Summary
Candide arrives in Paris and immediately becomes prey to the city's predators. Despite his wealth from El Dorado, he finds himself surrounded by fake friends, corrupt priests, dishonest doctors, and scheming socialites who see him as an easy mark. At the theater, he encounters Parisian intellectual snobbery—critics who tear down everything while creating nothing themselves. The Abbé of Perigord becomes his guide through high society, leading him to gambling dens where Candide loses enormous sums without batting an eye. He's seduced by the Marchioness, who steals his diamonds while playing on his foreign innocence. Most devastatingly, the Abbé orchestrates an elaborate con involving a fake Cunegonde—complete with forged love letters and a staged sickbed scene. When Candide rushes to help his 'beloved,' he's arrested as a suspicious foreigner. Only by bribing the corrupt officer with diamonds does he escape to continue his journey. This chapter exposes how sophisticated societies often run on exploitation and deception. Paris may be cultured, but it's morally bankrupt—everyone has an angle, everyone wants something. Candide's goodness makes him vulnerable, but his wealth makes him a target. Voltaire shows us that civilization's polish often conceals the same greed and cruelty found everywhere else, just dressed up in fancier clothes.
Coming Up in Chapter 23
Candide and Martin escape to England, but they'll discover that even this supposedly civilized nation has its own brutal customs and shocking public spectacles that will challenge everything they thought they knew about European enlightenment.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
WHAT HAPPENED IN FRANCE TO CANDIDE AND MARTIN. Candide stayed in Bordeaux no longer than was necessary for the selling of a few of the pebbles of El Dorado, and for hiring a good chaise to hold two passengers; for he could not travel without his Philosopher Martin. He was only vexed at parting with his sheep, which he left to the Bordeaux Academy of Sciences, who set as a subject for that year's prize, "to find why this sheep's wool was red;" and the prize was awarded to a learned man of the North, who demonstrated by A plus B minus C divided by Z, that the sheep must be red, and die of the rot. Meanwhile, all the travellers whom Candide met in the inns along his route, said to him, "We go to Paris." This general eagerness at length gave him, too, a desire to see this capital; and it was not so very great a _détour_ from the road to Venice. He entered Paris by the suburb of St. Marceau, and fancied that he was in the dirtiest village of Westphalia. Scarcely was Candide arrived at his inn, than he found himself attacked by a slight illness, caused by fatigue. As he had a very large diamond on his finger, and the people of the inn had taken notice of a prodigiously heavy box among his baggage, there were two physicians to attend him, though he had never sent for them, and two devotees who warmed his broths. "I remember," Martin said, "also to have been sick at Paris in my first voyage; I was very poor, thus I had neither friends, devotees, nor doctors, and I recovered." However, what with physic and bleeding, Candide's illness became serious. A parson of the neighborhood came with great meekness to ask for a bill for the other world payable to the bearer. Candide would do nothing for him; but the devotees assured him it was the new fashion. He answered that he was not a man of fashion. Martin wished to throw the priest out of the window. The priest swore that they would not bury Candide. Martin swore that he would bury the priest if he continued to be troublesome. The quarrel grew heated. Martin took him by the shoulders and roughly turned him out of doors; which occasioned great scandal and a law-suit. Candide got well again, and during his convalescence he had very good company to sup with him. They played high. Candide wondered why it was that the ace never came to him; but Martin was not at all astonished. Among those who did him the honours of the town was a little Abbé of Perigord, one of those busybodies who are ever alert, officious, forward, fawning, and complaisant; who watch for strangers in their passage through the capital, tell them the scandalous history of the town, and offer them pleasure at all prices. He first took Candide and Martin to La Comédie, where...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Predator Recognition System
When you possess something valuable, a predictable ecosystem of manipulators will emerge to exploit your vulnerabilities and extract what you have.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how predators create false closeness to lower your defenses before extracting value.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone you barely know suddenly treats you like their best friend—ask yourself what changed and what they might want.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Salon culture
The 18th-century French practice of wealthy people hosting intellectual gatherings in their homes where writers, philosophers, and aristocrats would debate ideas and show off their wit. These salons were centers of cultural power where reputations were made or destroyed.
Modern Usage:
Today we see this in exclusive networking events, influencer circles, or academic conferences where being 'in' with the right people opens doors.
Confidence game
An elaborate scam where criminals gain a victim's trust first, then exploit that trust to steal from them. The con artist appears helpful and friendly while setting up the victim for a bigger theft.
Modern Usage:
Modern examples include romance scams on dating apps, fake investment schemes, or phishing emails that look like they're from your bank.
Cultural capital
Knowledge of art, literature, and social customs that signals your class status and education level. In Candide's Paris, knowing how to behave at the theater or what to say about books marked you as sophisticated.
Modern Usage:
Today it might be knowing wine varieties, having the right streaming subscriptions, or understanding pop culture references that show you're 'in the know.'
Provincial
Someone from outside the big city, considered unsophisticated and naive by urban dwellers. Parisians looked down on anyone from the provinces as backward and easy to fool.
Modern Usage:
We still use this when city people dismiss small-town folks as 'hicks' or when coastal elites look down on middle America.
Philosophical optimism
The belief that everything happens for the best in this 'best of all possible worlds' - the philosophy Candide was taught. This chapter tests whether such optimism can survive real-world corruption and exploitation.
Modern Usage:
Similar to toxic positivity today - the idea that you should always 'look on the bright side' even when facing genuine problems that need addressing.
Abbé
A French clergyman, often from a wealthy family, who might live more like a gentleman than a religious figure. Many abbés in Voltaire's time were more interested in politics and society than spiritual matters.
Modern Usage:
Like televangelists or religious leaders today who use their position for personal gain rather than genuine ministry.
Characters in This Chapter
Candide
Naive protagonist
Arrives in Paris with wealth from El Dorado but becomes an easy target for every schemer in the city. His goodness and foreign innocence make him vulnerable to elaborate cons and social predators.
Modern Equivalent:
The lottery winner who gets taken advantage of by everyone
Martin
Cynical companion
Travels with Candide as his philosophical opposite - where Candide sees good, Martin expects the worst. His pessimism proves more accurate than Candide's optimism in navigating Parisian society.
Modern Equivalent:
The friend who always says 'I told you so' but is usually right
The Abbé of Perigord
Master manipulator
Presents himself as Candide's helpful guide to Parisian society but orchestrates the elaborate fake Cunegonde con. He represents corrupt religious authority using position for personal gain.
Modern Equivalent:
The smooth-talking financial advisor who's actually running a Ponzi scheme
The Marchioness of Parolignac
Seductive thief
Uses her beauty and social position to seduce Candide and steal his diamonds. She represents how high society uses charm and status to mask criminal behavior.
Modern Equivalent:
The Instagram influencer running romance scams on wealthy followers
The Police Officer
Corrupt authority
Arrests Candide on trumped-up charges but releases him immediately when offered diamonds as bribes. Shows how justice can be bought in corrupt systems.
Modern Equivalent:
The cop who lets you off with a warning after seeing your donation sticker
Key Quotes & Analysis
"He entered Paris by the suburb of St. Marceau, and fancied that he was in the dirtiest village of Westphalia."
Context: Candide's first impression of Paris contradicts his expectations of a glamorous capital
This quote shows how reality often fails to match our expectations of prestigious places. Voltaire suggests that beneath Paris's reputation for sophistication lies the same ugliness found everywhere else.
In Today's Words:
The fancy city looked like a dump when he actually got there.
"All strangers are suspect."
Context: When arresting Candide on false charges of being a suspicious foreigner
Reveals how authority figures use xenophobia and fear to justify corruption and abuse of power. The officer's real motive is extracting bribes, not protecting society.
In Today's Words:
We don't trust outsiders around here.
"In this country it is good to kill an Admiral from time to time to encourage the others."
Context: Observing how French society operates through fear and arbitrary punishment
Martin's cynical observation about how systems maintain control through random acts of violence or punishment, making everyone else fall in line through fear rather than justice.
In Today's Words:
They make examples of people to keep everyone else scared and obedient.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Parisian high society uses cultural sophistication to mask moral corruption—elegant thieves are still thieves
Development
Evolved from earlier crude class distinctions to show how refinement can hide exploitation
In Your Life:
You might encounter this when educated professionals use their credentials to pressure you into decisions that benefit them more than you.
Identity
In This Chapter
Candide's foreign identity makes him both exotic and vulnerable—his outsider status attracts predators
Development
Continues theme of how being different makes you a target, but now shows the double-edged nature
In Your Life:
Being new to any environment—job, neighborhood, social group—can make you simultaneously interesting and vulnerable to exploitation.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Parisian society has elaborate rules about culture and sophistication that serve to separate insiders from marks
Development
Shows how social expectations become tools of manipulation rather than genuine cultural values
In Your Life:
You might feel pressure to prove you belong by spending money or agreeing to things that go against your better judgment.
Deception
In This Chapter
The fake Cunegonde scheme shows how predators weaponize your deepest desires and attachments
Development
Introduced here as systematic, organized deception rather than individual lies
In Your Life:
You're most vulnerable to scams that promise exactly what you want most—love, security, recognition, or relief from pain.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Every relationship Candide forms in Paris is transactional—people befriend him to extract value, not for genuine connection
Development
Contrasts sharply with earlier genuine bonds, showing how environment shapes relationship quality
In Your Life:
You might notice some relationships always cost you something while others feel naturally reciprocal and supportive.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific tricks did the Parisians use to separate Candide from his money, and why were they so effective?
analysis • surface - 2
Why did Candide fall for the fake Cunegonde scheme when he had already seen so much deception in his travels?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see similar 'friendship first, then exploitation' patterns in modern life—online, at work, or in your community?
application • medium - 4
If you were Candide's friend, what warning signs would you point out to help him protect himself without becoming paranoid?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter suggest about the relationship between wealth, kindness, and vulnerability in any society?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Design Your Personal Predator Detection System
Create a simple checklist of red flags that would have saved Candide from the Parisian predators. Think about the warning signs when someone is trying to exploit your money, emotions, or kindness. Write down 5-7 specific behaviors or situations that should make you pause and ask 'What does this person really want from me?'
Consider:
- •Look for patterns of artificial urgency or pressure to decide quickly
- •Notice when someone shows excessive interest in your resources before getting to know you personally
- •Pay attention to relationships where you always give but never receive genuine support
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone tried to take advantage of your kindness or resources. What were the warning signs you missed, and how would you handle the same situation today?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 23: English Justice and Absurd Wars
What lies ahead teaches us societies use scapegoating to maintain the illusion of control, and shows us people fight wars over things that aren't worth the cost. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.