Utopia in a Dystopia?

Candide's and Cacambo's journey has made a turn of the best. After all the torturous path they had taken from Paraguay, escaping the barbaric Oreillons they had found hope. “They had a rough idea which direction to take, but they found formidable obstacles everywhere in the shape of mountains, rivers, precipices, brigands, and savages.” (pg. 73).

ad found themselves in Eldorado which had blown theirs minds on the way the people lived and prospered. “’What Country can this be?’ said one to the other. ‘It must be unknown to the rest of the world, because everything is so different from what we are used to. It is probably the country where all goes well: for there must obviously be some such place. And whatever professor Pangloss might say, I often noticed that all went badly in all Westphalia.’” (pg. 77). They both had wandered into this utopia without recognizing it. Somehow their luck had just changed. As they explore this unknown territory they are surprised to learn of how peaceful it is with no disputes what-so-ever.

Their reactions must be represented as those from the early colonization time period. They are baffled as they see ordinary children playing with gold and jewels and how they are interpreted as their useless rocks. Something so regular for some can be such a treasure to others. Just like the spaniards with the Incas' gold.

What makes this a utopia is not the gold and jewels that is surrounding the whole city but the culture. I can remember in one of my first english class of the semester, I had to create a utopia. In my utopia I wrote that it must include rights for everyone, equality, freedom of speech and no disputes between people. Eldorado basically described a utopia that included most of the ideas I had for mine. It is a utopia inside a dystopia. It is funny how the it has not yet fallen into the misfortune of corruption as the rest of the world has.

I am eager to know what will happen to both our protagonists while they stay in "paradise".