Have you ever seen someone get arrested for a very bad reason? Personally I haven't seen any one get arrested in person, but I have seen videos in the news where they arrest people. Normally, I would tend to think that it is for a good reason. If someone has not done something wrong then why can they be arrested? Something very similar happened in Candide. According to Candide: "Dr. Pangloss and his pupil, Candide, were arrested as well, one for speaking and the other for listening with an air of approval" (Candide pg.36). I have seen excuses for being arrested very lame like if you accidentally drop a paper, but for speaking and listening. At least there is a rule that prevents you from loitering. In the case of speaking and listening, these are more considered rights of human beings than rules to be followed. The people from Lisbon had to find sacrifices to be protected from the earthquakes and they used any excuse to find someone. In my past blog I researched a little bit of Voltaire and noticed that he wrote things for a special purpose. In this case Voltaire is addressing the corruption in the police and the lack of moral values of society. The corruption in the police is reflected when the police arrest someone who is innocent. The police will sometimes do this and it is most likely that they have been payed for someone to arrest that person. Voltaire would also be criticizing society when he shows that the moral values of the police are very low. It also shows that people would not do anything about doing justice and only wanted to save themselves.
There was one part where Candide is helped by an old lady. Knowing that Voltaire is a satirical writer, when I read that Candide followed this lady I thought that something bad was going to happen. In many stories that I have read the old people will be more kind to the people that are suffering. I have always seen them as if they were grandparents that were always there to help their loved ones. When I read and noticed that this lady was apparently helping Candide I was very impressed. According to Candide: "Candide was even more surprised at the old woman's kindness. He wanted to kiss her hand, but the old woman stopped him" (Candide pg.38). The other thing I noticed was that the old woman was very modest and humble. She did not seem to be the woman who went bragging that she is the most kind and helpful. Instead she helped Candide expecting nothing back from him because she knew he had no way of repaying her. I also thought that Voltaire was going to criticize the aspect that in civilization you find very few modest persons. Maybe in the case of the old lady Voltaire wanted us to look at her more like an example instead of try to not be like her. In other words Voltaire is criticizing society, but in another way. There was a maxim I heard that said: "Tough times do not last long, but tough people last forever," and I think this can be very closely related to Candide. Candide has suffered many things like the death of the Anabaptist and Pangloss and he is still holding on to life. Candide had survived many floggings and injustices. After all his sufferings he is worth to receive something positive. When Candide receives this there is a quotation that says: "Candide could scarcely believe that he was awake; his past life seemed like a nightmare and the present moment a happy dream" (Candide pg.39). This goes along very well with the maxim because Candide has endured many things and finally he is having a happy moment. Voltaire might have made this part to make us understand that sometimes hard times are not as hard as they seem and that if we are able to endure we will be rewarded.
Basque: a member of a people inhabiting the western Pyrenees on the Bay of Biscay. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basque)
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