3.

Discuss how two works you have studied present concepts of good and bad, not as absolute
notions, but as a matter of individual perception.

A really interesting comparison can be made between “Candide, or Optimism” by Voltaire and
“The picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. Both novels evaluate how the concepts of good
and bad are more matters of individual perception rather than absolute notions. Voltaire and
Oscar Wilde brought these themes to the extreme by creating an exaggerated reality where
common sense from our actual world and lives does no longer exist. In fact, it is thanks to their
especially drastic and dramatic experiences that the reader manages to question what is the
border line between what is known to be bad and what is instead good.

Candide initially is all about optimism. One of the characters, Pangloss, stubbornly insists that
as God most certainly is perfect, so must be the world he created. Those who do perceive
imperfections are just being irrational, they do not understand God’s grand plan. Their individual
perception of the surrounding evil is inaccurate. However, as events unfold, Pangloss is forced
to admit, even if just towards the end of the novel, that his initial convictions about the world’s
perfections are flawed. In chapter 4, Pangloss meets Candide and narrates to him about how
the castle has been attacked by Burglar soldiers. Many people have died and much was
destroyed. At this Candide replies “(...) Surely the devil is its source?”. “ ‘Not in the least,’replied
that great man. ‘It is an indispensable feature of the best of all possible worlds, a necessary
ingredient’ “. Pangloss then goes on claiming that syphil needed to be transmitted from the
Americas to Europe so that Europeans could enjoy chocolate. This is an example about how
there can not be an absolute notion of good or bad. For some (probably only for Volatire’s
persona) syphil wasn’t as bad because it came in an era of chocolate development, for others, it
was a deadly nightmare. Characters in Candide have different ideas of what is evil and what it
isn’t. It is only by personal experience and certain events that they manage to reach conclusions
and, such as each one of them lives a different life, each one has an individual perception of
good and bad.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, as well, starts off with a positive note. A handsome young man is
constantly tempted by the concept of eternal youth and beauty. He is yet immature and quite
immaculate and does not understand that what makes him appear so innocent is not only his
esthetical look, but also his, for now, clean conscience. As the novel proceeds he commits all
sorts of crimes and immoral acts but what is perceived by others as evil, is by him referred to as
acceptable. It is Lord Henry Wotton who so badly influences the young character and brings him
onto the corrupt path. His portrait, made by his good friend Basil Hallward, carries the sins of
Dorian and ages in his place. He finally kills himself, unable to handle his burdens, by piercing
the canvas with a sword. This is when Mr. Gray reaches the border of acceptable evil for
himself. It is the point where his perception of bad imposes on him such a weight he no longer
feels he can stand it. For others, this limit might have been reached earlier or maybe even later.
It really does depend from the individual. “He wanted to be where no one would know who he
was. He wanted to escape from himself.” Dorian gives up on the belief of living a good life. His
friend Basyl has long ago perceived him as evil, but Dorian himself just started ammitting his
evilness and regret from this moment.
From these two brief novel analyses, it should be noted how the surroundings, people, time and
place influence the characters. In fact, another evidence of how good and bad can be perceived
from an individual front, is how in both novels, women are symbols of purity and innocence.
Surely this is an opinion of the characters. Women, just as men, can have variously different
personalities but there are some, to whom Dorian and Candide are attracted that are
comparably similar. These both appear to be the representation of good as they seem to be
without any sins or even flaws. Surely this is just a personal idea and therefore an individual
perception. For someone else, these two women might not be as grand. “He had told her once
that he was wicked, and she had laughed at him and answered that wicked people were always
very old and very ugly. What a laugh she had!—just like a thrush singing. And how pretty she
had been in her cotton dresses and her large hats! She knew nothing, but she had everything
that he had lost.” For Dorian this anonymous young lady is good, and for her, he is good. As the
book quotes, the girl believes bad people are “always very old and very ugly”. Little does she
know about all the crimes Dorian has committed and little does she seem to care as she firmly
believes that that man is innocent and pure just as he appears. “Her trust makes me faithful, her
belief makes me good. When I am with her, I regret all that you have taught me. I become
different from what you have known me to be.” This instead is a quote deriving from a Dorian’s
speech given to Lord Henry where he affirms that Sibyl Vane, the girl that then kills herself for
him, makes him good. It is just an illusional belief as then the reader finds out that not even this
young lady managed to change Mr. Gray’s path of corruptency.

“Her daughter Cunégonde, seventeen years old and rosy-cheeked, was fresh, plump and
appetizing.” This is how Candide’s woman is described in the first chapter of the book. By this
description the reader perceives a sense of virtue and integrity. Cunégonde is young so must
also be “good”. Yet, it is due to her misbehaviour, the kiss she shares with Candide, that he is
chased out of the castle. It is from this moment that his misfortunes begin. By learning about the
background context and by getting to know the events, the perception of this young girl
changes. Should she have kissed Candide if she is to be considered so “good” and fair? She
does appear unearthly pure at the beginning, almost like an untouchable angel, but as the plot
of the story develops, the reader perceives a more crude to reality version of the same
character. Therefore, also in Candide the theme of individual perception of good and bad is
present. Lovers often tend to fall in love with the idea they have of their lover, not the actual
person himself/herself. To the rest of the world that other half may not be something as
spectacular or unique, yet to that one person, their matching half, may mean and represent the
whole world of goodness and graciousness. Throughout the novel, it is Cunègonde who
motivates Candide the most to never give up. She isn’t mentioned that many times, yet it is her
sole existence, the apparent “good” she symbolizes, that makes the main character believe in
the “best of all possible worlds”.

Therefore, to conclude, Voltaire and Oscar Wilde prove that bad and good are concepts that
derive from individual perceptions of reality rather than absolute notions. How the world is
perceived, greatly depends on the persona, as it is all based on personal experiences of life and
not on preestablished criteria. When nothing too negative has happened, a sad episode may
appear much more dramatic compared to an equal one in a context of sole drama. As the
events unfold in Candide, the initial kiss the main character has shared with Cunègonde loses
value. Instead, at the beginning, it appears to be quite triggering as it is the very first and initial
event that unsettles the reader. The same happens with Dorian Gray. Every crime he committs
keeps getting worse and worse. It becomes a matter of acceptance, until which point are
someone’s actions bearable? Some judge according to the law, but once this borderline is
surpassed, there is no constitution that regulates the amount of moral damage for which
someone is to be held responsible and punished. This virtuous aspect can only be decided on a
personal basis, there is no absolute rule or notion dictated equally to all.