Candide Chapters 16-20

In the sixteenth chapter Candide uses his shooting skills to shoot down to monkeys who are chasing two women. The author had to turn this ridiculous and heroic act into a tragedy to fit along with the rest of Candide's experiences and so the monkey's turn out to be the ladies' lovers! "You have killed those two ladies' lovers!" What are the chances that when there are two damsels seemingly in distress they are actually with their strange lovers? This could only happen to Candide, this is also a very big example of irony. He was trying to be their saviour and protector but instead he gets himself tangled with the Oreillons and almost gets skewered. It is also interesting to see the toll the rash murder of Cunegonde's brother takes on Candide's conscience, "What is the use of prolonging my miserable existence, if I must drag out my days in remorse and despair at being banished from her presence?" Candide is very resentful but he gets over his actions soon enough and eats. The encounter with the Oreillons is yet another cause and effect event. If Candide hadn't killed Cunegonde's brother they would have had no need to flee and wouldn't have encountered the Oreillons. Since Candide had dressed in a Jesuit's attire to escape he was captured by the Oreillons because they have an appetite for their enemies. Luckily, Cacambo was experienced in their dialect and he was able to prove their innocence and save their lives. Pangloss would have been very satisfied with the outcome.

In the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters Voltaire goes into a lengthy description of the city of Eldorado. The chapter begins with Candide's criticism of the old and new world and is lead to explore a completely different society. The fact that Candide and his servant walked in the general direction of Cayenne made it more probable for them to stumble upon a different society. They took a river which flows in only one direction so it was in a way pushing the pair towards their destiny. The city of Eldorado is created with very Utopian ideals, I think that the author wanted to have a bridge in between all the tragedies and disasters that have occurred and have his characters escape reality for a while. "The children of the kings of this country must be well brought up, if they are taught to despise gold and precious stones." This quote shows how this utopia even rejects objects of greed like valuables which makes it all the more tempting for the two foreigners. The author makes the city an extreme utopia, almost like a heaven with people carry coats of hummingbird feathers and restaurants without bills, it is criticizing how there isn't anything in this world that is free. Their utopia is one of abundance and excess but also of unawareness, the people don't notice or care for their "yellow dirt" and serve, "four tureens of soup, each garnished with two parakeets, a boiled vulture weighing about two hundred pounds, two delicious roast monkeys, three hundred doves on one plate and six hundred hummingbirds on another..." The Society does not recognize its valuables.

The utopia would obviously be an ideal world, the king accepts strangers into his palace for a month they are even allowed to kiss his cheeks. This would never occur in the "new or old worlds" because of all the stratification that modern societies have. "The door a mere silver, and the rooms were paneled with nothing better than gold..." this quote is very sarcastic, it is targeting the old man who has such insignificant possessions in comparison to the king but in the real world it would be impossible to have gold paneled rooms. This utopia has been created to change the somber mood and keep the characters content but it also shows the emergence of human greed because they take valuables, thinking only of themselves. The characters are a reflection of modern society, they wouldn't be able to live in a utopia like Eldorado because of their greed for material possessions. I found it interesting that the inhabitants were not allowed to leave their city but in such a harmonious place only the most rebellious would want to leave. This may be hinting that the utopia is more autocratic than expected.

When Candide arrives in a port city again with his valuables Voltaire clearly demonstrates the degraded state of human morale by having a captain steal all of Candide's riches, "You see my friend how perishable are the riches of this world." Voltaire's and Candide's explanation for this selfish action is "That is the sort of trick you would expect in the old world." This clearly states Votaire's dislike and pessimistic opinion on the old world or most likely the society he is living in. What I didn't quite understand is why Candide, await his voyage looks for a partner to accompany him, he chose one of the most pessimistic men. You would think that he would have tried to find a man that could cheer him up after his terrible experiences. The fact that his chosen companion, Martin doesn't believe in good keeps the satirical element of irony because he chose the least positive, lost and confuse associate to converse with. Martin's personality is completely opposite to Candide's and this help them contemplate each other's opinions and exchange ideas. Martin's ideology was proved during the voyage with the two battling ships, "you see how men treat each other...there is certainly something diabolical about that." This is a criticism of god's existence. Candide's optimism is also proved when he finds one of his lost sheep.