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Although he only appears briefly in the novel’s conclusion, the Farmer’s influence is what ultimately allows Candide’s pursuit of happiness to reach its end. The Farmer is a simple, elderly Turkish man who works on a farm alongside his four children, and this lifestyle allows him to distance himself from the chaos of the public sphere of life. He manages to build happiness for himself by diligently working with his own hands rather than relying on outside forces to provide it for him. Especially after all the hardship that Candide and his companions endure throughout earlier sections of the novel, this perspective comes as a welcome reprieve. Adopting this lifestyle, however, requires them to close themselves off from the rest of the world, a move which may initially seem difficult for characters who spend the entire narrative getting involved in global politics. Nevertheless, the Farmer’s argument that life on the farm allows his family to avoid boredom, greed, and evil is ultimately enough to convince Candide of the virtues that accompany this isolationism. As a result of their visit with the Farmer, each member of Candide’s group manages to develop their individual skillsets in a meaningful, productive way. This final dynamic, as well as the character who inspires it, enables Voltaire to promote the importance of individualism, critique the Enlightenment philosophers who he believed had lost sight of reality, and suggest that the world at large is inherently evil. Without the humble Farmer’s influence, Candide and his companions would have remained hopelessly miserable.
