Sexism At Its Fullest

I feel like this book repeats itself many times with themes that happen. One that I find to be in almost every chapter is the use of women. Now every book uses women, but this has a theme of sexism involved. Men think that they are superior to women, and just use them for reproduction. It also seems like they only thing women are for is to get raped and abused. This is something that I can never and will never understand. I know that in the past women were inferior to men, but school never really explains to us why this was. When I'm in class everyday, I don't have even the most minimal feeling of superiority to women because I know that they are just as smart as men. This is because I have seen that they can do everything I can do, and better. Reading these last four chapters really made me mad at how history has been. We always hear about things that are currently happening and have happened that are terrible and inhumane, but it seems like every other page of this book talks about a woman getting treated badly. I can't say that I don't like this book, because it teaches you a lot about the culture of previous generations, but it makes me sick to hear how cruel this worlds history has been.

Best Of All Possible Worlds?

Chapter 6 and 7 are ultimately more of the same thought that is give to us in the previous chapter. The message is that anything that happens was made for the best purpose. The one main event in the chapters that I noticed is Pangloss' death. This completely changes Candide's view of life. Before Pangloss' death, Candide lived with a very important life lesson in mind which was that he was living in the best of all possible worlds. Once Pangloss dies, his view on this completely changes. While before he used to live 'in the best of all possible worlds', he now couldn't understand how he was living the perfect life if his best friend and philosopher had just died. He starts questioning the validity of this belief when he says, "If this is the best of all possible worlds [. . .] what can the rest be like?” (37) I think that this is one of the most strong statements that Candide makes throughout the book because it shows a change of thought. Instead of living by the 'rule' that he had and thought, he now starts questioning if this is a choice correctly taken. What I take from this is that he doesn't understand that it is him who is suffering. It is completely different to hear about suffering than to actually experience it. I think that this is something that shocks him greatly, and that is why his attitude changes.

God Didn't Make The World We Live In Today

Last years Global Studies class really changed my outlook on life. I had never really realized how much human's have affected Earth. Before last year, I used to think that humans were the dominant specie on Earth but then I realized that we are only one type of animal, while there are many in this world. We then started learning about how much human's were destroying nature with technology, such as cutting down trees, and pollution itself. I then started to question myself how much better the world would be without humans. In chapter four, it says, "God did not give them twenty-four pounders or bayonets, yet they have made themselves bayonets and guns to destroy each other” (31)." This pretty much summed up everything that I had thought since last year about humans. After all, when humans were created, they didn't affect the eco-system, but as time progressed, technology made things worse and worse. Everyday, we are negatively affecting our nature more. When 'God' created humans, he created us perfectly. We by ourselves have been damaging the place we live in.

Take The Pain For The Good Of All

Many times in history class or just thinking about the world in which we currently live in, I ask myself why it is that so many people suffer. Why are some people brought up in rich families, and others dying of hunger? I never really understood this because it seems so unfair. Which parents you have shouldn't affect your ability to eat. I also ask myself if it's that there's only a certain amount of 'lucky people' and the rest are 'unlucky'. Another question that I ask myself is why have so many people suffered during history. While being in US History class, I just can't understand how the farm owners were able to consciously be fine with having slaves. Is it that some people have to suffer for others to have a good life? I then came across a line in chapter three that in a way backed up my hypothesis of 'suffering' and 'not suffering'. On page 27, it says, "when he told me that all is best for the world of ours." This line in a way explains how the 'unlucky' are made to think. The only way that a person who has suffered their whole lives can be okay with is it is they think that if they suffer, somebody else won't. Although I understand this, I think it's ridiculous. If I suffer, it doesn't mean that somebody else won't suffer tomorrow. I think that suffering is something that simply shouldn't be in this world, and everyone should have the same opportunities to do as they wish.

The Introduction

We are brought to the first chapter with a brief description of Candide. "You could read his character in his face. He combined sound judgement with unaffected simplicity." (19) After turning the page, we are introduced to Pangloss who was a "metaphysico-theologo-cosmolo-nigology"(20) The introduction to a person such as this showing what he is, is obviously trying to show the depth of the person. The author was trying to show Pangloss' intelligence by naming all of the things that he was. I had never seen this method, but I find this very effective because from the introduction of a character, you are already aware of what type of person he is. We are then confirmed of his intelligence on the next paragraph is says "'It is proved,' he used to say, 'that things cannot be other than they are, for since everything was made with a purpose, it follows that everything is made for the best purpose.'" When I read this, I disagreed strongly. Not everything in the world is made with the best purpose, and not everything is made with a purpose. There are many things that people do that have no purpose at all, such as doodling on a piece of paper during class. Then there are things that aren't made with the best purpose, such as bullying people. This is something that's still in my brain, but I can not come up to a precise conclusion.