Candide2
"all is for the best" echoed Pangloss of Voltaire's Candide (Lamm 175 ln 46). Pangloss believed that if something happens, then it is for a reason. He held that the, sometimes, bitter end-effect-was justified by the predestined and inevitable means-cause. Pangloss represented the attitude of eternal optimism, which was prevalent during the Renaissance period. However, the state of affairs of the Renaissance was pessimistic to say the least. Through the misadventures of Candide, we see that Fortune's wheel was pointed toward woe through most of the Renaissance period. Many of Candide's tragedies result from some of the great movements of the Renaissance which turned out to be not completely for the best.The first movement we shall look at is the increase in absolute and sovereign power. During the Middle Ages, the feudal system was becoming less effective. There were many inconsistencies in the feudal system; in fact there was not even a common currency. As a result, there was a rise in sovereign power in order to keep everyone on the same page. Absolute power has its disadvantages (at least for the common man), as Candide got to experience first hand. One of the first strokes of ill fortune that Candide encountered
Next, we shall examine Reformation of the church, and the calamity it brought to Candide. A long line of corrupt Popes cause the eventual Reformation of the Catholic Church. These Popes were mistrusted and even hated by many people. Candide had a run-in with one such person during his time in Holland. He was asked whether he thought the Pope was the Anti-Christ or not. Candide was indifferent about this query, but the woman who proposed this question took his lack of an answer as support of the Pope and dumped a bucket of slop onto Candide's head. This hardship may seem minor in comparison to Candide's other strokes of bad luck, but it was certainly unwarranted. The last movement of the Renaissance that we shall explore is the rise of Humanism. Though this idea began with the most noble of intentions, it did not come to full fruition, and therefore became ineffective. Humanism believes in the value of the individual, but Candide could testify that it had not reached all people. The last straw occurs when Candide lands on the coast of Surinam. There he meets a half-naked Negro who had lost one arm and one leg. But, the real tragedy and misfortune that had been imposed upon this unclothed man was that he had been dehumanized. In the eyes of his masters, and even his own mother, he was merely a piece of property. After hearing of the
Some common words found in the essay are:
Middle Ages, Anti-Christ Candide, El Dorado, Bulgaria Holland, Candide Lamm, Candide Fortune's, Pangloss Thou, Turkey Fortune's, Capitalism Capitalism, Church Popes, gold gems, fortune's wheel, renaissance period, feudal system, absolute power, sovereign power,
Approximate Word count = 912
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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