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Today I was reading Candide by Voltaire, and I noticed one chapter in particular was very significant to the establishment of the themes and development of the characters in the novel. In Chapter 18 of Voltaire's Candide, the reader appears to be confronted with a utopian society that has a reality which is both dubious and questionable, which is used as a foil to illustrate the incompetence of 18th Century European society, as well as a dismissal of innocence and ignorance. Eldorado is presented as a place of legend and myth, as well as wonder and desire. In this passage we encounter the King of Eldorado speaking about the establishment of the law that forbids the citizens of Eldorado from leaving, and also give some historical and philosophical insight into the ideology of Eldorado.
Eldorado is only able to remain in its current state because of its isolation. The law that "no inhabitant was ever to leave" Eldorado is what has allowed Eldorado's citizens to remain "innocent and happy". It appears that the inhabitants of Eldorado have conserved the original innocence that people of the outside world have lost, which parallels Candide's mindset from Chapter 1. It is this innocence that creates the contentment in Eldorado, but it is suggested that this has come at a price: the citizens of Eldorado appear to be submissive, lacking in curiosity and desire for knowledge, and thus seem to be both narrow and limited in the mind. The total tranquility of Eldorado have prevented its inhabitants from ever having to encounter things such as conflict or villainy, and thus they are never required to make ethical decisions, or have personal growth as individuals. The very qualities that make Eldorado happy are the very reasons we as rational human beings, who have a desire for knowledge, cannot accept the reality of Eldorado: innocence, ignorance, and isolation.
Like its citizens, the king of Eldorado is portrayed as naive and innocent, as he cannot fathom the European's "unaccountable fondness" for the gold in his land. Also, the juxtaposition of "pebbles and dirt" with what it actually is (gold) creates a feeling of paradoxical disbelief for the reader, as his disregard for precious metals confounds us. The nonchalant tone in which he speaks about the extinction of the Incas and their imprudence in wanting to conquer another part of the world seems to suggest he cannot understand and almost looks down upon that way of thinking, a perspective the reader is not familiar with. The use of vocabulary to describe the 'wisdom' of the Princes of Eldorado to remain behind seems to reflect an almost child-like and underdeveloped way of thinking.
We as readers can easily tell Eldorado is portrayed as fantastical, as it is "surrounded by unclimbable rocks and cliffs". Thus, its geographical attributes and location have sheltered it from the Europeans who would otherwise slaughter the whole population of Eldorado to gain possession of its trinkets. Eldorado's vast riches are a crucial reason to why its protective isolation is so important. This characteristic makes the world of Eldorado neither approachable, attainable, nor desirable, as it reflects a community that is extraordinarily fragile and requires sheltering to maintain its happiness and tranquility. Eldorado is reliant on protection that is both unnatural and impossible to recreate elsewhere.
Despite all its faults, Eldorado is presented as a model of living, used to reveal the faults in a close-minded, innocent ideology, as well as those of 18th Century European society. Eldorado is just one of the many different communities that is presented to the reader and Candide to help both parties discover the "the best of all possible" (Voltaire 4) models of ideology and society.
Eldorado is only able to remain in its current state because of its isolation. The law that "no inhabitant was ever to leave" Eldorado is what has allowed Eldorado's citizens to remain "innocent and happy". It appears that the inhabitants of Eldorado have conserved the original innocence that people of the outside world have lost, which parallels Candide's mindset from Chapter 1. It is this innocence that creates the contentment in Eldorado, but it is suggested that this has come at a price: the citizens of Eldorado appear to be submissive, lacking in curiosity and desire for knowledge, and thus seem to be both narrow and limited in the mind. The total tranquility of Eldorado have prevented its inhabitants from ever having to encounter things such as conflict or villainy, and thus they are never required to make ethical decisions, or have personal growth as individuals. The very qualities that make Eldorado happy are the very reasons we as rational human beings, who have a desire for knowledge, cannot accept the reality of Eldorado: innocence, ignorance, and isolation.
Like its citizens, the king of Eldorado is portrayed as naive and innocent, as he cannot fathom the European's "unaccountable fondness" for the gold in his land. Also, the juxtaposition of "pebbles and dirt" with what it actually is (gold) creates a feeling of paradoxical disbelief for the reader, as his disregard for precious metals confounds us. The nonchalant tone in which he speaks about the extinction of the Incas and their imprudence in wanting to conquer another part of the world seems to suggest he cannot understand and almost looks down upon that way of thinking, a perspective the reader is not familiar with. The use of vocabulary to describe the 'wisdom' of the Princes of Eldorado to remain behind seems to reflect an almost child-like and underdeveloped way of thinking.
We as readers can easily tell Eldorado is portrayed as fantastical, as it is "surrounded by unclimbable rocks and cliffs". Thus, its geographical attributes and location have sheltered it from the Europeans who would otherwise slaughter the whole population of Eldorado to gain possession of its trinkets. Eldorado's vast riches are a crucial reason to why its protective isolation is so important. This characteristic makes the world of Eldorado neither approachable, attainable, nor desirable, as it reflects a community that is extraordinarily fragile and requires sheltering to maintain its happiness and tranquility. Eldorado is reliant on protection that is both unnatural and impossible to recreate elsewhere.
Despite all its faults, Eldorado is presented as a model of living, used to reveal the faults in a close-minded, innocent ideology, as well as those of 18th Century European society. Eldorado is just one of the many different communities that is presented to the reader and Candide to help both parties discover the "the best of all possible" (Voltaire 4) models of ideology and society.
