Candide 2
Candide 2Voltaire’s Candide
Optimism vs. Reality
Thesis: The story of Candide deals with irrational ideas taught to Candide about being optimistic, versus reality as seen by the rest of the world.
I. Optimism – Overwhelming theme
A. Candide learns optimism
B. Pangloss as a very hopeful character
C. Twist in the themes of the story
II. Contrast within the Story
A. Martin as a pessimist
B. Effects of the optimism on Candide
C. Voltaire’s view of Pangloss
Conclusion: Candide learns to become his own person, to accept life for what it has to offer, and that not everything has to be analyzed to decide whether or not it was good or bad. In this way, Candide can be an example for all those who read his story.
Voltaire’s Candide
Optimism vs. Reality
Voltaire's Candide is a novel which contains many conceptual ideas and, at the same time, is exaggerated. Voltaire offers sad events that are disguised with jokes and witticism, and the story itself presents a distinctive outlook on life. The story deals with irrational ideas as taught to Candide about being optimistic, versus reality as seen by the rest of the world.
The overwhelming theme that is presented throughout the story is optimism. Out of every unfortunate situation in the story, Candide, the main character, is advised by his philosopher-teacher that everything in the world happens for the best, because "Private misfortunes contribute to the general good, so that the more private misfortunes there are, the more we find that all is well" (Voltaire 16). Pangloss, the philosopher, states that everything has a purpose and things are made for the best. As Candide grows up, whenever something unfortunate happens, Pangloss turns the situation around, bringing out the good in it. Candide learns that optimism is "The passion for maintaining that all is right when all goes wrong"(Voltaire 86). Because of Pangloss’s “great knowledge,” Candide is a very na�ve and impressionable youth who regards Pangloss as the greatest
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philosopher in the world, a reverence that will soon be contradicted by contract with reality (Frautschi 75).
"Voltaire...made him, Candide, acquainted with the bad and the good side of human existence. The moral of Candide is born out of its style; it is the art of extracting happiness from the desolate hopping-about of the human insect" (Priestly 104). Pomeau explains that Candide shows both sides of humanity, how both great and terrible events are standard in a human life. Also, according to Pomeau, the whole point of the story is to debate between good and bad; for example, as Candide becomes more independent, he starts to doubt that only good comes out of life....
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