Lesson Overview 

Opening lessons are the best.  In this case, so many students will come in amazed at how funny this book is.  And as Dr. Ralph would say - the amazing thing about that is - the book is still funny even in translation.  I've said it before - that is one reason why getting the right translation is so important - and there is no better (IMHO) than the one by John Butte.
    The opening discussion for Candide is different than any other novel that I teach.  Because the plot and characterizations  are so paper thin - it's important to get to the reason for that (their 2 dimensionality).  In order to do that, after we cover what literally happens, plotwise, is Chapter 1  - we talk about Satire and  the meaning of "Panglossian".  In fact, after we all understand that term - we come up with our Panglossisms (Panglossian Quotes).
    After we go over what Satire is (see handout) - I ask the students to find as many examples of Satire as they possibly can on the first page (sometimes I might give the entire Chapter 1).  I give them 5 minutes and then jump in and go over as many as we possibly can (and still get to everything else in the lesson).  For my sample novel page with notes - I've given the first page and that has many of the examples of satire that can be found (but students will always find other ones too!)
    A panglossism is the idea of taking something terrible and somehow turning it on its head so comes up looking like that's a good thing (named after the novel's most prominent philosopher and tutor - Pangloss).  Pangloss might say that it terrible that we have diseases found in the New World, BUT it is the best for all possible worlds because we now have chocolate.  We do this at the end of the period - after the other parts of the discussion (see below and my teacher notes).  You go through it with the students - give a few examples - and warn them very carefully - whatever they say must NOT be cruel or hurtful.  For instance, it is fine to say, as an example, "It is terrible that the school burned down yesterday, but it is for the best of all possible worlds - because now we have no homework!" - but  you would never want the quote to be about someone or something that could offend or hurt someone's feelings.  Again, you would do this at the end - after talking about the Chapter (1) and going over what satire is.
  The plan for the rest of opening lesson is to have a teacher-led discussion where I talk as little as possible (see my page on types of discussions)  -and let the students bring up anything they want in their reading while at the same time having a plan for where the discussion is going - and like all classes, I see every discussion as a "chapter in a book".  It has a plot, a theme, a link to things that came before and a preview of what is to come.  I have attached my notes for the discussion as well as a sample page of my reading notes.  It is important, I believe, to not only build the students' interest - but to help them see information (and to bring it from them) that will make them appreciate and enjoy the book even more.
  If I can find it - I do have a handout I gave some classes, some years about the meaning of satire - though my favorite (and to me the truist definition) is that "Satire is the thing that opens on Broadway on Friday - and closes on Saturday".

Thoughts on the Lesson 

It really is fun seeing all these old lesson notes - the more I taught, the more specific I became in my own directions on how to proceed with the lesson.  I think that is mostly a good thing - but I also know something was lost too.  An opening lesson sets the tone for the rest of the novel.  It is so important to bring the teacher's excitement and bring that to the rest of the class.  I said that last time too - but I'll add that this book surprises the students because it is so funny.  At the same time - Voltaire brings up some very serious subjects: slavery, war, abduction and more.  The serious and the humorous is something we just saw in The History of Love.  Wonderful connections.