer chance or luck that he does not stay in any place for long. He often finds Cunégonde and loses her. Again the search for Cunégonde continues. He is ready to sacrifice anything in order to get her. Her memory fills him with hope and joy. Amidst all the turmoil that he faces, he feels life is still worth living and searching for Cunégonde.
Finally Candide finds Cunégonde and does not lose her. She has become extremely ugly. She insists that he should marry her. Her brother vehemently opposes their marriage. The reason he states is that their children will not be noble enough since Candide’s lineage is not as noble as hers. Candide’s is provoked by the Baron’s defiance and Cunégonde’s insistence.
After a period of uncertainty and boredom, Candide, Cunégonde, Martin, Pangloss, Paguette, the old lady, and Girofle live on the farm purchased by Candide. They are quite satisfied. From their numerous experiences, they have realized that they must cultivate their own garden. They know by the end of the novel that the only way to happiness is honesty and hard work and not vague philosophy and baseless illusions.

Major Theme

"Evils in Society" is a major theme in Candide. Voltaire has satirized and exposed evils like snobbery, cruelty, selfishness, and immorality. In the first chapter it is are told how Candide is thrown out of the Baron’s castle. After that he sees various evils during his adventures. Another major theme is the theme of love. There is tremendous love between Candide and Cunégonde, although much is not written about it. The love for Cunégonde pervades Candide’s thought’s throughout the novel.

Minor Theme

The theme of goodness is very important although it is a minor theme. It is necessary for giving a true picture of the society. Thus through the elements of goodness, Voltaire has rightly pointed out that despite numerous evils, the world is not totally devoid of goodness. Another minor theme is the snobbery in society. Voltaire has shown in a satirical manner the ridiculous snobbery that exits among the rich and so-called upper class people. It is seen in the Baron’s family and also among the dethroned kings who still continue to be referred to as kings and highnesses even when they have lost almost everything.





من خلال الاحداث ممكن نعلق عليها زى ما الدكتور قالت irony ----- satire


Candide is highly influenced by Voltaire’s views and his own experiences of life. He uses satire to criticize superstition, religion, aristocracy, and the church. However it is relevant to note that he has done so in a dignified manner, avoiding vulgarity and crudeness whenever he possibly can.
Voltaire had read and admired the works of many great authors like Swift, Pope, Gay, Shakespeare, Milton, and others. His writing in Candide is critical of Pope’s view in Essay on Man when he (Pope) emphasizes that whatever is, is right. Voltaire proves through Candide that this is not true.
Voltaire was shocked and immensely touched by the earthquake that took place in Lisbon in 1755. It caused severe destruction. He is also critical of the people associated with the church when he depicts their atrocities and immorality in Candide. The Pope has an illegitimate daughter though he ought to be a celibate according to the rules of the church.
Voltaire’s on ill treatment and humiliation at the hands of Rohan-Chabot, a nobleman influenced some of the passages in Candide. Voltaire actually wrote Candide during a three-week stay at Schwetzingen. He got the idea of writing this novel after the Lisbon earthquake in 1755. This idea was intensified when his host in the German Court resembled Thunder-ten-trouckh. He had a wife and a son. His son, the seventeen-year-old prince provided a model for the creation of the character of Candide. Voltaire yearned for religious and political freedom. He expresses this by satirizing religious, political and national fanaticism in Candide. Candide was published in 1759

ميرسى يامريوما

ميرسي يا روما على الرد