Candide Summary
Description
Here you will find a Candide summary (Voltaire's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.
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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024
Chapters
- Book Summary
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
Chapters
- Book Summary
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
Candide Summary Overview
A young man, an illegitimate nephew of a German baron, is sent away from the castle he grew up in for falling in love with the baron’s daughter. Alone for the first time, he is conscripted into the army and, after experiencing the horrors of war and severe punishment for desertion, manages to flee to Holland. There, he is taken in by a good-hearted Anabaptist and is reunited with his former tutor, Pangloss, who despite his physical deterioration and the devastating news of the violent deaths of his loved ones, clings to his optimistic philosophy. When their ship is wrecked during a storm, they find themselves in Lisbon, which had been ravaged by an earthquake and was now under the control of the Inquisition. Pangloss is hanged for his beliefs, but the young man is saved by an old woman, who leads him to his beloved, who had survived but was now the property of two men. The young man and his beloved, along with the old woman, escape and find their way to South America. His beloved ends up marrying a governor for her own financial security, and the young man, now a wanted criminal, finds himself in Jesuit-controlled territory. There, he encounters the baron’s son, who has also escaped the Bulgars. When the baron’s son refuses to let him marry his sister, the young man kills him in a fit of rage and escapes. After an adventurous journey, he and his companion stumble upon Eldorado, a utopian society filled with unimaginable wealth. Despite the peace and prosperity of this land, the young man yearns for his beloved and leaves with a fortune, hoping to use it to free her. After a series of misadventures and betrayals, the young man makes his way to Venice, where he learns that his beloved is in Constantinople and has been enslaved. He purchases her freedom, along with that of his tutor Pangloss and the baron’s son, who both managed to survive their previous ordeals. Despite the hardships they faced, they make their way back to a farm near Constantinople, where they settle into a comfortable, yet unsatisfactory life. Inspired by a simple farmer, they start cultivating a garden, dedicating all their energy to it, leaving none for philosophical debates. Eventually, they find fulfillment and happiness in their new, simple life.
chapter 1
Candide, an illegitimate offspring of the Baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh's sister, resides in the baron's castle in Westphalia. His mother declined to wed his father, citing an inadequate family lineage of "seventy-one quarterings." Their castle tutor, Pangloss, lectures on complex theological and cosmic philosophies, all the while affirming that their world is the best one possible. Candide eagerly absorbs Pangloss's teachings. Upon noticing Pangloss giving an intriguing physical demonstration to the maid, Paquette, Miss Cunégonde, the baron's daughter, seeks out Candide. As they engage in flirtatious behavior and sneak a kiss, they are discovered by the baron, who subsequently expels Candide from the castle.
chapter 2
Candide finds himself in a new town, exhausted and famished. Two locals come to his aid, providing him with food and money while persuading him to toast in honour of the king of the Bulgars. Without his consent, they enlist him into the Bulgar army where he undergoes harsh maltreatment and rigors of military routine. His attempt for an innocent stroll one day results in his capture and trial for desertion. He's faced with two options: execution or enduring a brutal punishment run known as the gauntlet, thirty-six times. Despite his futile argument stating "the human will is free," he opts to brave the gauntlet. After enduring the gauntlet twice, Candide’s body is gravely wounded. The Bulgar king, happening upon Candide, learns that he is a naive metaphysician. The king then pardons him. As his wounds recuperate, he finds himself serving in a war between the Bulgars and the Abares.
chapter 3
War leads to tremendous destruction and Candide flees at the earliest chance, witnessing decimation and tormented citizens in both kingdoms. Candide finds refuge in Holland, where he encounters a Protestant speaker preaching about charity. When questioned if he supports "the good cause", Candide, recalling Pangloss's lessons, states, "[t]here is no effect without a cause." The speaker further inquires if Candide regards the Pope as the Antichrist. Candide admits his ignorance, expressing his immediate need for food. This prompts the speaker to scorn him and his wife to throw human waste at Candide. A compassionate Anabaptist named Jacques, invites Candide to his home and provides him a job at his rug manufacturing unit. Jacques's benevolence restores Candide's belief in Pangloss's principle that everything happens for the best in this world.
chapter 4
Candide stumbles upon a disfigured beggar who turns out to be Pangloss. Pangloss informs him about the Bulgars' assault on the baron’s estate, leading to the death of the baron, his wife, and his son. He also reveals that Cunégonde was assaulted and killed. He shares that his current medical condition is due to syphilis, caught from Paquette. Despite his suffering, he insists it's part of an optimal world as the disease traces back to a man who accompanied Columbus to the New World. He argues that without Columbus's journey, Europeans wouldn't have known about delights like chocolate. Jacques arranges for a physician to attend to Pangloss, losing an eye and ear in the process. Pangloss is then employed as Jacques’s accountant. Jacques takes Candide and Pangloss on a business visit to Lisbon. Jacques doesn't agree with Pangloss's perspective that this is an ideal world, and argues that “men have somehow corrupted Nature.” He asserts that God didn't provide men with weapons, but they created them “in order to destroy themselves.”
chapter 5
Candide's vessel encounters a violent tempest en route to Lisbon. When Jacques rescues a sailor on the verge of falling overboard, he ends up falling in the sea himself. The sailor doesn't lift a finger to aid him. The ship sinks, leaving only Candide, Pangloss, and the sailor alive, who then manage to reach land and head for Lisbon. The city of Lisbon is in a state of devastation following a severe earthquake. The sailor uncovers some cash amongst the rubble, indulges in alcohol, and procures a woman's company. Simultaneously, the cries of the wounded and entombed echo from the ruins. Pangloss and Candide assist those hurt, with Pangloss attempting to console the victims by assuring them that the earthquake is all for a greater good. An Inquisitor accuses Pangloss of heresy, arguing that an optimist wouldn't believe in the doctrine of original sin. He insists that mankind's downfall and retribution imply that not everything is for the best. Pangloss, however, struggles to uphold his theory through convoluted reasoning.
chapter 6
In an attempt to ward off potential earthquakes, Portuguese officials determine to execute several individuals. They select a man for marrying his godmother, and two others for not partaking in bacon, leading them to presume the pair are Jewish. Pangloss, due to his controversial views, is executed, while Candide is brutally beaten for seemingly agreeing with him. However, after another quake shakes the city on the same day, Candide begins to question if this is indeed the best possible world.
chapter 7
An elderly lady suddenly appears and tends to Candide, dressing his injuries, providing fresh attire, and offering him food. Following a couple of days, she escorts him to a rural residence where he is introduced to his actual benefactor, Cunégonde.
chapter 8
Cunégonde recounts how her kin was murdered by the Bulgars. A Bulgar captain, subsequent to killing a soldier violating Cunégonde, claimed her as his mistress and later traded her to a Jew named Don Issachar. The Grand Inquisitor desired Cunégonde after spotting her at Mass and attempted to purchase her from Don Issachar. Upon Issachar's refusal, the Grand Inquisitor menaced him with death by burning. Ultimately, they concluded a deal to share Cunégonde, with the Grand Inquisitor having her for four days weekly and Don Issachar for the remaining three. Cunégonde, having witnessed Candide's punishment and Pangloss's execution, began to question Pangloss's ideology. She instructed her maidservant, the old woman, to tend to Candide's needs and bring him to her.
chapter 9
Don Issachar, overcome with jealousy, engages in a violent clash with Candide, who ultimately ends his life using a blade provided by the elderly lady. Unexpectedly, the Grand Inquisitor steps in, but Candide also dispatches him. Cunégonde seizes her precious gems and three steeds from the barn, then escapes with Candide and the matron. Posthumously, the Grand Inquisitor receives a lavish funeral from the Holy Brotherhood, while Don Issachar's corpse is unceremoniously discarded on a pile of manure.
chapter 10
A friar from the Franciscan order runs off with Cunégonde's precious gems. Though he agrees with Pangloss's belief that "the fruits of the earth are a common heritage of all," Candide can't help but feel distraught over the robbery. They sell a horse and head for Cadiz, stumbling upon an army set to voyage to the New World. Paraguayan Jesuits have spurred an native tribe to go against the Spanish and Portuguese royalty. Candide's display of his military knowledge impresses the general, who quickly promotes him to captain. Taking Cunégonde, the elderly lady, and their horses, Candide anticipates the New World to be the finest of all worlds. However, Cunégonde, having faced a lot of hardship, is near losing hope. The older woman tells off Cunégonde, stating her hardships don't compare to her own.
chapter 11
The elderly lady shares her background, revealing she is the offspring of Pope Urban X and the Palestrina princess. Raised amidst immense affluence, she was betrothed to the prince of Massa Carrara in her stunningly beautiful youth. Their love was deep and passionate. However, their extravagant wedding was marred by tragedy as the prince's mistress poisoned and killed him. The bereaved lady and her mother set off to their Gaeta estate to grieve, only to be ambushed by pirates during their journey. The pirates, after subduing the pope's guards, violated the women in search for hidden treasures. They were then transported to Morocco to be sold into slavery. Civil war enrages in Morocco, and the pirates are assaulted. The lady witnesses her mother and their maids being savagely torn apart in the strife. Once the chaos subsided, she crawled from beneath a mound of corpses and sought shelter beneath a tree. Upon awakening, she found herself being unsuccessfully violated by an Italian eunuch.
chapter 12
The elderly woman carries on with her tale. Even though the eunuch tried to assault her, she was thrilled to meet a fellow countryman who also happened to be a former servant at her mother's palace. The eunuch deceived her with a promise of returning her to Italy; instead, he sold her as a concubine to a prince in Algiers. The city was struck by a deadly plague, which led to the deaths of both the prince and the eunuch. The woman was then passed around several owners before ending up with a Muslim military leader. When ordered to protect the city of Azov from Russians, he took his harem with him. The city fell, leaving only the commander's fort. Food shortage led to desperation, with officers resorting to cannibalism, starting with two eunuchs. The women were next, but a compassionate religious figure convinced them to only cut one buttock from each woman as food. Eventually, the Russians murdered all the officers. The surviving women were eventually taken to Moscow. The elderly woman ended up as a slave to a nobleman who subjected her to daily beatings for two years. Following his execution for “court intrigue,” she managed to flee. She then moved from place to place, working as an inn servant across Russia. She contemplated ending her life many times, but her inherent love for life stopped her. Questioning why humans cling to life despite its hardships, she advised Candide and Cunégonde to request each shipmate to share their story. She was certain that they all, at one point or another, regretted being alive.
chapter 13
Encouraged by the elderly lady, Candide and Cunégonde engage their shipmates in conversation regarding their life stories. True to the old woman's foresight, the shared experiences confirm her words. Upon their arrival in Buenos Aires, they meet the arrogant, self-absorbed governor Don Fernando d’Ibaraa y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza. He commands Candide to inspect his troops, and during his absence, the governor proposes marriage to Cunégonde. The wise old woman advises her to accept the proposal, hoping it would secure their financial standing. Simultaneously, an official from Portugal along with the police make their appearance in the city. They reveal that a Franciscan monk who had stolen Cunégonde’s gems was arrested whilst trying to sell them. The jewels were identified as belonging to the Grand Inquisitor, and before his execution, the monk implicated three people - supposedly the murderers of the Grand Inquisitor. The Portuguese official was dispatched to apprehend these individuals. The old woman counsels Cunégonde to stay put in Buenos Aires due to Candide's involvement in the crime. She assures her that the governor will shield her from harm. She also suggests that Candide should leave the city immediately.
chapter 14
Cacambo, Candide's servant, advises his master to heed the old woman's counsel and not fret about Cunégonde, assuring that God looks after women. He proposes they join the rebellious Jesuits in Paraguay. Upon reaching the insurgent watch, their request to see the colonel results in their arms and horses being taken. A sergeant informs them they have three hours to leave, as the colonel is busy and the Father Provincial despises Spaniards. Cacambo clarifies that Candide is German, so the colonel consents to meet him. Cacambo and Candide are escorted to the colonel's grand tent, their possessions returned. The colonel is revealed to be Cunégonde's brother, now the baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh. Overwhelmed with emotion, Candide and the baron hug. Candide shares that Cunégonde survived the assault and is with the governor. As they await the Father Provincial, the baron narrates his experiences.
chapter 15
The colonel seemed dead when the Bulgars attacked, and he was tossed into a corpse-filled cart for burial at a Jesuit chapel. However, a Jesuit saw his eyes flicker during the holy water ritual and immediately arranged for his recovery, which took three weeks. The colonel, noted for his good looks, formed a close bond with a respected Jesuit and eventually joined their ranks. He was sent to Paraguay, becoming both a priest and a colonel. The colonel expresses his desire to bring Cunégonde to Paraguay. Candide also expresses the same intention, as he hopes to wed her. This declaration angers the colonel, who is outraged that Candide, a non-noble, plans to marry Cunégonde. Candide insists that he and Cunégonde are equals, referring to Pangloss's belief of universal equality. He reminds the colonel of his deeds for Cunégonde and her agreement to marry him. Enraged, the colonel strikes Candide with his sword, but Candide retaliates by impaling the colonel with his own weapon, which causes him to cry. At that moment, Cacambo enters, helps Candide into the colonel’s clothes, and they escape from the pavilion.
chapter 16
Candide and his companion Cacambo find themselves in an unfamiliar, roadless land. They happen upon two naked women being chased by monkeys who are biting them. Thinking he's being a hero, Candide kills the monkeys, expecting gratitude from the women. However, they grieve for the monkeys instead, as Cacambo reveals they were the women's partners. The pair then retreat to a bushy area where they fall asleep. Upon waking, they discover they are captured by Biglugs, a tribe of savage locals. The Biglugs celebrate, thinking they can use their captives to exact revenge on the Jesuits through cannibalism. Cacambo, however, convinces them in their own language that Candide isn't a Jesuit. He explains that Candide had killed a Jesuit and donned his clothing as a disguise for escape. He encourages the Biglugs to verify this at the border. Once they find out Cacambo is telling the truth, the Biglugs provide Candide and Cacambo with utmost hospitality and escort them to their territory's boundary. Candide ends the ordeal by reaffirming his belief in the world's perfection.
chapter 17
Cacambo and Candide, left without horses and food, find a deserted canoe and use it to sail down a river. Their vessel crashes into rocks after a day. They stumble upon a village where children casually play with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, leaving them in the dirt when called by their teacher. Candide attempts to hand over the gems to the teacher, but he disdainfully tosses them back onto the earth. At the village tavern, resembling a European castle, the inhabitants converse in Cacambo's mother tongue. After enjoying a splendid dinner, Cacambo and Candide offer two large gold nuggets they found as payment. The innkeeper dismisses their offer, referring to the gold as mere "pebbles" and revealing that the state provides for all inns. Candide is convinced that this locale is the best place on earth.
chapter 18
Cacambo and Candide meet a local wise man aged 172 in the kingdom of Eldorado, a place untouched by external invasions due to its geographic isolation. The people here have a harmonious religious life, devoid of any conflict since everyone believes in a God they daily acknowledge for their welfare. Next, Cacambo and Candide interact with the king, who shocks them with his casual and equal treatment towards them. On their request to see the courts and prisons, they discover that such institutions don't exist, but schools dedicated to science and philosophy do. However, Candide, missing Cunégonde, decides to leave Eldorado after a month. He plans to take as many local "pebbles" (jewels) with him as he can. Even though the king finds this plan senseless, he still arranges to construct a machine to transport Candide, Cacambo, and 102 heavily jeweled sheep out of the valley. Candide's motive is to buy Cunégonde back from Don Fernando and procure a kingdom for himself.
chapter 19
Cacambo and Candide, en route to Surinam, are left with two sheep carrying a substantial wealth after losing the rest. They encounter a mutilated slave who discloses that his mother sold him into the harsh servitude of his master, Vanderdendur. The wretched account of slavery nudges Candide to abandon Pangloss's principle of optimism. Candide then sends Cacambo back to fetch Cunégonde and the elderly woman. In the meantime, he attempts to negotiate a passage to Venice with Vanderdendur who proposes his ship at a steep price. Realizing the sheep carry a bounty, Vanderdendur absconds with them, robbing Candide of most of his wealth. In a futile attempt to retrieve his lost fortune, Candide invests heavily in legal proceedings. Subsequently, he reserves a spot on a ship heading to France, promising a generous payment to the province's most dejected man. Among the swarm of hopefuls, he selects a scholar who was deceived by his wife, assaulted by his son, and abandoned by his daughter.
chapter 20
Candide's leftover wealth and steadfast love for Cunégonde renew his belief in Pangloss's optimistic philosophy. Contrarily, Martin, the scholar, believes God has forsaken the world due to the constant battles and bloodshed among men. As they journey towards Bordeaux, they witness a naval clash where one ship sinks, taking its crew down with it. Candide spots his sheep in the water, which makes him realize that the sunken ship was Vanderdendur's. Candide sees this as proof of some righteousness in the world, that Vanderdendur got what he deserved, but Martin questions the necessity of the crew's death along with Vanderdendur's.
chapter 21
Upon nearing France, Candide questions Martin about his experiences in Paris. Martin shares his past interactions with French people and expresses his distaste for their uncouth behavior. Candide then queries Martin about the purpose of the world's creation, to which Martin responds, “To make us mad.” Furthermore, Candide inquires if man's inhumanity is a constant, to which Martin utilizes a metaphor of hawks perpetually preying on pigeons. Martin insinuates that humans, like nature, don't alter their behaviors. However, Candide disputes this, asserting the capacity of human free will.
chapter 22
Candide and Martin reach France by ship and Candide purchases a carriage for their journey. On touching Paris, Candide falls sick. His conspicuous diamond ring draws numerous companions, including two medics whose treatment worsens his condition. The pair befriends a Perigord abbé and gamble with his associates, leading to Candide's substantial losses due to cheating. During a visit to Marquise of Parolignac with the abbé, Candide disputes with a philosopher on the notion of world being the best, while the philosopher counters with the concept of “unending warfare.” The Marquise swindles Candide by seducing him and steals his jewel rings. The abbé, tactfully, discovers that Candide hasn't heard from Cunégonde. Following day, a letter arrives, supposedly from Cunégonde, stating her sickness in Paris and her desire to see Candide. A maid guides them into a dim room, saying that light will harm Cunégonde. Unseen, Candide hands over gold and diamonds to her. The situation turns as the abbé, with officers, accuses them as “suspicious strangers.” Candide bribes an officer with diamonds and secures their release. More diamonds to the officer’s sibling ensures that Candide and Martin are on a ship to England.
chapter 23
As their vessel approaches land, Candide and Martin observe an admiral's execution. They discover that England occasionally kills its admirals to inspire the naval fleet to combat more fiercely. The admiral they witness was condemned for not encouraging his soldiers to engage closely with their French adversaries in a Canadian skirmish. Candide, disgusted, decides not to disembark in England, instead arranging for the ship's captain to bring him to Venice. He is confident of finding Cunégonde there. —You see, said Candide to Martin, crime is punished sometimes; this scoundrel of a Dutch merchant has met the fate he deserved. —Yes, said Martin; but did the passengers aboard his ship have to perish too?
chapter 24
Candide, disheartened after failing to locate Cunégonde and Cacambo in Venice, starts to share Martin's perspective about the world being filled with suffering. Martin criticizes Candide for his misplaced trust in a servant with enormous wealth, reinforcing his belief about the scarcity of happiness and virtue on earth. While wandering the streets, Candide spots a cheerful young lady and a monk. Upon approaching them, he finds out they are Paquette, Pangloss's former lover, and Brother Giroflée. Paquette verifies Pangloss's earlier revelation about contracting syphilis from her. She narrates her life story; a compassionate surgeon cured her, only for her to become his lover. After the surgeon poisoned his jealous wife, he had to flee due to a lawsuit from his wife's family. Paquette went to jail but the judge released her on the condition that she becomes his lover. Upon being discarded by the judge, she turned to prostitution. Brother Giroflée, who was forced into the monastery by his family to enrich his elder brother, is one of her customers. Despite Giroflée's disdain for the monastery, Paquette seems content in his company. Candide offers them money to alleviate their hardships.
chapter 25
Candide pays a visit to Count Pococurante in Venice, a wealthy man with an impressive collection of art and literature. However, the Count takes no pleasure in his possessions. He has a distaste for Raphael's paintings and finds the literary works of Homer, Horace, and Milton boring. In the past, he used to feign enjoyment in front of others, but now he openly displays his disdain, particularly for those who “admire everything in a well-known author.” This blunt attitude surprises Candide, who has never been taught to form his own opinions, while Martin considers the Count's views sensible. Candide thinks the Count must be highly intelligent since he derives no satisfaction from anything. Martin clarifies the paradox: there is “some pleasure in having no pleasure.”
chapter 26
During the festive period in Venice, Candide and Martin share a meal with six unfamiliar faces at an inn, where they unexpectedly bump into Cacambo. Now serving as a slave to one of the strangers at the table, Cacambo reveals that Cunégonde is in Constantinople. He offers to guide Candide to her but is abruptly pulled away by his master before he can share more. As Candide and Martin engage in conversation with the others at the table, they learn that all six are dethroned rulers from varied regions of Europe. Among them, Theodore of Corsica has the least fortune, leading the others to each give him twenty sequins. Overwhelmed with pity, Candide presents Theodore with a diamond of extraordinary worth, leaving the ex-kings guessing about his identity and his wealth's origins.
chapter 27
During their journey to Constantinople, Candide and Martin discover from Cacambo that he had bought Cunégonde and the old lady from Don Fernando, only for a pirate to kidnap and sell them into slavery. Despite Cunégonde's drastic change in appearance, Candide is determined to continue loving her. He then proceeds to buy Cacambo's liberty. Upon their arrival in Turkey, Candide spots two galley slaves, who turn out to be the baron and Pangloss. He decides to secure their freedom as well.
chapter 28
As they journey to save Cunégonde, the baron and Pangloss share their experiences. Candide's act of stabbing doesn't bother the baron, who was subsequently attacked by Spanish forces and imprisoned in Buenos Aires post recovery. He was later caught in a scandal in Rome involving a young Turkish boy and was banished to the galleys. Pangloss, on the other hand, survived a hanging due to the executioner's lack of experience. A surgeon, assuming him dead, bought his body for dissection. The surgeon's shock at Pangloss's sudden revival made him hastily stitch Pangloss back up. Pangloss then ventured to Constantinople. In a mosque, he noticed a young lady drop her nosegay. He politely returned it to her, but her male companion misinterpreted his intentions and had him arrested. Pangloss was punished and relegated to the galleys, yet he clung to his belief that pre-established harmony was the "finest notion in the world."
chapter 29
Candide buys a modest farm along with Cunégonde and the elderly woman. Cunégonde recalls Candide's commitment to wed her. Despite being aghast at her lost beauty, he doesn't dare rebut. Yet again, the baron asserts his refusal to witness his sister's marriage to someone of a lower status.
chapter 30
Pangloss formally asserts that the baron holds no control over his sister, while Martin leans towards the baron's execution. Cacambo, proposing to send the baron back to the galleys clandestinely, sways the group's decision. Cunégonde's looks and attitude deteriorates daily. Cacambo begrudgingly does gardening work, cursing his circumstances. Pangloss is disheartened, seeing no opportunity to gain significance in a German university. Martin, anticipating equal unhappiness elsewhere, practices patience, while philosophical debates persist despite the surrounding misery. Pangloss continues to claim that all is for the best, despite doubts. Paquette and Giroflée, despite receiving money from Candide, return to the group, penniless and unhappy, with Paquette resuming her old profession. They seek wisdom from a renowned dervish about moral dilemmas, only to receive scorn and dismissal. The group later encounters a hospitable farmer, who despite having a modest farm, leads a bearable life through hard work. Intrigued by the farmer's lifestyle, Candide, Cunégonde, and their companions opt to emulate it, finding contentment in diligent gardening. Pangloss reiterates his optimistic worldview to Candide, who replies, “That is very well put... but we must cultivate our garden.”
