Candide
by Voltaire
Table of Contents
Chapters 21-25
Chapter 21 Summary
Candide asks Martin whether he has ever been in France before. Martin replies
that he has, and lists several misfortunes he suffered there. He found the French to
be foolish, rude, and deceptive. Paris, he says, “is a mere chaos; a crowd in which
everyone is in search after pleasure, but no one finds it.” When asked whether he
believes in the stories of the Bible, Martin says he doesn’t believe in that book or
any other book of its kind. Candide asks why the world was created, to which Martin
responds, “to make people mad.” Candide wonders whether men have always been
so deceptive, greedy, and cutthroat. In reply, Martin asks whether hawks have always
preyed on pigeons. Candide argues that men are different from animals because they
have free will; therefore, men are capable of changing their nature.
Chapter 22 Summary
a carriage. He and Martin stop in Paris on their way to Venice. Candide becomes very ill
as soon as they reach their hotel. Because of the large diamond he wears on his finger,
Candide is suddenly overwhelmed with doctors and new friends who sit in his room at
all times. All the medical care only worsens Candide’s condition, and he appears to be
at death’s door. The town clerk asks Candide to pay in advance for his burial, and
Martin throws the clerk from the room. Eventually, Candide recovers and takes to
playing cards for high stakes with his new friend, a cleric of Perigord, and other
residents of the hotel. The naïve Candide loses badly at cards because he is...
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