Candide

Candide

In Voltaire’s Candide, he obviously wants and attempts to verbalize his thoughts on a subject that cannot be and must be disguised in a storybook form on the state of the world. As we can see, Voltaire’s novella discusses some extreme situations in the world during that time and critiques topics such as the theory of Optimism in order to obligate his readers to surface and think about the issues that were at hand.

In Candide, I believe there are a number of things that Voltaire is in complete disagreement with and wishes to critique thoroughly by means of comparison to certain states of belief and circumstance. First, I believe Voltaire is critiquing aspects of the theory of Optimism by relating it to certain natural disasters and unfortunate circumstances that occurred. For example: Voltaire unreasonably being thrown out of Lady CunÐ"©gonde's - his mistress - castle and afterwards being forced into service with the Bulgar army and fights in a pointless war in which thousands die. Secondly, Candide and his old teacher, Dr. Pangloss - a philosopher, are shipped wrecked and are the only survivors besides another sailor and afterwards endure an earthquake. During these two obvious tragedies, Dr. Pangloss continues to stress that these situations are occurring for a reason. Also, Candide had apparently stabbed and killed Baron and had also watched his teacher,Dr. Pangloss, hang to death. After these tragedies, Candide and his valet, Cacambo, travel to a country called El Dorado and it is here that they come in contact with what appears to be a “perfect world” where all men are considered equal and where money is of no importance; Candide and Cacambo are astonished and confused at how this could be so. After years and journeys had past, Candide is miraculously reunited with the Baron and Pangloss and comes to the realization that neither had died as he had so reasonably assumed and due to the abrupt change in his life, desires to travel back to Constantinople to reunite with his beloved Lady Cunegonde, only to find that she has become very ugly and no longer desires to marry her.

I believe Voltaire is trying to communicate that despite how wonderful things may appear to be and may become, a “perfect world” is unobtainable and unachievable. I also believe that Voltaire is stressing the fact that as human beings, we cannot be content and we cannot achieve complete happiness. He describes the great country El Dorado as the perfect world and he also obtains what every individual would desire вЂ" a home with no worries and no difficulties even after all his previous mistakes were undone. There is no way to please human