Ch. 3-4

Candide

p. 25-32

January 6, 2008

9:55 A.M.

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......In the third chapter, Voltaire critisizes how easily life is ended because of silly disputes. After "thirty thousand deaths" the Kings are celebrating their victory. What victory? They just killed thirty thousand men because of their egocentricity; how can anyone be proud of that? He compares the beauty of this scene to hell, but argues that "the artillery produced such a harmony as Hell itself cannot rival (25)." That he whole absurdity of war, how can people celebrate such murder, such misery caused to humanity. When Candide cannot bear this bloody scene, he runs to the nearest village to fiind how innocent civilians were murdered and how "girls who had satisfied the appetites of several heroes lay disembowelled in their last agonies (26)." I think that Voltaire hit the nails right in the head when he stated this. The absurdity is this: how can these men that have violated respect and morality be called heroes? Heroes for the devil people must think because they are nothing more than that. He also this chapter to satire religious morality and the principles that religion teaches. How can someone that preaches religion and CHARITY not lend a helping hand to a lost soul? That's absurd.

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......The only absurdity I understood from the fourth chapter was the fact that Candide was part of the side that murdered his beloved Cunegonde. When Candide goes to help a poor beggar, he finds out it's Pangloss, his teacher. He is shocked to see him in such a deteriorating state. How can someone with such "prestige" be in such rags. His only concern is to find out about his love. When Pangloss tells him that she was murdered by the Bulgars, the side that he swore allegiance to, Candide is completely devastated. The irony in this is that he was one of the heroes that killed his love. How absurd is that? The message here is that ignorance can mislead us into wrong choices.