Due Thurs Feb 2 by 11:59pm.
In Chapter 17, Candide travels to Eldorado, a Utopian place literally overflowing with gemstones. However, Candide voluntarily leaves "this earthly paradise" not long after arriving.
Analyze the role of utopia (and/or dystopia) in Candide and analyze the work with respect to other utopian novels, such as Sir Thomas More's Utopia.
No more guidance is necessary here.
A sense of realism was established in More’s Uptoia, and not for Eldorado. Eldorado treats rubies, emeralds, and gold as insignificant, “rocks from the street.” The two travelers are given a feast and are not expected to pay, and the eldest man is one hundred and seventy-two years old. Both ideal living areas have their reasons for it being such a hidden gem (mind the pun) due to the coincidental coughing during the announcement of the longitude and longitude of the island or that simply not many travelers and traders had ventured that far to come across Eldorado. Another difference between these utopias is that in More’s tale the colonists as well as the natives are allowed to stay or leave whenever they feel the need, yet in Eldorado it was an agreed law that to keep it the way it is in such pristine condition that no one can leave, nor could they if they tried due to the “torrent that brought them here”. With every culture comes religion, and for Eldorado the inhabitants do not pray, but rather give thanksgiving. While in Utopia, there are multiple religions and it is atheism that is looked down upon and should consult priests until they are eventually converted. However, in Utopia, one character mentions how he should not be king for philosophers should not become mixed in with politics, although the king of Eldorado is clearly a believer in this ever present motif of “free will.” While Utopia was meant to be a perfected and ideal small civilization, the story based itself around being somewhat farfetched yet still achievable. Eldorado, on the other hand, seems to be a non-sequitur of a civilization, a misplaced, a nice hint that Candide has aspects of magical realism imbedded within this quest and a metaphor for the unattainable perfect life. Eldorado had more than any simple man could ask for, but the two travelers had an unquenchable thirst. Nothing could keep Candide parched like being away from his true love.
ReplyDeleteThe utopian society of Eldorado revealed to Candide and Cacambo plays an interesting role in Candide. So far in the novella we have seen only death and destruction, a morbid dystopia where darkness and despair hit candide at every turn. But when Candide and his fellow traveler reach Eldorado, they find a country unlike any they have ever come across. Eldorado and its inhabitants practice religious tolerance, know nothing of jail or poverty, literally drip with gold and jewels, and pray only to thank God, since they have nothing to ask for in their perfect existence. And yet Candide and his accomplice eventually leave Eldorado, knowing full well that the reality they return to is severely flawed, and that they will most likely never be able to return. For candide, his reasoning behind their departure is that in the world of Eldorado they will always be no one; they will be like any other inhabitant. But if they leave with the ‘stones and mud’ of the country and return to reality they can live like kings and be revered. They are driven by this, as well as an insatiable desire for adventure and Candide’s longing to return to his true love. Voltaire’s Eldorado and More’s Utopia share many of the same qualities: the vast wealth of the society, religious tolerance, and the absence of crime or hostility. Yet in both the characters seem to understand that their utopias are not meant for them, or for any outsider for that matter. They have always resided in worlds of turmoil, and although many aspects of the two societies are enjoyed and believed to be ‘the best of all possible worlds’ as Pangloss would say, it is not a place that they truly belong.
ReplyDeleteClaire Schoonover
Candide thought of Eldorado has his Utopia. When he arrived there and experienced some of the things they did he thought that "all was for best." Candide noticed that these people living here did not value gold and emeralds and treated like it wasn't worth anything. Candide took some of the rubies in order to pay for their dinner, but the govenment took care of that. Eldorado only focused on one God, in which they do not pray, but they give thanks to him throughout the day. In Utopia you are allowed to stay or leave it is your choice and you do not have to worry about a law. After awhile Candide decides he wants to leave and try to go back for Lady Cunegonde, his lover. In Eldorado you have to go by the law, which is why they are surrounded by high mountains and have protection and their perfection won't be disturbed. Even though Candide thinks that Eldorado is the best he still runs into problems such as being robbed of his jewels. As Candide realize that Eldorado was everything and that it was bascially live by your choice within this closed area,and Utopia was suppose to be this perfect little place.
ReplyDeleteWhen Candide and Cacambo stumble upon Eldorado, it doesn't take long for it to become clear to them that something is different about this place. Eldorado is cleary what Pangloss would call, "the best of all possible worlds." It seemed to be a Utopia of sorts, where there were riches, no relgious persecution, or need for jails. Everyone there believed the same way and in the same thing. They only thanked God for things, and never asked Him for anything. However, is this world for everyone? After spending some time there Candide decides to leave, one might wonder why, because up to now he as only suffered great misfortune, in what could be called a "dystopian" world, and yet he decides to leave. It could be argued that this is due to a human nature that leads towards conlfict and pessimism, Candide decided that it would do him no good in this Utopian village with these riches if he could not use them to his advantage. He wanted to live like a king and be better than others. It becomes clear that these riches cause him further misfortune later. Eldorado could be considered a Utopia because from the Greek word it means, "Perfect World," or, "no world." And Eldorado could be considered both because of its "Perfection," and also because of its inaccesability from the rest of the world, it might as well not be there at all.
ReplyDeleteReagan Gossett
The word utopia comes from the Greek language meaning “good place" or "no place". This is because it is impossible to create such a great society. Sir Thomas More's Utopia and Eldorado from Voltaire’s novel have many similarities when it comes to wealth, religion, and accessibility of the city. The fact that the people of Eldorado treated precious jewels as if they were pebbles surprised Candide. He soon decides to use this to his advantage in the outside world. Little does he know that his journey to this "perfect world" would bring him more misfortune than relief. Candide is soon deceived because of his new found wealth and finds himself in bad circumstances yet again. Before Candide came across Eldorado, he was very optimistic and kept faith in Pangloss's positive way of looking at the world. After he has acquired such wealth and it is swiftly taken away from him, he starts to question Pangloss's views. It seems like his financial misfortunes hurt him more mentally than any of his past physical violent hardships. The real question is would Candide still feel so pessimistic had he not stumbled upon Eldorado? The fact that his pessimism is caused by what he attained in Eldorado contradicts the whole idea of a utopian society.
ReplyDeleteRita Inamdar
Whitney Gomez
ReplyDeleteEldorado plays an important role in Voltaire’s Candide. Throughout the story, Candide encounters the most terrible things that a person could stumble upon in a lifetime. Also throughout the novella Candide is constantly contemplating on whether or not Pangloss’ theory of “best of all worlds” is a valid point. Once the men stumble upon Eldorado, the first thing they encounter is children playing with gold and gems. Candide soon comes to find out that this place is not like any other. The oddest thing that Candide comes across is the fact that no one appreciated the riches they have around them. The whole rest of the world seems to be obsessed with having more, except Eldorado. In More’s Utopia, he explains to the reader the concept of communal property. Although this point does not come up in Voltaire’s novella it’s an interesting notion. Judging from Candide’s impression of Eldorado I don’t think he would like it. Before Candide encounters Eldorado all these bad things seem to be happening for no reason, but once Candide has seen Eldorado he knows that it is the place Pangloss always dreamed of. Once Candide does decide to leave Eldorado the reader knows that he is now at fault for the rest of his misfortunes, which occur soon after he departs. The fact that Candide does decide to leave shows the reader that Candide is like all other greedy men across the world. Only a certain type of person could accept the lifestyle of Eldorado, and surely Candide is not one of them.
Aaron Bain
ReplyDeleteCandide stumbles upon Eldorado while traveling through South America and finds himself within a Utopia, or so he thinks. Eldorado is filled with jewels, gems, gold, and silver; everything a man would dream of for signs of wealth. The people of Eldorado did not seem to view these jewels as a treasure though. There was so much treasure that the Eldorinians viewed as a piece of rock or stone that they would allow their children to toss and play with. Candide obviously views this landscape as a Utopia due to the vast quantity of riches that are within Eldorado, but this of course is an outsiders view. The people of Eldorado have no appreciation of their treasures because it has no value to them. They have everything they need so wealth means nothing to them. They believe in one God, but since they live within a perfect society, they do not pray, but thank God for all they have. The society has no criminals, no disease, it really is perfect. To someone of Candide's stature, he can also see this is a dystopia. What are humans if not competitive? Humans are judgemental creatures and wealth is a main way people judge one another. If wealth means nothing and there is no competition to be the best, then the society of Eldorado must be a dystopia in Candide's eyes. Candide leaves Eldorado because he has grown in a world of greed and believes he must take the treasures he was offered and use them to boast and show off his wealth amoung others because he is but human and therefore is competitive and greedy like all the others outside Eldorado.
When Candide and Cacambo mistakenly discover El Dorado, it seems like the most perfect place on earth. In this amazing city, “all men are free”. There are no jails, prisons or even legal systems because there is not need for them; every citizen is seemingly content. Candide observes children playing with jewels and pieces of gold, which they discard on the ground. In this perfect world, there is neither greed nor pursuit of riches and therefore jewels and precious metals have no value to the citizens. It is as Pangloss would say “the best of all possible worlds”. Still, Candide decides to leave and his reason is for love. Or is it?
ReplyDeleteHaving grown up amongst riches and royalty, it is only natural Candide feels the need to conquer and prove himself to the world. What good are wonderful riches with nobody to show them off too? If Candide had decided to stay in El Dorado, he could have never been content. He may have sighted his reason for leaving as love, but he really wanted fortune and social status. While El Dorado may be the “perfect utopia”, it is only perfect to those who know nothing more than it.
Defined in the Webster dictionary, utopia describes a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions. Candide, a novella by Voltaire, and Utopia, a novel by Thomas More and the origination of the word, both contain utopian societies with similarities as well as differences. Voltaire’s utopia is named Eldorado, which is located on the mainland of South America and is secluded from the rest of the continent by mountains with peaks of 10,000 feet. The citizens of Eldorado do not value gold or precious gems which are both strewn about the roads that traverse the country. There is a monetary system, however, everything is provided by the government. Citizens are allowed to possess their own property. The citizens also believe in one God, but do not have a formal religion; they thank God unconditionally as well as unceasingly for the gifts He bestows upon them. Only one formal rule exists in Eldorado: Every inhabitant must remain in the country. Similarly, More’s utopia is set in a secluded place, an island which is named Utopia, but it is not completely cut off from the outside world. Utopia uses gold only for trading with other countries and for bribing other countries to wage war against each other. Unlike Eldorado, citizens are not allowed to own property and people change swop houses every ten years. In Utopia there are different religions, but all are tolerated except for atheism. People are allowed to leave Utopia whenever they please and a system of population regulation is practiced with the mainland. In both instances people are not allowed to think for themselves.
ReplyDeleteJacob Bourgeois
When Candide stumbles upon El Dorado it seems that he has found the answer to his troubles, and maybe the answer to what Pangloss would describe as "All for the best". The fact that Candide leaves El Dorado in search for Cunogonde offers an important theme for the novel. The Utopia that Candide is truly searching for is happiness within oneself. Gold, riches, and earthly belongings aren't important in a Utopian society and by leaving El Dorado Candide desires only greed and wealth. Its only until Candide realizes that true happiness isn't found in a place, it's found when a person creates true happiness for themself, whatever that may be. Each person must cultivate his own garden. Another example of a utopian society is seen in Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World. The world state tries to create a utopian society by genetically creating everyone as equals, striving for conformity, and the characters quite often use a drug called soma in order to escape reality and truth. But the soma only worsens the people’s feelings of emptiness and well-being. The utopia in A Brave New World is like that of El Dorado in the sense that perfect societies don’t exist, even if you try to regulate them.
ReplyDeleteEl Dorado is clearly Voltaire’s idea of a utopian society. Gold and gems, the most revered of contemporary riches, litter the street and are valued by none of the inhabitants. There is no justice system, no religious hierarchy, and only one common religion. That is, there is no prison and no system for punishing offenders of any law that may exist (we are only aware of one—the oath each citizen takes to never leave). When Candide attempts to pay for his fare at an inn, they laugh at the idea of being paid for feeding him. To Voltaire, this society lacking in disputes and bloodthirsty quests for wealth typical in European society of his day—and ours, for that matter-- is the most perfect state one can imagine. However, El Dorado is hardly the most realistic of utopias. For example, the lack of a justice system could not be successful in keeping the peace, no matter how good-natured the citizens may appear to be. Even Sir Thomas More’s Utopia had valid, if lenient, distribution of justice. Also, its utter isolation from the outside world would be impossible to recreate in the real world. Nevertheless, Voltaire may well have crafted such an impossibly ideal society to show how Candide’s greed and lack of depth lead him to losing paradise when it is basically presented to him on a gold platter.
ReplyDeleteCandide's journey to El Dorado serves as a deconstruction of the idealized human Utopia. Unlike dystopian novels such as George Orwell's 1984 or Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, the utopia presented in Candide is a utopia in the truest sense. Whereas this would typically be seen in a positive light, Voltaire satirizes the concept with regard to human nature by playing the concept out to its absolute logical conclusion. El Dorado has unlimited riches for everyone in the society. Initially, one from the outside would find this to be a paradise of worldly wealth. However, approaching the occurrence from a logical economic perspective, if everyone in a society has limitless wealth then that wealth itself becomes pointless. The same concept applies to religion and free thought in the society. A lack of any sort of differing opinion effectively silences any sort of true debate in the society. Though this would ideally lead to an end to power struggles and religious strife, it also effectively stagnates any real progress in terms of intellectual advances. Essentially, though the struggles and differences of a society in general cause some degree of suffering for those involved, they also advance culture, civilization, and the human condition as a whole. Ultimately, Voltaire is commenting on the very concept of the utopian society. Even if it were to work perfectly in terms of social and economic structure, in the end the society would be intellectually stagnant as well as incredibly dull. Thus, the concept of the utopia, no matter how close to perfection, is inherently flawed.
ReplyDelete"We must cultivate our own garden." At the end of the novella, Candide speaks this line when he realizes that there is no shared Utopia between people, but it is something that we find within. Pangloss’ utopia was believing that everything is for the better, that everything happens for a reason. Candide tries to live off of this idea and finds that he is never truly happy- instead he has to accept the fact that he must find happiness within. When he finds himself in the utopian society of El Dorado, where everyone and everything seems to be perfect, he is still unable to settle down and live an essentially care-free, perfect life. He must continue his journey on to find Cunegonde; a woman who we begin to see he doesn’t even truly love anymore. However, his love for her doesn’t particularly matter. It’s the fact that he has to find Lady Cunegonde in order to justify his entire journey full of misfortunes. This is comparative to other Utopian Novels, such as Gulliver’s Travels. Although I have never read this novel, from reading summaries on the internet I can infer that Gulliver has traveled from Europe and subsequently becomes ship wrecked and sees many different places (through imprisonment, being saved, etc.). What Gulliver concludes is that there really is no “perfect” society. Although these lands feel that they each offer a Utopian society, it is only utopian by their standards- meaning there is no universal utopia. Because, as I quoted before, “we must cultivate our own garden.” Utopia is something that we find within ourselves and nowhere else.
ReplyDeleteRegrettably, this is late. But I figured it'd be better to post late than to not post at all.
ReplyDeleteThe utopia that Candide and Cacambo find in Eldorado is unparalleled. Rubies, gold, and fine gems are treated as though they are nothing, Candide and Cacambo are given a meal for free, and the people only practice religion by giving thanks. No one is “allowed” to leave, though it seems very likely that no one but Candide and Cacambo wish to. It would seem to any reader that this is the place to be, to stay in and thrive in for the rest of yours days. However, when Eldorado is placed against the other civilizations that Candide has encountered, there’s simply something missing. Man is not made for a perfect world. Our sins are too great, too embedded into our way of life for any perfection to stick. What good is a utopia where you aren’t better than anyone else? Or, in some cases and for some people, don’t have more than anyone else? It can also be argued that Eldorado is too good to be true. As compared to Thomas More’s version of Utopia, Eldorado is simply unrealistic, while More’s idea of perfection seems more real and reachable. Beyond Candide’s obvious need to find Cunegonde again, it can be said that Eldorado simply doesn’t offer any excitement. The treatment of fine gems as nothing more than rocks and the offering of free food will only hold a shine for so long. It is true enough that Candide faces and escapes death too many times to count, and that any sensible man would stay where it’s ensured that he’ll at least live out his days - but where’s the fun in that? Eldorado plays something of a means to an end. It seems to act as a break in the tragedy, to lure the reader into thinking that maybe everything will turn good for Candide. However in actuality it only produces more problems for Candide, as his newfound wealth attracts far too much attention and leaves him worse off than he was before.