The New Beginning

Once the baron banishes Candide from his castle for flirting with his daughter, Lady Cunegonde, Candide goes on and wanders to the nearest town.One thing I noticed and that I came up with was that while Candide lived in the castle he only knew what Pangloss taught him, being expulsed from the castle marks his re-education his new beginning because it is his first encounter with the real world. While there, two men find him half dead of hunger and fatigue and invite him to eat and drink with them. When I first read this I automatically thought of Pangloss' theory of this world being the "best of all possible worlds."Because we would think that if two men saw a poor, and unconsious man on the floor that they would leave him there. This theory of the world being good and honest supports the actions of these two men. The two men sign Candide up for the military where he is abused and suffers hardships as he is introduced into the army life. One thing I found interesting is that this army life in which Candide now found himself in, completely contradicts Pangloss' theory of the world being the best of all possible worlds. Because the army is a place with much cruelty, violence, harassment, discrimination. I feel that Voltaire wanted to point out that even if we have a lifestyle and feel that we know the world, there will always be misconceptions.