Candide's Punishments, Do They Fit the Crime?

                Candide, a naïve and vulnerable, young man embarks on an adventure after being thrown out of the Baron’s castle. After he had an encounter with the Baron’s daughter, Cunegonde, Candide’s luck runs out while he ventures around the world with several companions. Candide’s vulnerability often got him into a lot of trouble but his wit and surprising turn of events save his life.

                Candide’s misfortunes began at the gauntlet, where he was being punished by the army for taking a walk. This was an innocent move and Candide did not deserve a flogging. He was unaware of the strict rules of the army. After the Portuguese burned people alive to prevent future earthquakes,  they hanged Pangloss and flog Candide. Pangloss was hanged because he publicly announced his ideas and Candide was sentenced to a flogging because he listened to Pangloss with an air of curiosity. Candide did not deserve this punishment once again because listening to another person’s ideas is curiosity, not an illegal action that should be regulated by the government. Candide’s tendency to get involved in a certain situation at the wrong place at the wrong time causes lot of trouble. He gets sentenced to punishments that he does not deserve because he doesn’t know how to react to certain surroundings. Living in a castle and being taught by one philosopher, Pangloss, does not give  Candide a good understanding  of the functioning world. Therefore, his susceptibility  for getting blamed or fooled is not fair due to his lack of the malevolence in the world. 

Who is the Modern Gadfly?

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.”

These are the words of Nelson Mandela, the leader of the African National Congress known for his lifelong struggle against apartheid and being the first African American president in South Africa. His encouraging words emphasize the importance of being brilliant, beautiful, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous. Mandela preaches to listening souls about the consequence of manifesting the Glory of God that is within us. He stated that there is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. He wants people to let their own light shine because that unconsciously triggers others to do the same. “As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” He wants the human race to be confident and to stand up for what they believe is right. He encourages the citizens of the world to be strong and that strength will diffuse onto others which will create positive change and peace in my parts of the world. The philosophy he follows states that “I am what I am because of who we all are” which shows how much he believes in people working as a whole, united,  toward one goal.

I have a lot of respect for Nelson Mandela due to the fact that he stood up for what he believed in and was sentenced to prison for it. His main concern was the people and their futures, not his own. He preaches to this very day about the importance of people uniting to create a positive change. 

The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living?

Socrates studied scientific theories that led him to construct the principle which states that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” We were put on this Earth as human beings with not only a body, but also a mind that is meant to question our existence. I agree with Socrates and believe that in order to be a part of this Earth; we have to ask ourselves the purpose of our existence. Everyone has a path that they create for themselves in life, whether it is a positive or negative one. Every person has an impact on others, whether they realize it or not.  Everyone is significant to this planet, which is why we must question our every move and the objects around us.

                We, as people, are born into different environments that contain racism, sexism, and discrimination. We develop a certain self awareness after being faced with racism that alters our behavior and the way we see ourselves. When someone views us in a certain way, after a while we convince ourselves that we are who that person says we are. Humans tend to obsess over their negative features in order to be more motivated to fix them in order to please not themselves, but the people around them. Du Bois thought deeply about the experience of being an African American in a nation that consigned nonwhites to second class citizenship. He discovered that he saw himself both as he was to himself, inwardly, and how he was seen by the white people. In my opinion, when you are seen as inferior in another race’s eye, you too begin to see yourself as they see you because of the constant reminder of their view of you. We then begin to question ourselves because we do not know who we truly are because on one hand, we see ourselves as regular people living out our lives while others see us as inferior. Are we inferior to the entire nation? How do others perceive me? What am I doing in this world? In order to feel a part of this world, we must question and find the answers that we seek. 

Eulogy

Samantha Kania, loving daughter, sister, and friend, will forever be remembered as a polite, responsible, optimistic young woman who lived her life to the fullest with no regrets. Samantha devoted her precious time to family and friends whom she cared very deeply about. She was a young woman who focused on the people around her; she valued the love, care, and companionship that they provided her with. She loved her family and was an excellent role model for her younger brother who was following in her academic footsteps, climbing up the ladder of success. In her mind, there was nothing that could not be achieved; she pushed everyone around her to do their best because she believed in their potential. Her friends saw her as one that brought them all together, looking to have a new adventure whether it was at the beach, in the city, or in the neighborhood. For her, there were no limits on the things that an adolescent could experience while they were still able to. Seeing the ones she loved with a huge smile on their face was of the major things in life that made Samantha happy.


The thing about Samantha that struck people the most was the fact that she cared so much about her loved ones’ well being. There was never a problem that she couldn’t address and try to help solve. If a family member or friend was ever in need, Samantha was certainly ready to assist them in whatever they needed. She was never selfish and wanted the best for everyone. Her generous, warm heart was always willing to give. Friends and family could trust her with problems, secrets, and the latest gossip.

Aside from probably being one of the world’s worst drivers, Samantha was a very responsible young adult who dreamed of succeeding in life. Throughout her entire academic career, she strived to do her best at all times. Samantha worked very hard, believed in herself, and soaked in all the positive encouragement that her family and friends provided her with. She always wanted to make her parents proud of their only daughter and that motivated her to be successful in both the academic field and the field of life.