Candide, a satirical novel written by Voltaire, is a story that pokes fun at the naivety of optimists. Written during the Enlightenment, the plot provokes much thought of society during this time period. The author ridiculed this way of thought by describing the main character as a naïve, shallow minded individual who only cared about the beauty of the world. The novel was written in support of the philosophy many used during the time period of its publication, meliorism. This way of thought was based off of the belief that man had the ability to create the beauty and happiness that optimists attempted to find in every aspect of life. Candide is a story about the pursuit of happiness. The reference to the garden in the final sentence of the story is a metaphor for the aforementioned pursuit. When the main character, Candide, says “let us cultivate our garden,” he is referring to this theme. Candide is saying that rather than stay put and act content with the way his life is, he wishes to pursue that happiness.
At the beginning of the story and throughout its bulk, Candide is described as a simple man who enjoys the beauty of life and wishes to find the positive side of everything. In other words, he is an optimist. His generally positive attitude is derived from the teachings of his tutor Pangloss, who says that the world Candide lives in is “the best of all worlds.” Throughout the story, Candide is plagued with horrific events that would destroy the mind of any sane person. But he continues on, due to the teachings that Pangloss gives him. The events that he encounters all provoke Candide to give up on optimism and accept life the way it is, but Pangloss continues to encourage his optimistic teachings. In the end, Candide ends his journey for happiness and settles down with Cunegonde, basically giving up. Though he attempts to be content with the lifestyle he begins to live, he still wishes to know the true pleasure that the pursuit delivers. This is why at the conclusion of the book, he decides to continue the pursuit of happiness that he once had by saying “let us cultivate our garden.”
The pursuit of happiness is a philosophy that has been continuous used throughout the progression of modern society. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” These three philosophies all contribute to the belief in the American Dream, the interpretation of the pursuit of happiness in modern day society. This “dream” is the wish to succeed in the beautiful country of free will that is America. The happiness that ensues with this dream is not only the money that results from achieving the American Dream, but also the satisfaction of achieving a lifelong goal. This happiness and satisfaction is a result of the pursuit of hard work that led up to the achievement of the dream. It is advertised in today’s society as that one cannot be happy unless they have achieved the American dream. In Candide, the journey that he embarks on is in the pursuit of happiness. Which is why, in the end of the story, he says his final statement. The lifestyle that he decides to live prior to the conclusion is not the one he wishes to have. “Let us cultivate our garden” is a metaphor Voltaire used to show that Candide has accepted the melioristic way of life, but still wishes to find the happiness that he pursued throughout the story.
At the beginning of the story and throughout its bulk, Candide is described as a simple man who enjoys the beauty of life and wishes to find the positive side of everything. In other words, he is an optimist. His generally positive attitude is derived from the teachings of his tutor Pangloss, who says that the world Candide lives in is “the best of all worlds.” Throughout the story, Candide is plagued with horrific events that would destroy the mind of any sane person. But he continues on, due to the teachings that Pangloss gives him. The events that he encounters all provoke Candide to give up on optimism and accept life the way it is, but Pangloss continues to encourage his optimistic teachings. In the end, Candide ends his journey for happiness and settles down with Cunegonde, basically giving up. Though he attempts to be content with the lifestyle he begins to live, he still wishes to know the true pleasure that the pursuit delivers. This is why at the conclusion of the book, he decides to continue the pursuit of happiness that he once had by saying “let us cultivate our garden.”
The pursuit of happiness is a philosophy that has been continuous used throughout the progression of modern society. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” These three philosophies all contribute to the belief in the American Dream, the interpretation of the pursuit of happiness in modern day society. This “dream” is the wish to succeed in the beautiful country of free will that is America. The happiness that ensues with this dream is not only the money that results from achieving the American Dream, but also the satisfaction of achieving a lifelong goal. This happiness and satisfaction is a result of the pursuit of hard work that led up to the achievement of the dream. It is advertised in today’s society as that one cannot be happy unless they have achieved the American dream. In Candide, the journey that he embarks on is in the pursuit of happiness. Which is why, in the end of the story, he says his final statement. The lifestyle that he decides to live prior to the conclusion is not the one he wishes to have. “Let us cultivate our garden” is a metaphor Voltaire used to show that Candide has accepted the melioristic way of life, but still wishes to find the happiness that he pursued throughout the story.