Candide by Voltaire
"It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.” Voltaire
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Candide by Voltaire: Candide is perhaps the novel that I ended up abandoning in my World Literature class the most - always to come back to it - regretting that year that we learned without it. It is an essential book for Seniors going on shortly to college (and then more!) to read. The idea of "working in the Garden", finding what we are good at and pursuing it - rather than merely drifting along (Candide and Cacambo in El Dorado) is such a helpful idea for them at this stage in their lives. It is the perfect bookend to Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon - it is short, it is funny, and though it is satire it also brings in the important idea that we are what we do - not we intend to do - not what we dream ourselves being. On top of that - it gives the teacher a great excuse to show the movie, The Graduate.
It is crucial to get the right edition of Candide. For me that is the Penguin edition translated by John Butt. It is a modern (1947) translation - and it is very funny. If you want your students to see how these ideas are universal - well nothing works better than getting them to laugh at something 250 years old. As I stated before, I was lucky enough to teach at a school where the students (most of them) could buy their books - that also makes a huge difference. Getting students to take notes is crucial.
For a long time, I have given students, bookmarks for the novels: (Docx PDF) that we read with due dates and references to poems and other related material that are, then, available at a glance - It allows them to plan their time and for students that need more time for reading - they can begin early (I try to give them the bookmarks a week early.
Our second set of poems (after The History of Love ones). In addition to giving students a chance to go over poetry - it also allows the teacher to bring in a more diverse set of works to put the novel they are reading in context. Gosh there are some great poems in this packet! I've found these little units also give me a great chance to discover new, powerful poems - as well as the students. I really believe that a teacher needs to keep pushing themselves - if not with new novels - then new methods, new context, and yes - new poems (and films!)
Our opening discussion for Candide! We have a lot to cover - but the reading was tiny (either 1-2 or 1-5 depending on your schedule) - and the students are happy because they realize what a quick read this book will be (students always focus on how long a book is). In our discussion, besides covering what happens in Chapters 1-2 (even if I assign further in the book - our discussion usually ends at 2), we will talk about the definition of satire, the definition of Panglossian - and the students will have a chance to come up with their very own Panglossian statement about something in our current world.
The first group work for Candide. It helps that they've covered satire (in our opening discussion) and the idea of the humor in Candide - and now they will also tackle some of the serious issues that Voltaire puts forward in his novel - including the idea of Nature versus Nurture and the hypocrisy of men. The students are by now comfortable in their own groups - and they know that if they didn't do the reading - they will have to do the group work for homework.
Though we focus on 4 to 8, in I have also gone back further and have gone as far as Chapter 10 as well. This is a Ringmaster Teacher discussion. And there is SO much to discuss. The hypocrisy that Candide encounters in Holland - finding Pangloss once again. The kindness of James the Anabaptist and of course the terrible events that take place in Lisbon.
One of the biggest lessons of the year. While Candide often seems "cartoon-like" and two-dimensional, there is also a very serious under current that applies so much to the lives that the reader is living. . Students begin by connecting quotes from what we have and will read as well as other works - and then we come together as a class to discuss them.
A pretty straightforward discussion - we pick up with Chapter 8 - and of course this is after the huge previous activity we did on The Search. This is a typical Ringmaster Teacher discussion. The teacher asks the questions - students volunteer answers, and of course you are always prepared to let the discussion go where it will go.
The Vertext is the preferred way to go - there is so much in these chapters. The Vertext also brings in one of the poems we read before - so that students can - for a change - point the finger at ourselves for who is to blame for the misery of forced labor.
In addition to linking the current reading with some earlier works that we've done in class - this assignment also asks the students to consider the diversity of Candide - and just who should be reading it.
Though the previous lesson's Group Work covered all the way to Chapter 24 - sometimes (though not often in my class) I feel it is important to go over some ideas and text that are either not covered in the Group Work OR are so important that they need a second (whole class) look. Also, Chapter 25 is so important with Count Pococurante AND also we get a wonderful differentiation in Martin (who becomes to my mind - the most complex character in the novel).
Three Paths to Understanding - Candide 9 - Chapters 21 to 28
Three Paths to Understanding - Candide 9 - Chapters 21 to 28
Candide is a very short book - and over the years, I gave out different readings (the number of Chapters). How we covered those readings also varied. This pentultimate lesson will get us caught up to our very last discussion - using two very different methods. Each of the methods will also cover a different number of chapters. There are also Group Works that cover just 26 to 28, rather than the larger AP Group Work which goes all the way from 21 to 28.
A Ring Master Teacher Discussion - there is just so much to talk about - so much to discover here - that I see no other way. However, at the end of the previous class I told the students to bring in one very specific thing - quote, comment, or question about the novel that they would be willing to share. At the end of my Ringmaster Discussion - we get to all of the students comments.
Students will watch a film - answering some questions immediately - and more involved thinking prompts at home. This movie will tie itself, critical thinking wise, not only to Candide but to The History of Love as well.
There are two different versions of the exam - and the first (the most recent) has an answer key as well. The questions are designed to test comprehension of the book as well as what we have been doing in class.
There are three versions of the essay for Candide here. There is one designed to be done as homework. That same essay prompt is also available in a version to be done in class - and finally, there is a version modeled after AP Literature Exams - complete with a Partner Workshop Handout to go over what they wrote.
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