The Symbolism Of Meliorism In Candide's Garden

William Bottiglia wrote an interesting piece titled Candide’s Garden that addresses multiple interpretations made by other scholars and simultaneously disproves the validity of their observations while emphasizing that the garden is truly a symbol for meliorism. His piece begins with a short overview of Milton’s life including how “Candide pursues a course of intellectual argument which parallels the evolution of Voltaire’s cultural attitude during that decade” (Bottiglia 718). Using this observation, Bottiglia notes that the presence of the garden suggests that people should “work together toward the reduction of social evil and the spread of social virtue by setting a concrete example and by enlightening the world” (Bottiglia 731). Through …show more content…
Though he disagrees with the interpretations of other scholars, the beginning of his piece analyzes potential items that past scholars used as evidence to back their interpretations. He says, “Candide can be summed up as a progression from relative complacency through pessimistic drift to meliorism” (Bottiglia 719). This pessimistic drift prompts many scholars to focus only on the negative aspects of the piece. Bottiglia argues against this, saying that “all literal or pessimistic or escapist interpretations suffer from the necessity of somehow explaining a spectacular exception in the philosophic production of Voltaire” (725). In attempting to explain a philosophic production, other scholars miss the opportunity to dig deeply into Voltaire’s surroundings and analyze the origin of his creation. Shortly after the beginning of the tale, “Candide is ejected from his “Paradis terestre,” the seat of optimism” …show more content…
The first two (“the Westphalian “Paradis terrestre” and “the Jesuit “vigne” of Paraguay”) are false Edens: “Westfalia is the abode of optimistic fatalism, sentimental quixotism, and pettry aristocratic tyranny; while paraguay is a military despotism masquerading as a kingdom of God on earth” (Bottiglia 727). These two lend themselves to the pessimistic interpretation, as do the third and fourth, “thus [the first] four of the gardens are negative” (727). The third garden of Eldorado comes across negative “in the sense that it is a myth, perfect and unreal; but it is positive in the sense that it offers a philosophic ideal for human aspiration” (Bottiglia 727). This positivity also flows into the sixth garden of the old Turk where mankind is moving towards a progression of thought. The final garden of Candide is “a cooperative model society working ever so gradually, but with practical assurance, for the betterment of civilization” (Bottiglia 727). This final garden encompasses Bottiglia’s argument about the garden as a symbol of working towards meliorism. A comparison of these garden’s reveals “ a deliberate progression from lone individual to family circle to small model group [...] The suggestion that such a society was meant to inspire imitation is neither more nor less Voltairean than Voltaire himself” (Bottiglia 728). Bottiglia suggests that Voltaire possibly used