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Professor Pangloss no longer accepts his own teachings he simply repeating them because is
always has.
Reconciliation can also be in Candide鈥檚 love for the dearest Miss Cunegonde as well as
Miss Cunegonde鈥檚 own misfortunes. Voltaire writes, 鈥淐andide listened attentively and believed
implicitly; for he found Miss Cunegonde exceedingly pretty鈥︹ and 鈥溾fter being born Baron
of Thunder-Ten-Tronckh, the second order of happiness was to be Miss Cunegonde鈥︹ (Voltaire
356). The palpable na茂vet茅 Candide exhibits regarding love affairs is rooted in the teachings of
Professor Pangloss, 鈥渟ince everything is made to serve an end, everything necessarily serves the
best end鈥 as well as lack of experience in matters of love (Voltaire 356). The feelings Candide
and Cunegonde share for one another are made evident when Voltaire writes, 鈥溾he held his
hand quite innocently, he kissed her hand quite innocently with remarkable vivacity and
emotion; their lips met, their eyes lit up, their knees trembled, their hands wandered鈥 (Voltaire
356). This moment is pivotal to the remainder of the story, as to Candide it is a manifestation of
Professor Pangloss鈥檚 teachings that everything serves an end therefore it serves the best end
(Voltaire 356).
Miss Cunegonde, being another pupil of Professor Pangloss, is eventually liberated of her
indoctrination by her own worldly vicissitudes. After suffering a great deal of misfortune and
finally 鈥渞enouncing Pangloss鈥檚 optimism,鈥 鈥渟he adopts a hard-headed, pragmatic attitude toward
life鈥 (Scherr 93). This approach is made obvious by her submitting to the will and complying
with the wishes of whomever she was slave or mistress to as her survival depended on her
compliance. Had Cunegonde not complied as she did she may have very well been punished
and/or killed. The final transformation of Miss Cunegonde鈥檚 na茂vet茅 to worldliness happens with
the encounter of the old woman. It appears that Miss Cunegonde is na茂ve enough to believe the
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