Candide · Chapter
XV: How Candide Killed the Brother of His Dear Cunégonde explained
Candide meets Cunégonde's brother, the Jesuit Baron, who recounts his survival and rise to colonel and priest in Paraguay.
What happens
Candide meets Cunégonde's brother, the Jesuit Baron, who recounts his survival and rise to colonel and priest in Paraguay. When Candide declares his intention to marry Cunégonde, the Baron violently rejects him, leading to a fatal duel. Cacambo helps Candide escape by disguising him in the Baron's Jesuit habit.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Inequality
The Baron's outrage at Candide's proposal to marry his sister highlights rigid class distinctions and the absurdity of noble pride.
Suffering and Human Cruelty
Candide's accidental killing of the Baron adds to his growing list of violent acts, reflecting the pervasive cruelty of the world.
Characters to notice
- Candide
Kills Cunégonde's brother in a duel after the Baron refuses his marriage proposal.
- The Baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh
Reveals himself as a Jesuit colonel in Paraguay; insults Candide and is killed by him.
- Cacambo
Helps Candide escape by disguising him in the Baron's Jesuit habit.
- Cunégonde
Mentioned as the sister of the Baron and the object of Candide's marriage intentions.
Key passages
“You insolent!... would you have the impudence to marry my sister who has seventy-two quarterings!”
The Baron angrily rejects Candide's proposal, citing his sister's noble lineage.
Highlights the theme of social class and the Baron's aristocratic prejudice.
“I have killed my old master, my friend, my brother-in-law! I am the best-natured creature in the world, and yet I have already killed three men, and of these three two were priests.”
Candide laments his unintended violence, noting his ironic role as a killer despite his gentle nature.
Emphasizes Candide's internal conflict and the absurdity of his situation.