May 22, 2026
Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan concludes with Jesus’s advice to be merciful and charitable. “Go and do likewise” Jesus reminds the reader. Be like the Samaritan who saw a fellow human in need and helped them.
In last week’s blog, I made a case for discussing charity in Voltaire’s Candide, basically arguing that chapter three retells the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In chapter three, Candide is already on the point of starvation. James the Anabaptist offers aid after the minister rejects Candide. All of these events surprise Candide, and he does not know how to react. His innocence makes sense considering that at the story’s outset, Candide is described as fully innocent. The narrator even notes that his name means simple and unaffected. Yet if one thing changes throughout the story, it might be the ways in which Candide sees his fellow humans.
Backtracking to the first chapter allows the reader to understand some of the cultural norms of Candide’s youth. Candide grew up roaming a fancy estate, but his ignoble birth restricted his entrance into the cultural elite. So, he was part of the culture only from the periphery. In classic satirical style, Voltaire details the rather ridiculous (though entirely plausible) attributes of high status. First, the Baron has windows with window dressings (imagine such luxury!). Also, the Baroness’s stature signifies her greatness. The family takes great pride in their extensive royal family tree. So, while Candide claims to have been happy here, readers know very little about his actual lifestyle. What we do know is that as soon as the Baron’s daughter kisses Candide, Candide is kicked off of the estate, an event which begins a series of disasters.
So in these introductory chapters, Voltaire demonstrates the debased morals of the wealthy while simultaneously questioning the moral values of religious figures who have lost sight of charity. In other words, Candide is now in a completely unfamiliar world with very few skills. The end of chapter six reads, “The terrified Candide stood weltering in blood and trembling with fear and confusion…. He had been preached at, flogged, absolved, and blessed, and was about to stagger away, when an old woman accosted him and said, ‘Pull yourself together, young man, and follow me.’”
Though James the Anabaptist died (while trying to rescue someone else) and Pangloss is dead or missing (once again), Candide is rescued by this new benefactor. In chapter seven, Candide shows his surprise to be rescued again: “Astonished as he was with what he had already seen and suffered, Candide was even more surprised at the old woman’s kindness.” In other words, because of his experiences, Candide is now more shocked by human kindness than by violence and brutality. His has been a very short introduction into “reality.”
The old woman heals Candide and then reunites him with the long-lost Cunegonde. Unfortunately, Cunegonde is owned by two very high ranking men. When these powerful men learn of Candide’s interest in Cunegonde, they attack Candide and he kills both. Cunegonde exclaims: “’A gentle creature like you to kill a Jew and priest in the space of two minutes! What could you have been thinking about?’” Candide replies: “[A] jealous man in love doesn’t know what he’s doing, especially if he’s been whipped by the Inquisition.” Truly, Candide demonstrates the only skill he has thus far: defense. Though gentle and simple by nature, brutal environments have taught him to react rather than question.
This chapter also juxtaposes some important notions of charity. First, Candide believes he loves Cunegonde. Perhaps love is a synonym of charity. However, since Candide is barely able to comprehend the nature of war, one wonders if he comprehends the nature of love. Cunegonde, too, has her own notions of love. She seems happy to be reunited with Candide, perhaps solely based on his “gentle” character. At her request, the nurse helped Candide heal and rest. So Cunegonde has acted charitably toward Candide, but does she love him? Candide reciprocates by removing Cunegonde from her unpleasant situation. However, it’s unclear what motivates either of their actions which often seem reactive, rather than thoughtful. The question arises: is charity a function of reason or emotion? What kind of love is this?
Back in chapter one, Pangloss lectured that this world is the best of all possible worlds. Everything – each hanging and beating, each war and rape – can be justified, Pangloss claimed, because it was the way that it had to happen. If this is true, then what is the point of charity at all? If charity is predestined, is it still considered charitable?
Charity and love are often spoken of as virtues. If so, then the notion of virtue is repeatedly tested in this book. For example, in chapters fourteen and fifteen, Candide is reunited with Cunegonde’s brother. Both seem excited at the connection. However, though the brother was also beaten and exiled as Candide was, he remains steadfast in his cultural biases and refuses to let Candide marry Cunegonde because of Candide’s inferior birth. For this, Candide kills him. Surprised by his own actions, Candide exclaims: “‘O God! What have I done! I have killed my old master, my friend, and my brother-in-law! I am the best-tempered man there ever was, yet I have already killed three men, and two of them were priests!’” It’s unclear why Candide killed Cunegonde’s brother. It’s also unclear what makes Candide believe that he is “the best-tempered man.” Once again, he reacts rather than thinks.
It seems important to note that everyone in this story is searching for something – money, status, freedom, a home, experience. Their searching hopes to fulfill an individual or personal need which might also peripherally improve someone else’s situation. With the exception of James the Anabaptist, no one acts with thoughtful care or intention. No one sacrifices their own desire for the sake of someone else. Except for James. Therefore, James appears to be the story’s gold standard. Does Voltaire believe that charity must be thoughtful? Purposeful? How does charity, even the smallest gesture, demonstrate a love of humankind?
We will continue this blog next week in order to better understand how charity functions in the evolution of Candide’s character. We will resume with his adventures in el dorado and his eternal search for the lovely Cunegonde.
*(Read Part I in this series here: https://hmu.edu/charity-in-candide-part-i/)
Photo credit: Shutterstock/ Janusz Pienkowski
