Comparing Voltaire's Candide And Optimism
Candide and Optimism
Voltaire’s Candide is well known for its humorous satire with many different themes. Voltaire did not agree with the philosophies of German philosopher Leibniz or with English poet Alexander Pope. They believed that the world created by God was the best of all possibilities and was a world of perfect order and reason. In fact, the character Pangloss was modeled after Leibniz and his optimistic statement, “best of all possible worlds” is used throughout Candide’s journey.
The novel has themes on the folly of being optimistic, evils of money, political and religion oppression. Candide is a naive illegitimate nephew of a German Baron. He grows up in the castle and is tutored by the all-knowing scholar Pangloss. Candide believes
in Dr. Pangloss’s teachings even that this world is “the best of all possible worlds.” He is in love with the Baron’s daughter, Cunégonde, and when kissing her, he is thrown out of the castle. Candide has never seen anything of the world outside of the castle; he has no money and doesn’t understand how the world works. One day he is a hero, the next day he is being flogged. He meets up with Dr. Pangloss and they travel together. During their journey, they have suffered from floggings, robberies, diseases, betrayals, and an earthquake. The women characters all suffer from rape and some are even forced into sexual slavery. Pangloss being the optimistic one is always coming up with farfetched reasons that these happenings are a part of God’s plan I believe that Voltaire was trying to say that nothing good comes from a person being too optimistic or too pessimistic; that just because you believe you are religious, it doesn’t make you a good person or stop bad things from happening to you; and finally that money and love will not make you happy.
Voltaire’s Candide is well known for its humorous satire with many different themes. Voltaire did not agree with the philosophies of German philosopher Leibniz or with English poet Alexander Pope. They believed that the world created by God was the best of all possibilities and was a world of perfect order and reason. In fact, the character Pangloss was modeled after Leibniz and his optimistic statement, “best of all possible worlds” is used throughout Candide’s journey.
The novel has themes on the folly of being optimistic, evils of money, political and religion oppression. Candide is a naive illegitimate nephew of a German Baron. He grows up in the castle and is tutored by the all-knowing scholar Pangloss. Candide believes
in Dr. Pangloss’s teachings even that this world is “the best of all possible worlds.” He is in love with the Baron’s daughter, Cunégonde, and when kissing her, he is thrown out of the castle. Candide has never seen anything of the world outside of the castle; he has no money and doesn’t understand how the world works. One day he is a hero, the next day he is being flogged. He meets up with Dr. Pangloss and they travel together. During their journey, they have suffered from floggings, robberies, diseases, betrayals, and an earthquake. The women characters all suffer from rape and some are even forced into sexual slavery. Pangloss being the optimistic one is always coming up with farfetched reasons that these happenings are a part of God’s plan I believe that Voltaire was trying to say that nothing good comes from a person being too optimistic or too pessimistic; that just because you believe you are religious, it doesn’t make you a good person or stop bad things from happening to you; and finally that money and love will not make you happy.