For this assignment, I want you to write creatively. I would like you all to share in the writing of a missing chapter from Voltaire's Candide. Each person should add something on to the last entry. We should strive to stay true to the text and remain in Voltaire's satirical voice. This should be good... (2 posts by 2/27)
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Candide approached the little castle with no windows and only a very small door curious to find out for whom could this little castle be the best of all castles in this the best of all possible worlds?
As he entered the castle, he remembered that the last castle that felt as safe as this was his own home. There was never any trouble. Only the beautiful Lady Cunegonde.
HE looked around and saw several people puttering around doing what seemed to be their usual business. When he looked closer, he realized that everyone had a certain color on. The people with food, brown; with flowers, green; with jewels, blue. Everything was as organized as the beehives he had seen throughout his journey. It was perfect.
He soon came upon andold man wearing purple. He was the only one that Candide saw with that attire.
"Welcome to our palace," the man greeted. "whats your color?"
"Excuse me?" replied Candide. "What do you mean?"
"Your color, Stranger," repeated the old man, then seeing that Candid didn't seem to understand added, "Why are you here?"
"I am here as a visitor to learn from your castle and those within it,"
The old man seemed hardly to be listening, "Splendid, splendid," he said vaguely. "But as a visitor to our castle you must wear the colors that our lord has dictated."
"I am sorry, I did not know, what should I wear?"
"Our cooks wear brown; our jewelers, blue; our florists, green; our tailors, red; and men of royalty are to wear purple," explained the old man, gesturing to his attire, "it pleases our lord that we all wear such wealth under his rule. He says it reminds him that we're all equal no matter who we are."
"I see," said Candid calmly. "But what about visitors?"
"Guests of our lord are to wear gray." The old man then turned to one of the passing men in red and asked that the proper attire be brought for their guest.
"What is the name of your lord?" asked Candid.
The old man stifled a gasp. "We are not worthy to know his greatness' name, much less to speak it aloud."
"Why are we not to speak the Lord's name?" Candide inquired.
"That is for you to find out." replied the old man. The old man left Candide in the corridor and soon returned giving him a grey robe to don. As Candide slipped into his new garments, he looked around at the other robed people with a deeper interest.
He approached a cook in a brown robe. This man had a face that looked strained with trouble.
"What is it that troubles you so?" asked Candide.
The cook only looked at him for a few seconds with a look that can only be described as fear. The cook ran away before Candide could question him any further.
"What is going on in the quaint little castle that is making these people act this way?" Candide thought.
“Pssst. You in the gray, come here.”
Candide looked to his right to notice a man wearing blue robes gesturing him to go speak to him. He went over to the man, curious of what he had to say to him. The man in blue was tall and thin with a long gray beard. He looked like he could help Candide around.
“Hello guest. What is your name?” the man asked.
“Candide. And who might you be?”
“I am Peter,” said the man, “a jeweler in the castle. You’re new around here?”
“Yes,” Candide replied. “I discovered this castle on my journey to find Lady Cunegonde. Everything here seems so perfect and orderly. It reminds me of the castle I grew up in.”
“Hah! My friend, you have a lot to learn about this castle and the noble family that rules it. Most people don’t know the truth behind this place. I, on the other hand, know much more than others. Come! Follow me.”
Peter then lead Candide down a corridor until they stopped at a huge wooden door at the very end.
"Where are we?" Asked Candide nervously.
"shh..no one is to know we are here. This is the secret door. It is said to hold all the secrets. However, no one but the King and Queen have ever been behind it." replied Peter.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" whispered Candide.
"This is very dangerous my friend. If we get caught all is over for the both of us." he answered.
"I have been through more than the common man on my search for my lady cunegonde, I am more than ready for this door. Take me in." Candide replied anxiously.
"If you say so.."
Both men stared at the door nervously for a minute then Candide took a step toward the door. As he touched the handle he muttered to the jeweler, "If this is the best of all possible worlds, then we are here because we are to find something great behind this door, and this door is here for us to find. Therefore, lets be on our way."
Candide opened the door slowly and peered through the crack of the door...
Through the door Candide saw some of the greatest riches he had ever seen, and at the center of all of them, in the center of the floor, there was a pedestal, upon the pedestal rested a book covered in gold leaf and bookmarked with a fine strip of red silk. Peter the Jeweler closed the door behind Candide and led him to the book. "Look upon this book good sir. 'Tis the journal of the late baron of this castle." He said, pointing to the signature set in the golden cover. He invited Candide to flip through the pages of the journal. As Candide flipped through the pages he noticed towards the end the handwriting on the pages became less and less refined. He also noticed that several pages at the very end had been removed, shown by the tattered edges near the spine.
"Peter my friend, what are these missing pages?" He asked, contemplating their purpose.
"Well sir, upon the baron's death none but the baron's son himself were allowed to see the journal, and when we received the journal for the vault it was in this condition. The baron was always a man of order, who enforced this philosophy with an iron fist. However, many of us noticed an oddity towards the time of his death..." Peter the Jeweler was interrupted towards the end of his statement, by a loud knock at the secret door.
The knock had startled Peter so much that he jumped and dropped the journal. The journal, after Peter furiously scrambled to catch it, slammed to the ground causing the ground to shake tremendously. Peter’s face drained of color as his pupils amplified making him look almost ghostly. His reaction made Candide quiver from the chill that rose from his heels to his scalp.
“Who’s in there?” the booming voice barked from the out side of the door. Candide assumed they didn’t just come in because only the King and Queen were allowed in. The knocking came back, vibrating the four walls around Candide and Peter.
“Don’t be afraid, good sir,” whispered Candide to Peter, “we’re getting caught in here for a good reason. It is all over, yet I feel that it has all just begun.”
"Show your faces!" yelled the mysterious voice.
Peter started to freak out but Candide stayed calm, knowing everything was for the best.
"What do we do?" begged Peter.
"Just relax, I`ll take care of everything," answered Candide.
Then, all of a sudden the secret door flew open. A short but stocky dark figure stood in the doorway. Peter ran to hide behind Candide while Candide played tough.
"What do you two think you´re doing in here?" roared the figure.
"I was curious and wanted to see what this room was all about so Peter showed me," Candide answered.
"O really?" the man said, "And what makes you think you have the rights to just waltz in here and take a look?" The figure slowly paced forward until it stopped under the light revealing who it was.
With a great amount of force the door swung open and a shadowed figure entered the room. The figure, though silent was mad, discovered by the frightening slamming of the door shut. The figure stepped into the light, closer to the men and saw that the book was no longer in its spot from where he had left the book before hand. A hand cloaked in a purple robe took the book.
Silence remained in the room as they were quietly yet forcefully order to leave the palace through the servants quarter, and were instructed never to return, for the information they had learned will help them on future adventures and yet also destroy them, such as returning to the castle.
As Peter and Candide exited the palace through the servants quarters the two could not help but wonder who the mysterious figure in the purple robe was. Could someone have seen them enter the room full of riches? If was truly was the best of all possible worlds, then they would not have been caught. The two continued to walk through the servant’s quarters noticing the brown robed workers preparing the King and Queens Dinner feast.
"Now look what you have done!" boomed Peter showing Candide a more fierce side of him that he had not expected.
"My profession, my home, my life all now spiral down the drain thanks to you, a man whom I have just met!" added the furious jeweler.
"Fear not my friend, all is for the best. Though you may not understand now, you will in due time. Besides, were you not miserable in there?" asked Candide.
"Aren't we all miserable everywhere?" replied Peter.
"Ah, it would seem that you and my dear friend Martin share a similar philosophy. Worry not though, I have a plan to restore all of your loses and then some." Candide said appearing to be in deep thought.
"Why would you help me, Stranger?" demanded Peter scathingly. "You just said everything is for the best. And unless I'm very much mistaken those are the teachings of an optimistic style of thinking."
Candide cautiously bowed his head in agreement.
"Then why," said the jeweler, "is it that you seek to help me out of my current unpleasantries. Is that not against the philosophy you stand by?"
"Well I must have come to your castle for a purpose," said Candide, "and because this is the best of all possible worlds, my purpose here must also be for the best. And what better purpose could I have than saving you from your misery?"
"You fool," said Peter. "I'm more miserable than I was before. Now I have no job, no food, and nowhere to stay. There are much better things that you could have done than trying to save me."
"Well, maybe now that there are two of us, we can both try to accomplish those things you had in mind. Then maybe you can help me find my dear Cunegonde again."
"There's nothing we can do to get us out of this mess, they've already seen us snooping through the secret walls." Peter replied.
"Why so negative my friend? Hold on, I may just have a plan that can get us both what we want." Candide assured him.
"How can I allow myself to trust you when I've only known you for less than a day! Look at all the trouble you've already caused!" Peter exclaimed.
"Not to worry, I have a great feeling within the depths of my stomach telling me that we must capture the King. If we have the power of the King in our hands, we can easily unfold the secrets within the journal!"
The two men spent the night in the woods surrounding the castle. The jeweler was quickly asleep, while Candide was comtemplating what to do next. He finally, after a very sleepless night, came up with an idea. They were to sneak into the King and Queen's sleeping quarters. There they would find the missing pages of the journal. They must hold a key to the mystery of the castle. When the jeweler awoke, Candide confessed to him his long contemplated plan.
"Have you lost your mind?" exclaimed the man in the blue robe.
"Do you want to reverse your situation and find out what you need to know or not?" replied Candide.
The jeweler knew that Candide was right and agreed to the plan at hand.
Finding a way into the castle would be the hard part, but after much contemplation, Candide thought of a way.
"I've got it!" exclaimed Candide. "We'll sneak in by wearing certain colored robes! You've been in the castle your whole life... who's allowed into the King's sleeping quarters?"
"Well there are times when the cook, who wears brown, is allowed to go in when the King or Queen wishes to have a late night snack. Then there's the tailor, red robed of course, who goes in whenever there is mending to be done," Peter excitedly replied.
"Perfect! We'll dress in red robes, acting as tailors!" said Candide. "We just have to make it so the King needs some mending done..." he added mischievously.
After hours of considering a way to create a situation that considered a tailors hand, one conveniently presented itself to Candide as they had for most of his life. That day they noted a wagon which sought to deliver the finest silks in the land directly to the King's quarters.
Seeing their opportunity to reach their goal the two darted straight for wagon, but were soon spotted by castle guards who immediately apprehended them.
"What part of never return did you two seem to not understand? I take it you already know what this means, don't you jeweler," barked the guard.
"Yes sir, I do." Peter replied sullenly.
"Well what is it my friend? Where do we go know?" questioned Candide curiously.
"Where people of your manner belong," answered the guard, "the gallows."
"You must be joking, i believe you have the wrong criminals" replied Candide.
"Excuse me?" question the Guard.
" What I meant was that i believe you have the wrong suspects." Pleaded Candide.
"We'll let the King decide." answered the Guard.
So the fierce guard dragged them to the King's chamber where they were greeted by the King.
"Candide? So we meet again" said the King.
"Ah yes, your majesty, what a delight to see you" replied candide
"well, it is not a pleasure to to see you Candide" stated the King.
"why not, i still don't understand what i have done? Your viscious, brute of a guard just dragged me here and i demand to know why" pleaded Candide.
"I specifically saw you two scoundrels making a break for that wagon and dont deny it because it wont do you any good" retorded the very angered King. " I know what to do with you..."
Just as the guard predicted Candide and Peter were sent to the gallows. They had not come this far to rot in a moldy basement.
“We are going to get out of here as soon as possible,” stated Candide.
“How can we possibly escape with guards at every exit?”
“Peter, I did not come this far to fail now. I will return to Lady Cunegonde and I will escape from this terrible place.”
That night Candide stayed up thinking of a way to escape the castle. Clearly this isn’t the best of all possible worlds if the King accused me of this crime and I am innocent. I was so foolish to believe everything happens for the best. Just when Candide couldn’t help but feel any more helpless, he screamed with joy upon thinking up the perfect plan.
Sitting up away from the crumbling dirt wall, Candide excitedly shared his plan with Peter.
"Peter, Peter! Wake up! I know how we can escape so that I can see the fair Lady Cunegonde again!" Candide cried out. "Look at the wall Peter... tell me what it's made of!"
Confused, Peter replied, "Why it's made of crumbled up stones and dirt, Candide, but what does that have to do with us getting out of here?"
"When the guards come with our bread and water, we'll use the water to erode the wall. We should be out within a few days, even!" Candide replied. "What a wonderful world this is."
After days and days of sacrificing their only source of water the two men had successfully broken through the wall of the castle. They hadn't just broken through the castle wall. They discovered a secret abandoned underground pathway lighted by lanterns.
"Do you think it's safe?" asked Peter.
"What's the worst that could happen?"answered Candide.
"Could enough answer for me!" said Peter.
So the two continued down the dark, damp path until they saw the source of light that was guiding them. The two men jumped with glee to finally see the light of day. Getting out of the tunnel was the least of their worries.
Getting to the end of the tunnel was like being freed from slavery. You were trapped and unhappy then, but what would you do once you were freed?
To have no money, nowhere to be sheltered, and no food to eat makes escaping almost pointless.
The two men, one thinking the end is going to be a spiraling tunnel of death and the other thinking it will be the yellow brick road leading to the fair Lady Cunegonde, furiously grapple towards the edge of the tunnel. Peter, behind Candide starts to crawl faster than one can walk and heads straight into Candide causing the both to fall face first onto a foreign feeling ground.
The ground feels like a mixture of water and sewage. Peter screeches eccentrically to Candide, "We've made it! We've made it!" He pats him self all around his body checking for missing parts and exclaims again, "We've actually made it!" He pauses for a long moment and questions, "But what in God's name is this?"
The two men stood there with their mouths hanging open, in awe of what was in front of their own eyes. Candide reminisced of his trip to El Dorado, but this place was far more exquisite. Around the two men were beautiful flowers, plants, and trees stretching as far as the eye could reach. “Candide”, Peter said, “Where are we”? Candide glanced around once more and at that moment he concluded that this was the best of all possible worlds. Such a beauty as this could not belong in the normal world. The two men still in awe, got up and started to walk around, exploring the wonderful land they had stumbled upon. Candide and Peter walked through a path, where they reached a tall thick grape vine. Peter peered through the vines, and what he saw behind them the two men were not ready to see.
The two men did not want to escape from this new world. Everything was perfect and now everything would change. They were hesitant to see what was behind the grapevine. Candide questioned, "What is it?" Peter said, "I've never seen anything like it." Behind the grapevines, was a poor city. Run down, burned nothing like El Dorado. There was poor people, beggars, garbage everywhere. The men did not know how to react.
Candide started questioning himself by saying, "Is this the best of all possible worlds?" "Are you are this world of yours exists Candide?" replied Peter.
"I do not know if this world is it Peter, but I do know it exists" replied Candide. The two walked nervously throughout the city noticing poor beggers beg for anything to eat and hearing woman cry as their babies die in their arms. Buildings were abandoned and the air smelled of death. As they kept walking, Candide notice a sword on the ground that had the name of the general who took in Lady Cunegonde. Candide being almost in shock, picked up the sword and said
"this is a good world, for the sword is a clue of being closer to Cunegonde". As Peter looked at the sword he replied, "this general i know him". Candide looking even more shocked asked how. "He stoped by the castle not to long ago and stayed as a guest of the king. Him and his lady servent where on a journey to ....
The castle. Were he felt as safe as this was his own home. This castle was the best of all possible worlds. He saw all the riches and gold, but nothing like the poor city. He questioned why there was two different worlds and how will he ever find Lady Cunegonde? Candide, continued to explore more information leading to helping him find the general.
ASHLEY LEFFARD
Candide continued on his search for the general but was baffled as to where he could be. Then Dr. Pangloss popped in his head and he thought, "Why should i search for the general, if this should be the best of all possible worlds then whereever he is he will be fine." Although he questioned this, he still searched. Peter encouraged him to continue because it was what was right. All Candide could think of was his Cunedonge and how he missed her dearly. With the sword in his hand, he continued on his quest.
ASHLEY LEFFARD
Candide and Peter walked through the town for hours. He still clung to the sword for some hope to find Cunegonde. As they walked the city began getting nicer. At first, some modest buildings with stores, markets and the like, but eventually they became large ornate homes and businesses. The people here walked with purpose as if they had a divine right. Candide thought to himself how such magnificent forms of wealth could be so close to the poorest of the poor. At the end of the street was a river. A lone pier stretched out in front of them with a large wooden boat docked there.
Peter and Candide continued towards the pier curious of this foreign land they were in. Then a shout came from behind them. “Hey! That’s my sword, give me that!” A tall, well dressed, strong looking man came charging towards Candide demanding he give him the sword.
“I found this sword. How can it be yours?” asked Candide.
The man replied, “Well I killed the man who owned that sword. Since he can’t use it anymore, it’s mine. I lost it and have been looking for it. He had a pretty looking girl with him too but she ran off.”
“Lady Cunegonde!” exclaimed Candide. “You see Peter, this is all for the best! Sir you must tell us more about the man and woman you saw!”
The two men found their way to the end of the pier and gazed upon this mysterious boat. The boat was beautiful and fully stocked up with great supplies, not to mention a lot of tasty food. Near the pier were a few fishermen sitting down eating lunch; paying no attention to Peter and Candide. “Candide”, Peter whispered, why don’t we take an adventure”? Candide knew the two men already had their share of trouble but the boat looked too tempting to give up this offer. The two men quickly tiptoed onto the boat and were just about to turn the key until the fishermen caught sight of them.
When the fishermen saw Candide and Peter he asked what they were trying to do. The men explained that they were looking a for a beautiful young lady. One fisherman exclaimed that he had seen this lady and would take them straight to her for a price. Candide was thrilled to hear this and agreed to pay the men a price once they set sail. Candide said to Peter, "See this is the best of all possible worlds. This world helped me get closer to finding my dear Lady Cunegonde."
As Candide's heart filled with excitement, Peter noticed dark clouds in the sky heading in their direction. "Candide look!" said Peter.
"Oh goodness Peter, a storm is headed our way, just before our quest to finally meet with Lady Cunegonde" replied Candide.
"What shall we do?" said Peter
"It's now or never gentlemen!" said the fisherman.
Peter and Candide had no other choice but to get on the boat and sail towards Lady Cunegonde.
"God, I hope you don't trouble my good fortune" said Candide.
Both men were nervous about the storm, but Candide knew he had to be brave and follow his heart. Suddenly, the fisherman started feeling ill and fainted. Peter was overwhelmed with what just happened and said.
"Candide, what should we do now? The fisherman has just fainted and he is the only one that knows where your dear Cunegonde is."
They then asked the other fisherman if he had any idea where she could be. He didn't know because he had just met the other fisherman and hadn't accompanied him on his previous adventures.
So instead of waiting around for the other fisherman to hopefully awake they set sail in hopes that god would send them in the right direction.
The next day they found themselves in the middle of the ocean. They thought they were alone until another ship, a much bigger ship approached them. As it got into better view Peter realized it had a black skull and bones flag signifying it was a pirate ship.
"This should be interesting..." peter said.
“Candide, we must not let this stop us from continuing our journey.” With that Candide and Peter set sail. Despite the rolling thunder in the distance Candide still had hope that he would find Lady Cunegonde. The men must have sailed only two miles before the first crack of lightning shone through the dark clouds. While Peter began to panic Candide tried to keep calm. It was obvious to both men that the water was growing rougher and their boat was being pushed around. As night approached the wind gusted powerfully and the boat violently rocked from side to side. The wooden boat was no match for the forceful water of the ocean. Just when the men heard the loudest boom of thunder and saw the brightest crack of lightning they noticed a wave about twenty feet high right in front of them. They had just enough time to grab hold of something and brace themselves. As the little wooden boat sailed into the gigantic wave…
“Candide if what you say, about the best of all possible worlds, is true then may the power of the seas be with us” cried Peter
Just then the fisherman felt very ill, so ill that he was unfit to sail, taking powers into his own hands Candide takes the lead and sails towards the storm.
The Pirate ship neared and immediately began to attack Candide’s ship the cannonball fire was deafening. Within minutes of the first shot the ship was reduced to nothing but splitters and both Candide and Peter were left in the water holding on to a plank for dear life.
Candide, in another attempt to calm Peter down said, "It's okay Peter, it's okay. This is just a sign that nothing worthy in life is easy because, well, because that's just how it is. And my Lady Cunegonde is the worthiest thing in my life."
Peter was outraged and had had enough of this "best of all possible worlds" lies and said, "for God's sakes Candide! You can't possibly believe this is the best of all possible worlds when we are on the edge of life! And about to fall off!"
"But Peter... you see, it's more complicated than that, we wouldn't be here right now almost dead if we weren't meant to-"
"That's it!" Peter exclaimed cutting Candide off "When I get out of this, IF i get out of this, i am leaving you alone with this nonsense of yours"
Candide fell silent and thought to himself, if he does leave to let me continue on my search alone, well then, that's how it was meant to be and nothing more.
Candide and Peter spent the night floating in the open ocean. Neither spoke nor desired to. Candide, shocked by what Peter had said, sat in silence and contemplated his beloved theory of everyone is living in the the best of all possible worlds. He was possitive he was meant to be on the verge of death.
The two men mannaged to remain on the plank throughout the night and as morning approached dry land appeared in the distance. The closer they floated toward the island it was apparent there were inhabitants. Candide and Peter agreed they had no idea where the plank had brought them and decided to approach the islanders with caution. To Candides amazemant, the natives shouted "Welcome, welcome please let us help you!"
Drifting for several minutes now Candide and Peter were growing weary. Peter had already given up and slouched on the plank lazily weighing down one side. Candide striving to see Cunegonde again supported them both. The pirate ship had returned to seize them, and brought them on board. Immediately they were treated like property and forced to stay in the storage area of the ship. Peter wondered why they were saved among the possible others who could have been stranded in the wreckage. Either way Candide was on his on. Candide had a smirking look on his face when he said, "You see Peter this ship was created to take us to the true location of Cunegonde as we would have not have been able to get there in our own ship." Peter didn't respond. He sat there and stared off.
Several days into their incarceration Candide awoke to the distant thump of cannon fire that echoed off the water. Several moments later the world exploded around him, splinters of hull finding their marks on pirates who had been keeping guard. Candide leaned over to Peter as several more explosions could be heard above deck followed by the pained screams of dying pirates.
“Are you ok?!” screamed candied as he tried to shake Peter from the fetal position. “Peter! We need to get out of here” as Candide said this he rolled Peter over to reveal his face, or at least what remained of it. Disheartened but still determined to find Cunegonde again, Candide hurried on to the deck. Just as soon as he saw the scene above he wished he had stayed in the storage area. The French sailors that had been attacking the pirate ship had boarded and men all around Candide were laid low by gunfire. He quickly pulled out a white handkerchief and waved it in the air as he hurried onto the French ship. In the middle of the ship he saw a man dressed in a beautiful sky blue uniform outfitted with gold decorations and medals. He sat upon a great white stallion, waving a saber in the air. Candide went to go speak with whom he assumed to be the captain of the ship. Over the gunfire Candide thought only to ask him one question.
“Why are you doing this!?” the captain as well as Candide were startled at the bluntness of the question. After a moment of thought the captain replied.
“To make the world a safer and better place, this battle will help to end all war! VIVA LA FRA…” before the captain could finish his thought, the deck exploded bellow him, and no trace of him or his horse was left.
Tired, hungry and thirsty but nevertheless determined to find his true love, Cunegonde, Candide jumped off the sinking ship and onto a large fragment of the former pirate ship which was floating in the water and was also joined by the French Captain who was bleeding profusely from his chest. He then looked towards the heavens, questioning his philosophy of optimism and then immediately fainted from exhaustion. After some time he woke to find himself in a small, simple brick room with a large wooden closet with a single door and no windows. Candid wondered where the French Captain was and if he was alright, but when he was pondering these thoughts he heard an 3 men talking and footsteps approaching his door. He quickly hid inside the closet when his door opened and tried to eavesdrop on their conversation
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