The Garden

During our discussion of Candide, I felt I learned a lot which I didn’t catch while reading the story. Thinking back to the discussion, I know at the time I hadn’t thought much about the actual meaning of every event. I can’t go into detail on every event from Candide because this would end up being hundreds of pages, but I would like to talk about the last chapter in which Candide is living on the farm.

In class, someone mentioned that the garden could symbolize the garden the Eden. I don’t refute that statement, but only because I don’t have a strong background with the bible. However, I believe the garden symbolizes a fair and just world. Throughout the entire story there is no rhyme or reason to what happens. The Pope breaks all the rules, Candide is almost killed several times, all the women in the story are raped, and there are countless acts of murder and thievery. The people who try and do good in this story end up killed, while thugs seem to rise higher and higher.

The garden is the only place where this isn’t true. Everyone who lives there does their share of hard work, and they are rewarded for it. Through hard work and proper technique, Candide and everyone else can grow plants. Though they can still see the atrocities occurring in the outside world, they don’t care because they have finally found a place that treats its inhabitants justly.