Questions by Chapter for Candide by Voltaire

Question Set A

Chapter 1

1:1. Who is Candide?

1:2. Who is Conégonde?

1:3. Who is Pangloss?

1:4. Why does Candide leave Thunder-Ten-Tronckh?

Chapter 2

2:1. What happens to Candide in this chapter?

Chapter 3

3:1. What is Voltaire's description and opinion of war?

Chapter 4

4:1. How does Pangloss become sick?

4:2. What is Jasques the Anabaptist's view of man (in opposition to Pangloss)?

Chapter 5

5:1. What happens in Lisbon? What point is Voltaire making?

Chapter 6

6:1. What is an auto-da-fe?

6:2. How did the Catholic Church respond to the Lisbon earthquake? Why?

6:3. What happens to Pangloss?

Question Set B

Chapter 8

8:1. How does Conégonde survive?

8:2. Does Voltaire portray the Jews as different from Catholics and Inquisitors? Details?

Chapter 10

10:1. How many buttocks does Conégonde's servant woman have?

10:2. For what destination do Conégonde and Candide set out?

Chapter 11

11:1. Why is the old woman's parentage so scandelous?

11:2. What is the old woman's story?

11:3. What does the old woman's treatment by the Muslim Africans say about them in Voltaire's eyes?

Chapter 12

12:1. How is the old woman treated by the Christian eunich?

12:2. How does the old woman lose her buttock?

12:3. Is Voltaire an optimist about the human condition? Explain.

Question Set C

Chapter 13

13:1. What decision does Conégonde make in Latin America? Is it a good one? Explain.

Chapter 14

14:1 How does Voltaire portray the Jesuits and their government? Details?

Chapter 15

15:1. How and why does Conégonde's brother respond to Candide's thoughts of marrying her? What does the brother's decision and attitude say about Voltaire's opinion of the nobility?

Chapters 17 and 18 (together)

17/18:1. What is El Dorado like?

17/18:2. What effect does El Dorado have on Candide's beliefs in Pangloss' axiom? Explain.

Chapter 18 (only)

18:1. How and why are religion different in El Dorado?

18:2. Why do Candide and Cocambo decide to leave El Dorado? Is it a good decision in your opinion?

Chapter Set D

Chapter 19

19:1. What is Voltaire's opinion of slavery? Proof?

19:2. What characteristic makes Voltaire such a sucker?

Chapter 20

20:1. Do you agree with Martin's Manicheanism? Explain.

Chapter 21

21:1. Why was the world created in your opinion? Explain.

Chapter 22

22:1. Describe the practice for burying actors and actresses in Voltaire's time.

22:2. For what reason do you think Voltaire made this chapter on Paris so long?

Question Set E

Chapter 24

24:1 What does Paquette's tale say about the role of women?

24:2 Does Brother Giroflée have a good opinion of the role of men in the Church? Explain.

24: Do you think that Candide's donation to Paquette and Brother Giroflée is likely to make them happy? Explain.

Chapter 25

25:1 Does Senator Pococurante have a good life? Explain.

25:2 What has spoiled Senator Pococurante's love for art, literature, music,

25:3 What is Voltaire's opinion Italian versus English literature? Explain.

Chapter 28

28:1 What surprise does the hanged man have for Candide?

28:2 What does the hanged man do with his miraculously saved life? Does the hanged man ever change his nature?

28:3 What did the hanged man and the Baron spend their days arguing about as they rowed as slaves on the galley? What message is Voltaire trying to get across about religious men and philosophers?

Chapter 30

30:1 What are the various reasons Candide gives for his decision to marry Cunégonde?

30:2 What philosophical positions on the issues surrounding "what is worse" are taken by Candide, Martin, Pangloss, the dervish, and the Turk?

30:3 What does the last line of the novel mean?