Love is
not an especially prominent theme in . But it's there all the same.
Candide's love for Cun©gonde is the catalyst for his weird and wonderful odyssey. Candide has
been separated from Cun©gonde by the Baron because he wishes to break things up between them.
Candide sets out to get her back, and his epic quest to be reunited with his lady love echoes
throughout the story.
But the downside of love, hintscynically, is that it
invariably lands you in hot water. This is certainly what happens to Candide himself. Love leads
to desire, and desire leads to seemingly endless conflict and trouble. Yet all this love, and
all this desire, is ultimately worth it in the end. For when Candide finally catches up with
Cun©gonde once more, he finds that her appearance has changed, and not for the better. Despite
Cun©gonde's somewhat homely appearance, however, Candide still loves her, and insists on
marrying her. True love is contrasted here with the shallow desires of the likes of Dr.
Pangloss, who contracts syphilis after conducting what is euphemistically described as "a
lesson in experimental natural philosophy" with the chambermaid
Paquette.
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