The Corruption of A Candid Soul

Being the protagonist of the novel, Candide is insipid, naïve, and highly susceptible to the influence of stronger characters. We might as well depict him as being too innocent for the events that occur to him in the novel. If we take the name, we know that Candide roots from the Latin word candidus which means “white” and hence connotes innocence, objectivity, and lack of corruption. Indeed, Candide begins the novel in a status quo of perfect innocence: following the strongly optimistic philosophy of Pangloss and being completely blind about the ways of the world. As the novel progresses, Candide acquires knowledge and understanding of the world he lives in and begins to question his faith in optimism. In this world, the duality of good and evil is evoked through the deaths of innocent people and the corruption of an innocent man.

Candide himself becomes victim of this duality: “I am the best-tempered man there ever was, yet I have already killed three men, and two of them were priests” (67)! The innocence that Candide relied on at the beginning of the book is now gone, or at least less notorious. He is now a murderer, which demonstrates clearly that he is victim of the evil present in a world of good people. Still, he remains faithful to Pangloss’ optimistic philosophy. But his faith will relinquish to this world full of evil, sooner or later. This acts of murderer, or presence of evil in a good soul leave a mark. Candide will probably be submitted to change thereafter. He is no longer believer of the perfect world he lives in, but instead sees his life as miserable. He questions his fate, is confused between what he knows is wrong, and what is considered right: “What is the use of prolonging my miserable existence, if I must drag out my days in remorse and despair at being banished from her presence” (68)? Love is added to the comedy here. Sometimes we have to choose between our duty and our desire. But what if our duty is desire?

His love towards Lady Cunegonde is one of the sole aspects that remain constant in Candide’s personality thus far. He lives for it and cherishes it above many things. With her love gone Candide feels despicable, worthless. His nature is no longer the one that described him at the beginning of the novel. We agree that it started saying: There lived in Wesphalia (…) a young lad blessed by nature with the most agreeable manners” (19). Later it will say that’s why he was called Candide. But personally I believe that the only thing Candide has left is his name. He is no longer innocent or objective, but remains naïve though. He is confused in this world where nature is inconclusive. But it is clear that there is a duality of good and evil (and love), fighting over Candides white soul, just as these players fight for scoring a goal: