Choose A Minor Character In Voltaire's 'Candide'

Voltaire Quiz 2

Choose a minor character and describe his or her function in this work. How/Why is he or she significant?How does the conclusion relate to the beginning?

The farmer at the end of the novel in Constantinople is a minor character, but he offers a lot to the novel. Candide and his companions find this old farmer after visiting a dervish. He has comments that surprise Candide and his companions. He states, “I have never cared to know the name of a single mufti or vizier. I am completely ignorant of the episode you are discussing. I presume that in general those who meddle in public business sometimes perish miserable, and that they deserve their fate” (p 413). He is significant because he teaches Candide that all of the cruel things going on around them, just brings them down and makes them unhappy.

Before they met this farmer, they were incredibly unhappy. The old woman even states, “I should like to know what is worse, being raped a hundred times by negro pirates.. or else just sitting here and doing nothing?” (p 412). The farmer makes them realize they have special skills which can help them overcome some troubles in life. Hard work can help them overcome “boredom, vice, and poverty” (p 413). With these evils under control, they can live an enjoyable life. The conclusion of this novel relates to the beginning because learning is involved in both. At the beginning Candide was listening to lectures from Pangloss. At the end of the novel, Candide was listening to a lecture from the farmer. It is also interesting because at the beginning Pangloss talks about how every effect has a cause. This is seen at the end of the novel because the effect of hard work causes a pleasant life for