In the beginning of the book, Candide was innocent and naive. He didn't know the ways of a world he had not seen, and the horrors that existed beyond him. Having done little crime, his punishment in the military was severe. He was flogged nearly to death, until it "exposed every nerve and muscle from the nape of his neck to his backside". No one deserves this. Not even for trying to desert the military. Especially when Candide did not understand the way things worked yet.
Now Candide has grown much in experience and has killed three people. He has been spared his life throughout the book and has taken three lives. Whatever punishment for these crimes that come his way will be harder to dismiss. It's not so easy to overlook a murderer's deeds. There no longer is an excuse for Candide.
I think the point is that Candide was born a good person, but the world corrupted him. It was an especially big shock when he found out what the real world was like because he had lived so long in the castle. So that caused his reaction to be so strong when he got out.
ReplyDelete