Candide Lesson Plan

How do Cunégonde’s experiences of the world as a woman bear on her desires and actions? How does this set her apart from Candide?

One sees how Candide continues to be motivated by his love for Cunégonde, and perhaps secondarily by a desire to make sense of all that he has experienced. For Candide, then, the stakes of the story come down to emotional and intellectual fulfilment. In contrast, Cunégonde’s concerns in this chapter seem more practical: she desires recompense for the loss of her former station, a good marriage, and security against those who would harm or exploit her. This is no coincidence: as a woman, Cunégonde has to be concerned about these things if she is...