Summary
Candide and Martin arrive in England, where Martin explains that every country has its own brand of foolishness. The English and French are fighting an expensive war over worthless land in Canada, spending far more than the territory could ever be worth. At Portsmouth, they witness a shocking public execution: an English Admiral is ceremonially shot by firing squad while crowds watch approvingly. When Candide asks why, he learns the Admiral failed to kill enough enemies in battle against the French. The twisted logic? 'In this country it is found good, from time to time, to kill one Admiral to encourage the others.' This bureaucratic cruelty horrifies Candide so deeply that he refuses to set foot on English soil, immediately arranging passage to Venice instead. The episode reveals how institutions use punishment as theater, sacrificing individuals to maintain the appearance of accountability. Voltaire skewers both the absurdity of colonial wars fought over worthless territory and the way societies rationalize violence through ceremony and tradition. For Candide, witnessing this calculated cruelty marks another step in his education about human nature and institutional power. His horror and immediate departure show he's developing clearer moral boundaries, refusing to participate in or normalize what he recognizes as fundamentally wrong, even when society presents it as justice.
Coming Up in Chapter 24
In Venice, Candide hopes to finally reunite with his beloved Cunegonde, but the city of romance may hold more surprises about love, loyalty, and the people we think we know best.
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An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 443 words)
CANDIDE AND MARTIN TOUCHED UPON THE COAST OF ENGLAND, AND WHAT THEY SAW THERE. "Ah, Pangloss! Pangloss! Ah, Martin! Martin! Ah, my dear Cunegonde, what sort of a world is this?" said Candide on board the Dutch ship. "Something very foolish and abominable," said Martin. "You know England? Are they as foolish there as in France?" "It is another kind of folly," said Martin. "You know that these two nations are at war for a few acres of snow in Canada,[31] and that they spend over this beautiful war much more than Canada is worth. To tell you exactly, whether there are more people fit to send to a madhouse in one country than the other, is what my imperfect intelligence will not permit. I only know in general that the people we are going to see are very atrabilious." Talking thus they arrived at Portsmouth. The coast was lined with crowds of people, whose eyes were fixed on a fine man kneeling, with his eyes bandaged, on board one of the men of war in the harbour. Four soldiers stood opposite to this man; each of them fired three balls at his head, with all the calmness in the world; and the whole assembly went away very well satisfied. "What is all this?" said Candide; "and what demon is it that exercises his empire in this country?" He then asked who was that fine man who had been killed with so much ceremony. They answered, he was an Admiral.[32] "And why kill this Admiral?" "It is because he did not kill a sufficient number of men himself. He gave battle to a French Admiral; and it has been proved that he was not near enough to him." "But," replied Candide, "the French Admiral was as far from the English Admiral." "There is no doubt of it; but in this country it is found good, from time to time, to kill one Admiral to encourage the others." Candide was so shocked and bewildered by what he saw and heard, that he would not set foot on shore, and he made a bargain with the Dutch skipper (were he even to rob him like the Surinam captain) to conduct him without delay to Venice. The skipper was ready in two days. They coasted France; they passed in sight of Lisbon, and Candide trembled. They passed through the Straits, and entered the Mediterranean. At last they landed at Venice. "God be praised!" said Candide, embracing Martin. "It is here that I shall see again my beautiful Cunegonde. I trust Cacambo as myself. All is well, all will be well, all goes as well as possible."
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Institutional Theater - When Organizations Perform Justice Instead of Delivering It
Organizations stage public punishment of individuals to maintain credibility while avoiding systemic change.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when organizations stage public punishment to avoid addressing systemic problems.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when workplace problems result in individual blame rather than policy changes—ask yourself what systemic issue might be hiding behind the scapegoating.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Atrabilious
Bad-tempered, melancholy, or irritable. Martin uses this old-fashioned word to describe the English people they're about to encounter. It comes from ancient medicine's belief that black bile caused depression and anger.
Modern Usage:
We'd say someone is 'moody' or 'has anger issues' - the idea that some people or cultures are just naturally grumpier than others.
Scapegoating
Blaming and punishing one person for a larger problem they didn't entirely cause. The Admiral becomes the fall guy for England's military failures. It makes people feel like justice was served without fixing the real issues.
Modern Usage:
When a company fires one manager after a data breach, or a coach gets blamed when the whole team underperforms.
Colonial Wars
Conflicts between European powers over distant territories and trade routes. Voltaire mocks how England and France spend fortunes fighting over 'a few acres of snow' in Canada that aren't worth the cost.
Modern Usage:
Modern wars over resources like oil, or corporate battles over market share that cost more than the prize is worth.
Institutional Theater
When organizations stage dramatic punishments or ceremonies to show they're 'doing something' about problems. The Admiral's execution is pure show - it doesn't actually improve military performance.
Modern Usage:
Airport security theater, zero-tolerance school policies, or corporate firings after scandals - actions designed to look tough rather than solve problems.
Bureaucratic Logic
The twisted reasoning institutions use to justify cruel or senseless policies. 'Kill one admiral to encourage the others' treats human lives like management tools in a bizarre cost-benefit analysis.
Modern Usage:
Corporate policies that punish workers for company failures, or harsh sentencing to 'send a message' rather than actually prevent crime.
Moral Boundaries
The lines we draw about what we will and won't participate in or accept as normal. Candide's horror and refusal to set foot on English soil shows he's developing clearer standards about right and wrong.
Modern Usage:
Deciding you won't work for certain companies, refusing to gossip, or walking away from toxic situations even when others think it's normal.
Characters in This Chapter
Candide
Protagonist learning harsh lessons
His horror at witnessing the Admiral's execution shows he's developing moral clarity. Unlike earlier in the story, he now recognizes institutional cruelty and refuses to normalize it by immediately leaving England.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who quits a job after seeing how the company really treats people
Martin
Cynical realist guide
Serves as Candide's worldly interpreter, explaining that every country has its own brand of foolishness. He's unsurprised by the Admiral's execution, having seen enough of human nature to expect institutional cruelty.
Modern Equivalent:
The experienced coworker who warns you about office politics and isn't shocked by management's bad decisions
The Admiral
Sacrificial victim
Executed not for cowardice or treason, but for failing to kill enough enemies. He represents how institutions sacrifice individuals to maintain the appearance of accountability while avoiding real change.
Modern Equivalent:
The middle manager fired after a company scandal to protect the executives who made the real decisions
Key Quotes & Analysis
"You know that these two nations are at war for a few acres of snow in Canada, and that they spend over this beautiful war much more than Canada is worth."
Context: Martin explains the absurdity of the English-French colonial conflict to Candide
Voltaire mocks how nations waste enormous resources fighting over territories that aren't worth the cost. The phrase 'beautiful war' drips with sarcasm, highlighting how politicians romanticize conflicts that drain treasuries and cost lives.
In Today's Words:
These countries are burning through money fighting over land that's not even worth what they're spending on the war.
"In this country it is found good, from time to time, to kill one Admiral to encourage the others."
Context: Explaining why the Admiral was executed for not being aggressive enough in battle
This chilling line exposes how institutions use fear and punishment as management tools. The casual tone makes it even more horrifying - treating human execution as routine personnel policy.
In Today's Words:
Sometimes you have to fire someone publicly to keep everyone else in line.
"What is all this? and what demon is it that exercises his empire in this country?"
Context: Candide's reaction to witnessing the Admiral's ceremonial execution
Candide recognizes the systematic cruelty as something demonic - not random evil, but organized institutional violence. His language shows he understands this isn't just one bad decision but a corrupted system.
In Today's Words:
What kind of messed-up system is running this place?
Thematic Threads
Power
In This Chapter
Institutional power protects itself by sacrificing individuals in public ceremonies
Development
Evolved from earlier chapters showing personal corruption to revealing systemic institutional cruelty
In Your Life:
You might see this when your workplace fires someone to appease angry customers while keeping the policies that created the problem.
Identity
In This Chapter
Candide's developing moral identity leads him to reject participation in normalized violence
Development
Shows significant growth from his earlier passive acceptance of cruelty
In Your Life:
You might recognize your own moral boundaries hardening when you refuse to participate in workplace bullying, even when it's culturally accepted.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Society expects citizens to approve of ceremonial violence as justice and patriotism
Development
Builds on earlier themes of social pressure to conform to harmful norms
In Your Life:
You might feel pressure to applaud when your company publicly disciplines someone, even when you know they're being scapegoated.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Martin serves as Candide's guide, helping him interpret the meaning behind social rituals
Development
Continues the pattern of Candide needing wise counsel to understand complex social dynamics
In Your Life:
You might rely on a trusted friend or mentor to help you see through institutional spin and recognize what's really happening.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does the English Admiral get executed, and what does the crowd's reaction tell us about how society views this punishment?
analysis • surface - 2
The saying 'kill one Admiral to encourage the others' reveals what strategy institutions use when things go wrong - why might this approach be appealing to those in power?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen this pattern of blaming individuals for systemic problems in your workplace, school, or community?
application • medium - 4
If you found yourself in a workplace that regularly scapegoated individuals for institutional failures, what specific steps would you take to protect yourself?
application • deep - 5
Candide refuses to even step on English soil after witnessing this execution - what does this teach us about the importance of having clear moral boundaries?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Spot the Scapegoat Pattern
Think of a recent news story where someone was fired or punished after a major failure. Write down what the person did wrong, then list three systemic issues that might have contributed to the problem. Consider whether the punishment addressed the root causes or just provided a public show of accountability.
Consider:
- •Look beyond the individual's actions to examine policies, resources, and institutional pressures
- •Ask whether similar problems keep happening even after people get punished
- •Consider who benefits when attention focuses on individual blame rather than system reform
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you were blamed for something that had deeper causes beyond your control. How did you handle it, and what would you do differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 24: When Appearances Deceive
Moving forward, we'll examine to recognize that surface happiness often masks deep pain, and understand people perform contentment when they're actually struggling. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.