Candide's Punishments, Do They Fit the Crime?

    I think Candide's punishments all stem from the naivety in his actions as Voltaire makes fun of Leibniz' "all is for the best" philosophy. Thus, the punishments are fitting in order to convey Voltaire's point.  The first punishment Candide faces is being exiled from Westphalia after his "experiment" with Cunegonde.  In the frame of Voltaire's satirical voice, this punishment absolutely fits the crime.  No more happy-go-lucky life for Candide, for he only had proof of 71 quarterings.
    Next, Candide is given the choice between being whipped by every man in the regiment or taking twelve bullets to his skull because he has taken a walk at his own leisure.  Of course this punishment isn't fitting for what he's done but, again, it is fitting in Voltaire's goal to make fun of Leibniz' philosophy.
    Even after these punishments, Candide's crimes continue and worsen.  He now kills two men in the name of love.  His punishment is to again be separated from Cunegonde right before they were to be married.  This punishment is all the more fitting because I think the reader has lost any respect there ever was for Candide and his optimism.  The punishment is humorous, as Candide still has not learned to deny the lessons he's learned from Pangloss.
    When the Baron turns on Candide in disgust for wanting to marry Cunegonde, the punishment seems to come round full circle to Candide's original exile.  His punishments started because of his love for Cunegonde and here he is killing the Baron for the same reason.  There seems to be no crime nor punishment too large to stop Candide in his pursuit.

Modern Day Gadfly

    I think that a modern day gadfly is Edward Snowden.  A couple years ago, he exposed a number of government secrets.  He is a gadfly because he did so with no attempt to hide his identity.  He thought there was nothing wrong with his actions and that it was simply information that the public deserved to be aware of.  Though aware that he would suffer from his actions, he felt it was worth it to reveal the government's privacy encroachments on American citizens.
    As any gadfly, Snowden received both support and negative responses for what he's done.

Is the Unexamined Life Worth Living?

   
     

     To examine life is to take into question that which we encounter.  When people examine life, they grow as individuals by understanding what motivates them to do something or why something is a certain way. I would equate a worthless life to one without meaning.  We are unique in our thought and emotion, and without that, we may as well be zombies.  I'm not sure that I understand how two people could even make a true connection if they were not examining life, for if they weren't, what makes them individuals?  It is our perceptions and self-awareness that allow us to express that self to another person.  The individual is definitely a Western concept, but in the society that I've grown up in, it is the strong individual that examines the world and can bring something new.
       Nothing comes of an unexamined life.  Our human experience is distinguished by our ability of mental awareness and to examine our own existence.  Examining one's life allows one to feel emotions, on both ends of the spectrum, to the fullest.  For instance, when someone examines what they are grateful for or finds the beauty around them, they are able to feel joy far beyond anyone who has not examined these pleasures.  Also, when one reads into his or her own faults, those of the community, and of the world, they may feel far deeper remorse than one living an unexamined life.  It is these powerful emotions that give humans the drive to impact society and make meaningful connections with one another.
   

Me

     My name is Adina Cohen, and I have lived in Chicago for all of my life.  I love this place, and I always try to take advantage of everything there is to do here.  My older sister, Sarah, is a Special Education/Spanish teacher in the Bronx, and  my brother, Adam, is currently in his 3rd month out of 2 years in the Peace Corps in Togo, Africa.  I am very close to both of them-hopefully some day we'll all live near each other.  

     A huge part of my life has been being a part of the Chicago Children's Choir.  I joined in 3rd grade and entered the top ensemble in 7th grade.  The purpose of the choir is to bring together a diverse group of kids from all around the city and to promote peace around the city and world.  We rehearse a ton in order to be able to have an impact through our music.  Since 7th grade, I have traveled to Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Italy, and India with the choir.  These trips were life-changing, and the opportunities I've had to sing around Chicago have also given me a drive for social change.  

     I want to do some human rights/social justice related work.  My full year senior experience is with a humanitarian organization, and it's incredible so far.  I am working with their social justice book group to write discussion questions and present what work our organization is doing in the conflict region discussed in the book.  

    Over the summer I worked as a counselor at a sleep away camp in California.  My campers were 8-10 years old...insane little people.  It was very tiring and difficult, but also fun and rewarding.  It was interesting talking to kids with such malleable minds and being able to have an impact on them through the relationships I built.  

    I'm happy to be in classes that I really got to choose this year.  I'm grateful to be at Whitney Young, and I will try not to let my senioritis get in the way of that too much.