To see if Candide’s punishment fits his crime, we must first define the two. What is his crime? The crime of ignorance. He believed in Pangloss’s words to be the only truth. He believed that the world, in which he was living in, was truly the best of all worlds. Kissing Cunegonde was not the crime, but simply a catalyst for the punishment. What is the punishment? The punishment is nothing more than a cruel, ironic journey through life, filled with chaos, misery, and despair. This is a trial for Candide, testing his philosophy, learned from Pangloss.
The punishment is fitting, because it was necessary. For Candide to gain knowledge for himself, instead of taking one’s words, he needed to experience. Instead of living in the cave that was the castle of Baron Thunder-ten Tronckh and listening to what Pangloss told him about the world, his punishment forces him to delve into the world for himself, making mistakes, and learning on his own. Of course, he has a very tough time adjusting, changing his views. He still believed that the world was the best of all worlds, after all the ordeals in Europe. The only difference was that he thought it would be in the New World. Therefore, more tragedy and antics must follow, until he sees his flawed ways.
Candide’s crime of ignorance can only be fixed by experience. His punishment is simply that. It is for Candide to experience life in the world on his own, and for him to develop his own thoughts and philosophy. For that reason, this punishment is fitting.
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