Question

Candide’s name comes from the Latin word candidus, meaning “white,” to connote purity and innocence. Describe what qualities the main character has that make his name, “Candide,” appropriate. What textual evidence supports your answers?

Answer 1

Candide is the protagonist of the novel of the same name, by Voltaire. The name of the protagonist was chosen as a reference to the color white, in order to convey purity and innocence. Candide is honest, naïve and pure, and he seems to lack any type of corruption. Because of this, he can sometimes be susceptible to bad influences from others.

Some of the textual evidence that supports this position is the way in which Candide is able to change his beliefs in Pangloss's philosophy for the ideas that the old farmer teaches him. Another example is the way in which Candide is able to easily give his money to strangers.

Answer 2

The main character has many qualities that make his name "Candide" appropriate, he is named Candide because of the setting of the novel and the way the character is brought up. He is a young man living in a paradise like home, he was indoctrinated Leibnizian optimism by his mentor. The short novel describes the main character, Candide as being of "a very simple spirit" and his face as being an index of his mind. His mentor, taught him that he lives in the "best of all possible worlds", he constantly teaches him that everything that happens is for the best.