In the satire Candide, written by Voltaire, the novel follows a man named Candide through his life and adventures as he uses the philosophies that were popular at that time in history. In this satire Voltaire is making fun of the philosophy that it is the “best of all worlds” by making this the philosophy that Candide follows and putting him in situations that constantly make Candide doubt that he lives in the “best of all worlds”. This novel has a many events that take place add the irony and humor in Candide and show that Voltaire himself may have believed the philosophy of meliorism or the belief in the betterment of the world. The famous lines of the work was, “ ‘All that is very well,’ answered Candide, ‘but let us cultivate our garden’”.
At the end of the satire the character Candide makes his final statement that “ ‘All that is very well,’ answered Candide, ‘but let us cultivate our garden’”. This statement has many interpretations and, but I believe that it means that the first part is accepting the past and the cultivating section is working towards the future to make the best of it. In the part of the statement, “but let us cultivate our garden” the word cultivate not only means to prepare and use but also improve and develop both definitions imply work that will either metaphorically or physically yields fruits. This interpretation includes the past, the present and the future, because when cultivating the garden there is no promise of the outcome in the future. Hopefully in cultivating one’s garden it would make one happy or proud because why else would they cultivate it because there is no promise of a good harvest.
In relation to the novel, Candide, my interpretations of the his final words “ ‘All that is very well,’ answered Candide, ‘but let us cultivate our garden’” can be applied to the rest of the novel and Candide’s life. At the end of the novel Candide is accepting that his wife is no longer beautiful and becomes disagreeable too, his friends are debating philosophy when they are invited to dinner by a farmer and decide to imitate that life. Farming is hard work to make a good living and for Candide and his wife and friends decided it was the best way to settle down now that all their exploration days are gone. When Candide says his final statement he has embraced the past which is all the misfortunes that have happened but he working on his farm and cultivating his garden to make the best of what he has. This shows Candide knows where he has been and what he has done and even though he doesn’t have the best wife, the most money, or the greatest friends he still has agreed to cultivate and work towards the future and try to be content with what he has.
Candide’s final statement can again be applied, but to the contemporary society of the United States because it works into part of the American Dream of working hard for a better life and building one’s career and self up. The American Dream is in many ways similar to the cultivating one’s garden, because it incorporates present, past, and future. Most Americans have a heritage that traces back through generations with many ethnicities, which is the past, and then the present is the cultivating that is happening right now, which may or may not produce crops. However there hope for a betterment and working towards it in the future, which is part of the American Dream. But it also connects to contemporary America through the pursuit of happiness that hopefully through cultivating one should find or make happiness.
In the novel Candide there is humor, heartache, and philosophy written by the Enlightenment thinker Voltaire. In the satirical writing the protagonist, Candide slowly matures and realizes the meaning of what he has done and what he has to do now which is verbalized in his final statement, “ ‘All that is very well,’ answered Candide, ‘but let us cultivate our garden’”. His final phrase has many interpretations that can be applied to many things as well. I believe the meaning is that it involves embracing the past and working towards a better future. There are many ways that one can cultivate one’s garden and that is how it also ties into the American Dream along with my interpretation. But also what Candide says relates to his own life with his past, present, and working towards the best future working with what he has.
Candide Essay
In the satire Candide, written by Voltaire, the novel follows a man named Candide through his life and adventures as he uses the philosophies that were popular at that time in history. In this satire Voltaire is making fun of the philosophy that it is the “best of all worlds” by making this the philosophy that Candide follows and putting him in situations that constantly make Candide doubt that he lives in the “best of all worlds”. This novel has a many events that take place add the irony and humor in Candide and show that Voltaire himself may have believed the philosophy of meliorism or the belief in the betterment of the world. The famous lines of the work was, “ ‘All that is very well,’ answered Candide, ‘but let us cultivate our garden’”.
At the end of the satire the character Candide makes his final statement that “ ‘All that is very well,’ answered Candide, ‘but let us cultivate our garden’”. This statemen t has many interpretations and, but I believe that it means that the first part is accepting the past and the cultivating section is working towards the future to make the best of it. In the part of the statement, “but let us cultivate our garden” the word cultivate not only means to prepare and use but also improve and develop both definitions imply work that will either metaphorically or physically yields fruits. This interpretation includes the past, the present and the future, because when cultivating the garden there is no promise of the outcome in the future. Hopefully in cultivating one’s garden it would make one happy or proud because why else would they cultivate it because there is no promise of a good harvest.
In relation to the novel, Candide, my interpretations of the his final words “ ‘All that is very well,’ answered Candide, ‘but let us cultivate our garden’” can be applied to the rest of the novel and Candide’s life. At the end of the novel Candide is accepting that his wife is no longer beautiful and becomes disagreeable too, his friends are debating philosophy when they are invited to dinner by a farmer and decide to imitate that life. Farming is hard work to make a good living and for Candide and his wife and friends decided it was the best way to settle down now that all their exploration days are gone. When Candide says his final statement he has embraced the past which is all the misfortunes that have happened but he working on his farm and cultivating his garden to make the best of what he has. This shows Candide knows where he has been and what he has done and even though he doesn’t have the best wife, the most money, or the greatest friends he still has agreed to cultivate and work towards the future and try to be content with what he has.
Candide’s final statement can again be applied, but to the contemporary society of the United States because it works into part of the American Dream of working hard for a better life and building one’s career and self up. The American Dream is in many ways similar to the cultivating one’s garden, because it incorporates present, past, and future. Most Americans have a heritage that traces back through generations with many ethnicities, which is the past, and then the present is the cultivating that is happening right now, which may or may not produce crops. However there hope for a betterment and working towards it in the future, which is part of the American Dream. But it also connects to contemporary America through the pursuit of happiness that hopefully through cultivating one should find or make happiness.
In the novel Candide there is humor, heartache, and philosophy written by the Enlightenment thinker Voltaire. In the satirical writing the protagonist, Candide slowly matures and realizes the meaning of what he has done and what he has to do now which is verbalized in his final statement, “ ‘All that is very well,’ answered Candide, ‘but let us cultivate our garden’”. His final phrase has many interpretations that can be applied to many things as well. I believe the meaning is that it involves embracing the past and working towards a better future. There are many ways that one can cultivate one’s garden and that is how it also ties into the American Dream along with my interpretation. But also what Candide says relates to his own life with his past, present, and working towards the best future working with what he has.