Abstract

Voltaire wrote Candide in 1759. This philosophical tale tells the story of a naïve and optimistic youth who travels the Old and New Worlds, encounters cruelty and atrocities everywhere, wonders how they fit into a world created and overseen by a benevolent God, and gradually becomes disabused with optimism and the world. At this time Voltaire's book was considered heretical by the French Monarchy and Catholic Church for speaking plainly and critically about world tragedies and injustices. Voltaire critiques the abuse of power, injustice, intolerance, oppression, and autocracies through satire and tragedy. This essay interprets the last line of Voltaire’s Candide (1759). It contends that concepts derived from contemporary psychological understanding of trauma, such as bonding, self-discovery, tolerance, and community, are key messages of healing taken from the phrase “We must cultivate our garden.” This essay provides commentary using historical context from Voltaire’s life experience, the Enlightenment, and the text itself to discuss the interpretations of Candide.