Candide, ou l’Optimisme (Voltaire)
ISU Analysis: Part III (Chapters 21-30)
Benjamin Belovich, ENG3U

Candide, ou l’Optimisme (Voltaire) – Chapters 21-30 02 March 2015

CHAPTER and PLOT SUMMARIES

Chapter 21: What Candide and Martin Discussed as they approached the Coast of France
They are approaching French coast when Candide asks Martin about his life’s travels
Martin responds sarcastically and quite humorously
He tells Candide about the different places of the world and says that “France is full of fools and lovesick madmen, and Venice is no good unless you’re from Venice”
Martin is a clear pessimist and says that the world was created "to make us mad"
He says to Candide that in the past, and present, men have always been evil and horrible to each other, starting wars when wars are not necessary and pointless.
Candide does not agree with Martin’s argument and refutes it

Chapter 22: What Happened to Candide and Martin in France
Martin and Candide now head towards Venice
Candide asks Martin if they can stop on the way in Paris because he has always heard lovely things about it, Martin says he hates everything
Candide starts feeling seasick from his journey
People notice he is rich and come to his aid
The citizens medicine consists of inducing Candide to throw-up and bleed
He becomes gradually sicker and then makes a full recovery
Candide gambles his money and is quite shocked when he finds out that he loses
Martin is not at all surprised by this, as he keeps saying of how he hates everything
Candide goes to the theatre and meets an Abbe
One of the actresses they meet reminds Candide of Cunegonde
This woman impresses Candide and the Abbe offers to introduce them
The actress is turned off by Candide, her name is said to be Clairon
The Abbe brings Candide and Martin to meet the Marchioness of Parolignac
Candide gambles more of his money away
He not concerned with how much he is losing
At dinnertime, a scholar they meet discusses the literature of their time and tells Candide and Martin of what makes “great literature so great”
This scholar is a very brilliant man and wrote a book that didn’t sell
Candide refers to him as “second Pangloss."
The Marchioness of Parolignac seduces Candide even though Candide is loyal to Cunegonde on the inside
The seduction works on Candide and the two have passionate sex
When they’re done, Marchioness comments on how she likes Candide’s rings
He brought these rings back along with the gold from Eldorado
Candide gives them to her and she keeps them
The Abbe is revealed to be a lying fraud, forces Candide to tell him information about Cunegonde.
The Abbe forges a letter from Cunegonde to Candide, telling Candide that she is in France and is safe
Candide sees the letter and is shocked
He immediately leaves for Cunegonde
Once in Cunegonde’s hotel room, a police officer arrives who threatens to arrest them both
Martin and Candide now realize that they both have been set up and lied to
Candide bribes the policeman with a plethora of diamonds
The bribe is successful and the police officer arranges a ship to England
Chapter 23: Candide and Martin Reach The Coast of England and What They See There
Martin and Candide talk about how horrible France and England are and the horrors that await them
They arrive in England and while they are docked in Portsmouth, Candide and Martin attend and watch the execution of an British admiral
Candide asks as the reason for this execution and they are told that the admiral did not win enough battles
Candide and Martin are shocked and appalled by the answer
They search for a captain and then sail to Venice

Chapter 24: About Paquette and Brother Giroflee
When Candide and Martin arrive in Venice, they search nonstop for Cacambo and Cunegonde
The men are unable to find them and they assume they have died
Candide becomes very depressed
The men observe a happy a woman and a monk, much in love, walking down the street
Martin and Candide make a bet