Motifs In Voltaire's Candide

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In the novel Candide written by Voltaire, there are a lot of motifs mentioned throughout the novel. One of the main motifs is the garden. This motif was mentioned multiple times throughout the book. The first time is when Candide was kicked out of castle because of his relationship with Cunégonde. After being kicked out, Candide ends up in El Dorado in south America which has beautiful landscape but he doesn’t stay there for a long time and leaves to find his love. Finally, Candide and all the important characters he found throughout the book end up on a farm where they live for the rest of their life. The garden motif is one of the most important parts of this novel because it helps the reader understand the novel better. The first time …show more content…

This inspired Candide to own a farm and live on it with all his companions. The garden symbolizes the garden of Eden. However, it is in reverse, Candide chooses to settle and build their own farm after struggling. He chose to do that in attempt to restore the original Garden of Eden with minor differences. Those differences are that everybody is equal and that everybody is doing the same amount of work. The whole garden motif is a symbol to how the universe should be. This is how the world should be when it is improved by reason and the philosophy of enlightenment. When Candide says, “we must cultivate our garden.” He sets the goal of having the Garden of Eden again with differences. Some major differences between the actual Garden of Eden and Candid’s garden is that Adam and Eve did not have to do work to get fruits and vegetables. Another ideology that is set is the more care you take of the plants the better the outcome and vice versa. Finally, the garden represents the propagation and cultivation of life which the characters agree about despite their

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