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Candide Chapter 13 Summary

  • At the Old Woman’s suggestion, Cunégonde and Candide persuade each passenger on the boat to recount their life stories.
  • The group arrives and the extremely arrogant Governor Don Fernando d’Ibaraa y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza asks if Cunégonde and Candide are married.
  • Candide, too honest to lie, says that they plan to marry soon. Bad move.
  • The Governor sends Candide off to deal with some troops and in the meantime asks Cunégonde to marry him.
  • The penniless Cunégonde feels tempted. She asks the Old Woman for advice.
  • The Old Woman says that if she were Cunégonde, she would marry the Governor.
  • The Old Woman learns that the man who stole Cunégonde’s riches at the inn was caught and unfortunately confessed to having stolen them from Cunégonde. Since the stolen money originally belonged to the Grand Inquisitor, the authorities are now in pursuit of Cunégonde and her companions.
  • The Old Woman advises Cunégonde to stay where she is and marry the Governor for protection. Candide can just run away, since he seems to be good at that anyway.