CANDIDE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Dr. Schmoll History 102
Candide Discussion Questions


HOW TO READ CANDIDE:
Ø For fun…you will not be tested on the specifics from this book. It will appear on the midterm, but the question will be driven by the themes we discuss in class.
Ø Look for signs of historical worth(such as in question 2 below);
Ø Finally, keep an eye out for answers to the following questions:


1. Describe the philosophy of Pangloss?

2. Why is Candide kicked out of the castle? What point do you think Voltaire
is trying to make here?

3. Describe the land of Eldorado. What do you think it represented for
Voltaire?

4. Why are there so many different settings in the novel? Describe the ones
that stand out most to you.

5. What are Candide's living conditions at the conclusion of the story? Has his
philosophy changed?

6. Based on this story, how happy and contented a place was Europe in the
18th century?

7. What do the "noble savages" of the new world represent?

8. Voltaire’s Candide ends in the following way: "we must cultivate our
garden." Interpret this statement. How do the many events in this book—both good and bad—support or refute the concept of cultivating one’s garden?