Hero Candide in the Novel Written by Voltaire - Essay Example

It is against these character ideals that I shall pit the personification on Candide to see how far or how close he is to my hero model. Does Candide fit?

At the beginning of the novel (SparkNotes Editors), Candide is depicted as an unassuming, innocent-looking boy in the household of a rich German baron who had a beautiful daughter named Cunegonde. Candide fell deeply in love with her, something the baron did not like and which caused his banishment from the baron’s house.

Candide’s youthful innocence reflects his uprightness as an individual, even believing his tutor’s line that the world is the best that it is. It may have been an unrealistic posture but it explained the depth of his love for Cunegonde. That naivete provided the drama and the reason for him to fight to win over the struggles, the obstacles, and the misfortunes that stood his way.

Against my second hero trait of resoluteness and steadfastness, Candide handily wins with flying colors. Consider how he overcame his misfortunes in the army where he was almost killed. Consider how he survived the massive earthquake that followed the shipwreck sequence in the company of his tutor Pangloss (SparkNotes Editors). Consider all the hurdles he had to overcome that all seemed to discourage him from his relentless pursuit of his beloved. None of these was strong enough to stop him on his track. Even when Candide was spurned in favor of the wealthy governor of Buenos Aires, he never changed his heart.

Does Candide exhibit the hero trait of standing up for the oppressed or the fallen or for the people he loved? In his first reunion with Cunegonde, when Candide learned that she was already living as a slave and mistress to two men, he killed both of them to set her free, taking Cunegonde along with him to another place (SparkNotes Editors). What passionate love can do! It may not have been justified to kill for love, but even the reader would forgive Candide for what he has done.

At the end of the novel, Candide became a rich man, having come to a place called El Dorado (SparkNotes Editors). When consequently he learned of Cunegonde’s whereabouts, he sent an assistant to buy her her freedom and they were finally reunited, together with Pangloss, his now-aged tutor. They settled on a small farm in Turkey where Candide realized his innocent follies and passion for love. By this time, Cunegonde has lost all her charm and beauty and Candide likewise realized that it was only the woman’s beauty he was after, but kept his word to marry her. In the end, Candide woke up to the beauty of a simple life in the garden if only he would nurture what God has given as natural gifts to man.

Is the life story of Candide worth a hero’s model? The usual trend of a novel with a hero is observed in Voltaire’s work. Unassuming at the beginning, then overcoming the obstacles in the middle and coming out winning or realizing a lesson in the end. In the real world that is today, being naïve may no longer be a desirable trait, much more so driving oneself to such extents in pursuit of a woman. It is so unrealistic, which is not to say that no woman is worth such hot pursuits. In the modern world and in modern times, it is more admirable to lead a life that can stand up as a pattern for others to copy in terms of productivity or achievements, or family well-being. This would require that the traits of resoluteness and steadfastness be focused on more realistic life goals and convictions. One cannot afford to lead a life that is left to chance and fate. One must live according to a purpose and must pursue it with relentless consistency.