The Importance Of Utopia In Voltaire's Candide

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Voltaire’s definition of a utopia is a community where all human desires are fulfilled and a person is content, however “the name utopia comes from the Greek words meaning no place” (Stringer). This signifies that a true utopia does not exist. A utopia requires a setting that is completely satisfying to each person’s wants and allows them to grow as a person without enduring extreme hardship or misfortune, however, this cannot happen due to the changing and conflicting nature of people’s wants. Voltaire argues, in Candide, the hope for a utopia is futile because a utopia is unachievable due to human greed and desire. However, if a person has satisfying work to do and they are able to do their work well, they can achieve their desired state …show more content…

Candide is confused by their encounter, but Martin comes to the conclusion that “‘there is a pleasure in not being pleased’” (124). Pococurante has everything he could ever want in a beautiful large home, yet this is not enough for him and instead of becoming a utopia his home causes him to be unsatisfied. Due to greed Pococurante always wants more than he has which leads to the quest for a utopia to become impossible. Once leaving Pococurante Candide is finally able to find happiness in his garden. While everyone has their job in the garden Pangloss continues to philosophise and tells Candide “‘When man was placed in the Garden of Eden, he was put there to “dress it and keep it”, to work in fact” (143). While a utopia may be unachievable, Candide is able to find happiness by creating a garden of his own. By having something to work towards and being able to create something through his hard work he is able to find a place to live that meets his wishes. While not everything is perfect for the group at the end of the book they are each able to do something they are good at to achieve a helpful purpose on their

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