chapter IV

Julie Biart
3-4-7
B block
English 101




Candide : Yes To Chocolate & Syphilis
Chapter 4


Nothing hurts more than having seen such a sight under my eyes; of a beggar contaminated by the horrible disease of syphilis.
His body was completely ravaged from it, along with sores that covered him; the end of his nose is eaten off, his mouth not in the proper position but twisted to one side with black teeth underneath.
I saw him struggling as he tried to speak, coughing violently and spitting out a tooth every once in a while.
Gross. I thought to myself; yet somehow I pitied him.
I looked closer, his eyes were all weird, and to my wonder, I realized it’s none other but Pangloss, my dear master.
It’s amazing what a disease can do to you. But I am so thankful that syphilis was brought here from the New World in a brave womenn, Paquette, who traveled over there, with Columbus. If she had not done so, syphilis would not have been brought back to Europe and we Europeans would not have tasted the New World’s wonders such as chocolate. Yes, I came up with that reasoning thanks to Pangloss, what a genius.

After seeing Pangloss in such weird circumstances, I questioned him on what had happened to him, why he was in this condition, why he wasn’t in his castle and what had become of Mistress Cunegonde.
He couldn’t respond straight away. I lead him to the Anabaptist stable, where I fetched him some food. Once he felt better, I resumed to my questions and he answered back with the horrible news of my beloved Cundegonde’s death.
I was told that I fainted. Before I did, I remember the confused and blurred out emotions that were in me. I could not and would not believe what I had heard. It couldn’t be possible and I wouldn’t let it be true.
After I woke up I questioned even more, asking what was the point of her father kicking me out of the castle, what illness she died of and where had the best of worlds vanished to.
I was told that Cundegonde was raped and killed by Bulgarian soldiers. Her father, dead because he was defending his daughter, along with the Barones that were disemboweled. All the gruesome details were not necessary, but before I could say anything, Pangloss went on telling me how his pupil was damaged and that the castle was completely destroyed. Nothing was left, and by nothing I mean not even a single barn, animal, tree or stone.
It was so bizarre and perplexing hearing all these terrible news. I felt like I was dreaming, and that when I would wake up everything would be like before.

Despite the fact that Pangloss was physically ravaged and disfigured, he was got cured thanks to James who found a doctor. In the end, Pangloss was left in result with a one eye and an ear, even though he got help.
Due to Pangloss’s great writing skills, and him being an excellent arithmetician, James hired him as his bookkeeper, and brought him to Lisbon on his business trip. During the voyage, Pangloss explained to James his creed, that I am supporting, which is that this world is the best of all possible worlds and that there is no effect without a cause. However, James the Anabaptist disagreed. He thinks the opposite of us, and I quote him: “Men must have deviated somewhat from their original innocent, they were not born wolves but they are become wolves. God did not give them 24 pounders nor bayonets, but they have made these things for their own destruction. I might also speak of bankruptcies, and the law which seizes upon the property of bankrupts solely in order to keep it from the creditors.”
According to them, after the discussion the ship was in sight of Lisbon’s harbor with a terrible storm starting.
Worried, I am. But I pray that everything will go smoothly.

‡IDEA: Voltaire included this chapter because it shows how naïve Candide is. He has been taught the positive notion that all is for the best, by Pangloss, and to stay optimistic in all circumstances.
Pangloss was telling him how syphilis is a good disease, because of the reasoning I listed above. Candide, obviously, agrees which, all over again, shows how naïve he is.
The contradictory ( ? ) between Pangloss’s creed and James’s, are totally different.
Voltaire is also trying to attack the religious hypocrisy that one might be defending. Voltaire also wants to show the power the Bulgarian’s possessed, what terrifying things they could do to humans etc. The idea is to emphasize and focus on the terrible condition of Pangloss and the debating between their beliefs.