The Old Woman's Story

"I have tried to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life". (Page 57) This is what the old woman says after telling what had been of her life, proving Candide and Cunégonde that she went through a lot more than they did. She was provoked to tell this story by Cunégonde, when she implies with a laughter that no one had suffered more than she had. The old woman's story is a tale full of war, disease, poverty, slavery, abuse and misery. It seems like no one can suffer more than the old woman. She went from having everything to having absolutely nothing and being treated like an priceless object. How she tells the story makes it even more miserable, like how she chooses the order of the words. the syntax of the book when the old woman is telling her story makes the reader be more impressed with the anecdotes each time. After the story was told, even Candide questioned the world's greatest philosopher and his way of seeing life. After hearing that, how can you even think of everything happening for the best? No way. How can you want to keep living after going through all that the old woman went through? Even with Cunégonde's and Candide's story you may be devastated as well. I mean, how can people's fate change so fast?

You've got to be in love with life as the old woman said to want to keep living after living those stories. And not only the stories, but how they end up in those situations. The old woman was a princess! She was recognized all over Italy, with an excellent future before her and somehow ended as a slave. That's how life tests you, putting you down until you can't keep up. I once heard: "It ain't not about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward". I fully agree on that, and respect Candide, Cunégonde and the old woman for moving forward. It is still a book, but in real life there a hundreds of people going through very tough situations, that is why we must not complain about our tiny problems and instead be thankful for what we have. At least in my case it is that way, I sometimes think I am so unfortunate without knowing how fortunate I am and not knowing with what other people are dealing with.

Back to the book. Now, they are in the new world, and their hopes of everything happening for the best in the new world are gone. A nobleman in Buenos "Ayres" wants to marry Lady Cunégonde and Candide has to be gone because they were persecuted for the death of the Inquisitor. Once again, Cunégonde will probably be ravished, the old woman will end up as a slave and Candide will be persecuted to be killed. Good luck finding your loved one again Candide...